Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers.
What business owners often ask about my work, the costs, AI and privacy. Is your question not listed? Feel free to call me or send a WhatsApp message.
About me
Who you will be speaking to.
Uniekaiconsultancy is a one-person business. You speak directly with me.
Who is behind Uniekaiconsultancy?
Me, Bart van Engelenhoven. Uniekaiconsultancy is my one-person business in Ede. From the first conversation to delivery, you talk to me. Read more about me.
Which businesses do you work for?
For SMEs with 10 to 250 employees, throughout the Netherlands. Especially where work keeps coming back and takes a lot of manual effort. Do you recognise your work in one of the situations I describe? Then an introductory call is worthwhile.
Are you an adviser or a builder?
Both. First I do the analysis and the proposal. After that I build it myself, if you want me to. You can read about the difference between those two roles in my article What does an AI consultant do?
Will you come and visit us?
Yes, throughout the Netherlands. The introductory call can also be done by phone. For the analysis I come on site, because then I talk to the people who do the work. Book a call.
Do you also build websites?
Yes, under the name Uniek Webdesign. See uniekwebdesign.nl for what I offer.
How I work
How it works.
First a free introductory call. If you want something built, you start with a business analysis.
How do I get started?
With a free introductory call, by phone or at your premises. If you then want something built, a business analysis and a proposal follow. Read how my approach is set up.
What if I don’t know yet what could be improved?
That is not a problem. Tell me where your team spends a lot of time. In the analysis we work out together what could be improved, and whether AI fits in. See also You don’t know where to start with AI.
What happens in the business analysis?
I come on site, talk to the people who do the work and look at your systems and data. That is how I map out your processes. At the end you get a proposal: what could be improved, what it costs and where to start.
Do I have to continue after the analysis?
No. After the proposal, you decide whether I build it. The proposal is yours: you can also carry it out yourself or with another party. More on how I work.
How long does a project take?
Allow a week for the analysis. How long the building takes depends on what is being built. An integration usually takes 2 to 3 weeks, a larger improvement 4 to 6 weeks. The schedule for your situation is in the proposal.
Who explains to my team how it works?
I do, at delivery. I explain it to someone in your team. That way there is someone within your business who knows how it works.
Costs and payment
What it costs.
What it costs depends on your situation. The first conversation is free. After the analysis you get a proposal with a fixed price, so you know where you stand in advance.
What does the business analysis cost?
That depends on how large your business is and how much work we look at together. A week is recommended. The analysis is paid; what it costs for you we discuss in the first conversation, and that conversation is free. If you continue afterwards, I offset the analysis against the follow-up work.
Why don’t you give a price straight away?
Because I first need to see how you work. Your systems, your data and the point where the work gets stuck determine the price. My article What does custom software cost? explains what the price depends on.
What does an integration or custom software cost?
That depends on how many systems are involved, how good their API is, how many steps and exceptions the work has and how clean your data is. After the analysis you get a proposal with a fixed price, so you know where you stand in advance. More in What does an API integration cost?
How do I pay for the building?
Half at the start, half at delivery. Hosting and maintenance are agreed in advance in a monthly arrangement.
Why do I still pay monthly after delivery?
Software has to keep running. Updates are needed, and there are subscriptions for the servers and services underneath it. I take care of that, for one fixed monthly amount that we agree together in advance. What hosting is, you can read in the knowledge base.
AI
About AI in your business.
Explanations of terms such as language model or AI agent can be found in the knowledge base.
What can AI help my business with?
Mainly with text-heavy work that keeps coming back. Think of drafts for emails and quotes, summarising long documents and finding answers in your own manuals. Read more about AI for SMEs.
Does a person still check what the AI does?
Yes. AI can make mistakes. That is called a hallucination. That is why, in what I build, AI prepares something, such as a draft, and an employee decides what happens with it.
Does my business need to arrange anything for AI literacy?
Yes, if your team uses AI. Article 4 of the EU AI Act then requires measures, such as explanations and agreements. A fixed level per employee or a certificate is not required. You can read more about AI literacy in the knowledge base.
Do you also give AI training to teams?
Yes, in-company and on request. AI policy & training takes half a day: explanations and clear rules for using AI. On a team day your team practises with AI on its own work. What fits and what it costs, we discuss in the first conversation. More under AI training.
Do you ever advise against AI?
Yes. If an integration, a standard package or a better agreement is enough, I say so. I receive no commission from suppliers. Read more about AI advice.
Integrations and software
About your systems.
I first look at what is possible with your current systems, and only build when that is needed.
What do you mean by an integration?
An integration lets two systems pass data to each other. For example: a new order from your online shop arrives in your accounting automatically. Then nobody has to retype it. Read What is an API integration?
Can you connect any system?
That depends on the system. If it has an API, a fixed entry point for other software, it is usually possible. Without an API there is sometimes another route, such as a file that is exchanged at set times. I work that out in the analysis.
Do I need to buy new software?
Usually not. I build with and between the systems you already have. If a standard package is better, I recommend it. Read more about automation.
When does custom software make sense?
When no package fits the way you work, or when your work lives in separate lists that many people work in. If you work like most businesses in your sector, a package is often enough. See custom software and spreadsheets that have got out of hand.
Who owns what you build for me?
Your business: the code and the data. If you stop the maintenance, you get them handed over and can carry on yourself, or with another party.
Privacy and security
About your data.
For each assignment we sign a data processing agreement. See also my privacy statement.
How do you handle my business’s data?
For each assignment we sign a data processing agreement. For AI I work with business accounts that come with such an agreement, not with free accounts. See also my privacy statement.
Why do we sign a data processing agreement?
If I work with personal data on your behalf, I am a processor under the GDPR. A data processing agreement is then mandatory. It sets out what I may do with the data and how it is secured. You can read more about the data processing agreement in the knowledge base.
May my staff put customer data into an AI chatbot?
Not just like that. The Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens) received reports of data breaches because employees put personal data into an AI chatbot. So make clear agreements in an AI policy. See also Your team uses AI without agreements.
What can I do myself to keep my data safe?
Turn on two-step verification for important accounts, make backups and agree who has access to what. More on working securely is in the knowledge base.
Where can I find explanations of words like API or GDPR?
In the knowledge base. There I explain terms and topics in plain language, with sources where needed. For example, you can read about the GDPR in What is the GDPR?
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Next step
Curious what could work for you?
- The first conversation is free and without obligation
- By phone or at your premises
- You speak directly with me
Bart van Engelenhoven You tell me what takes up your time, I tell you honestly whether I can help.