METHODOLOGY · COST SIMULATOR
Compare integration costs transparently.
The onflAI simulator compares assumed project and operating costs for 1 to 500 integrations with Flex (€99 per integration per month) or an annual Enterprise package. Here are the origin, assumptions and calculations behind the headline result.
Data origin and limitations
The starting values come from an AI-assisted comparison of traditional integration project costs supplied by onflAI. There is no published customer-project dataset, sample or independently verified market study behind them. These are planning assumptions, not established market averages.
Which costs are compared
The traditional scenario includes one-time implementation plus a risk buffer and prorated annual operations and maintenance. The onflAI side includes the platform price for the selected count. Up to 100 integrations use Flex; from 101, the smallest matching Enterprise package is suggested. Larger packages can be selected for extra capacity. Internal setup, review and operating effort, external licences, transaction charges and taxes are not fully included. This is not a complete total-cost-of-ownership comparison.
How effort classes are selected
Source and target each have a setup and operating class. For each cost type, the higher of the two classes is used, not their sum. The model does not account for additional systems, individual data volumes, custom rules or contractual SLA requirements.
Ranges, not a day-rate calculation
Classes 1–4 use values based on the midpoints of the displayed ranges; class 1 assumes an operating range of €0–2,000. Class 5 uses lower reference values. Person-days and calendar durations are contextual only. The model does not multiply a daily rate by person-days or substantiate a market day rate.
What the savings mean
The result is the positive difference between the traditional model value and the onflAI platform price. It is neither guaranteed savings nor a quote. The “at least” label for class 5 refers only to lower reference values in this model, not to minimum savings promised for your project.
Assess your own business case
Obtain a comparable quote for the same scope. Add setup, testing, internal time, external licences and ongoing support on both sides. Check the limits of the selected onflAI plan. This turns initial orientation into an informed individual decision.
The values behind the simulator
Conventional costs are model assumptions per integration. Risk buffers apply only to one-time implementation. For multiple integrations, setup and operations are multiplied by the count; potential shared efficiencies are not included.
| Tier | One-time range | Setup value | Operations / year | Annual value | Buffer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €2,000–8,000 | €5,000.00 | up to €2,000 | €1,000.00 | 12.5 % |
| 2 | €8,000–25,000 | €16,500.00 | €2,000–8,000 | €5,000.00 | 12.5 % |
| 3 | €25,000–60,000 | €42,500.00 | €8,000–25,000 | €16,500.00 | 22.5 % |
| 4 | €60,000–150,000 | €105,000.00 | €25,000–70,000 | €47,500.00 | 35 % |
| 5 | more than €150,000 | €150,000.00 | more than €70,000 | €70,000.00 | 35 % |
| Technology | Setup class | Operations class |
|---|---|---|
| REST API | 2 | 2 |
| Automated CSV / SFTP | 1 | 2 |
| Manually maintained Excel file | 1 | 4 |
| Database / SQL | 3 | 3 |
| SOAP web service | 4 | 4 |
| Messaging / message queue | 4 | 4 |
| Webhook | 2 | 2 |
| EDI / EDIFACT | 5 | 5 |
| ETL / iPaaS connector | 3 | 4 |
| GraphQL API | 3 | 3 |
| RPA / UI integration | 4 | 4 |
Effort and calendar duration
| Tier | Effort | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1–5 person-days | a few days to 1 week |
| 2 | 6–15 person-days | 2–4 weeks |
| 3 | 16–40 person-days | 1–3 months |
| 4 | 41–100 person-days | 3–6 months |
| 5 | more than 100 person-days | 6–18+ months |
The calculation
- Implementation = value of the higher setup class × (1 + risk buffer) × integration count.
- Operations = annual value of the higher operating class × months ÷ 12 × integration count.
- Traditional model cost = implementation + operations. onflAI Flex (1–100 integrations) = €99 × count × months. Enterprise (101–500 integrations) = selected package annual price × months ÷ 12.
- Potential savings = the positive difference, or zero; percentage = savings ÷ traditional model cost × 100.
Enterprise: annual packages and unit prices
From 101 integrations, the simulator selects the smallest matching package. The annual price covers the whole package, even when fewer integrations are used. The effective monthly price per planned integration is annual price ÷ 12 ÷ selected count. The table shows unit prices at full capacity.
| Max. integrations | Package / year | Per integration / month at full capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | €99,000.00 | €41.25 |
| 300 | €129,000.00 | €35.83 |
| 400 | €159,000.00 | €33.13 |
| 500 | €189,000.00 | €31.50 |
Three worked examples
| Source → target | Setup incl. buffer | Operations | Traditional model | onflAI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automated CSV / SFTP → Automated CSV / SFTP | €5,625.00 | €10,000.00 | €15,625.00 | €2,376.00 | €13,249.00 |
| REST API → Database / SQL | €52,062.50 | €33,000.00 | €85,062.50 | €2,376.00 | €82,686.50 |
| EDI / EDIFACT → Database / SQL * | €202,500.00 | €140,000.00 | €342,500.00 | €2,376.00 | €340,124.00 |
* Class 5 uses lower model values. The simulator rounds to whole euros; independently rounded components can differ from a rounded total by €1. The calculations here are shown to the cent.
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