The verdict in three sentences
A custom AI document analysis assistant — extraction, classification and summarising of contracts and reports — costs between EUR 15,000 and EUR 55,000 in 2026, for a 5 to 10 week timeline. The concrete gain is 5 to 12 hours per week per staff member, with GDPR-compliant EU hosting essential for confidential documents. Generic tools are cheaper but stumble on your business formats and confidentiality requirements.
Generic tool or bespoke assistant: what really changes
A generic tool (a SaaS document-analysis subscription) handles standard formats well but ignores your internal templates, standard clauses and filing rules. Bespoke learns your taxonomy, integrates with your DMS and guarantees data hosting.
| Criterion | Generic tool | Bespoke assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 0 - 5,000 | EUR 15,000 - 55,000 |
| Monthly cost | EUR 20 - 80 / user | API + EUR 400 - 1,000 maintenance |
| Specific business formats | No | Yes (templates, clauses) |
| DMS / intranet integration | Limited | Bespoke |
| EU hosting / GDPR | Variable | Guaranteed EU |
| Extraction accuracy | 70 - 85 % | 88 - 96 % after calibration |
| Time to launch | 1 - 2 weeks | 5 - 10 weeks |
Budget and schedule breakdown
The price depends on the number of document types, the depth of extraction and the level of DMS integration. An assistant that summarises reports is simpler than a contract-clause extractor with human quality control.
| Line item | 2026 range (EUR) | Indicative timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping + document taxonomy | 2,500 - 6,000 | 1 week |
| Extraction + classification pipeline | 5,000 - 18,000 | 2 - 4 weeks |
| Summary + verification module | 3,000 - 12,000 | 1 - 3 weeks |
| DMS integration + EU hosting | 3,000 - 12,000 | 1 - 2 weeks |
| Testing, calibration, training | 1,500 - 7,000 | 1 - 2 weeks |
| Total | 15,000 - 55,000 | 5 - 10 weeks |
The API cost depends on page volume: expect EUR 0.5 to 4 per 1,000 pages analysed depending on the model. Pre-chunking documents and caching sharply reduce the bill on large volumes.
Mini case study
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Mr Rousseau, partner at a consulting firm in Amsterdam, has 18 staff who spend on average 8 h/week reading and summarising contracts and reports. He invests EUR 38,000 in a bespoke assistant, with EUR 700/month maintenance and EUR 200/month API.
The assistant saves each person 7 h/week, i.e. 126 h/week combined. At a loaded cost of EUR 55/h, the saving is EUR 6,930/week, about EUR 28,000/month. The upfront investment is paid back in under 6 weeks, excluding quality and client-responsiveness gains.
FAQ
What extraction accuracy is achievable? Between 88 and 96 % after calibration on your templates, versus 70 to 85 % for a generic tool. Human review on ambiguous cases secures high-stakes documents.
Is hosting GDPR-compliant? Yes, with EU hosting and a model that does not reuse your data. This is non-negotiable for confidential contracts and reports.
How long to deploy? Expect 5 to 10 weeks depending on the number of document types and the complexity of DMS integration.
What realistic time saving per staff member? Between 5 and 12 h/week on extraction, filing and summarising tasks. The gain peaks when document volume is high and repetitive.
What maintenance budget? Between EUR 400 and 1,000/month to keep accuracy up, add templates and monitor quality. An unmaintained assistant loses relevance as your documents evolve.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your document types, your DMS and the monthly volume to process, and we will price a GDPR-compliant assistant. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
