Frequently asked

What managing directors ask us most often

Answered briefly and honestly. Whatever stays open, we clarify in a personal conversation.

What exactly is a “digital employee”?

A pre-configured AI agent that takes on a clearly defined role — research, reporting or quote preparation, for example. It works in your existing tools, fits into your processes and relieves your team. You don’t buy software, you fill a position.

Will this replace my employees?

No. Digital employees complement your team, they don’t replace it. They take on recurring, time-consuming tasks so your people can focus on what requires judgement and customer proximity. Especially given the skills shortage, this gives you capacity without new hires.

Which programmes does the digital colleague work in?

In the tools you already use — Microsoft 365, common ERP and CRM systems, email, Teams. There is no new interface your team has to learn first. The digital employee comes to you, not the other way round.

What does it cost?

A fixed monthly price per role: standard roles €500, specialist roles €1,500, regulated functions from €2,500. No per-seat licences, no hidden costs. Getting started via the qualification call is free. All prices plus VAT.

How does the LLM fair-use policy work — what’s included in the monthly price and what isn’t?

The ongoing costs of the underlying AI models are included in your fixed monthly price per role — within typical team usage. You pay no tokens, no credits and have nothing to track; the price stays as predictable as a salary. To keep this promise fair and stable for all customers, a fair-use limit on the included model costs applies per role and month. These limits are well above what a role consumes under normal team usage — so ongoing operation is fully covered. Only when a single role is permanently and significantly above this range does a fair surcharge apply: we then charge exclusively the actually documented extra costs above the limit, never a flat markup.

Which model (e.g. Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini) is used in each case is chosen by us based on suitability, cost and data protection, and we may switch it as long as the agreed functionality is preserved — keeping performance current and costs efficient, with nothing changing for you. A final note on clean billing: the DigiFair contribution and any partner commissions are calculated solely on the Hainzelman list price per role — passed-through LLM costs are expressly excluded.

How long am I committed for?

The monthly subscription per role is cancellable monthly — with seven days’ notice to the end of the month, in text form. No annual contract, no lock-in. You stay in control.

How does getting started work?

In clear steps: a free qualification call, an optional AI-potential workshop, then a Specification Sprint with a working prototype and a quote. Only afterwards do you decide on ongoing operation. We set things up together with you — not a “do it yourself”.

How quickly is the digital employee ready to use?

After the Specification Sprint — typically one week for standard roles, one to two weeks for specialist roles — a working prototype is in place. During the guided onboarding phase it is then fine-tuned to your formats and decision criteria.

What happens to my data?

Your data stays your data. Processing and storage take place on infrastructure within the EU, primarily in Germany. We process personal data exclusively on your behalf and do not use it for our own purposes. Before going live we conclude a data-processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR.

Does the AI train on my data?

The digital employee learns from your processes — not with your data. Your content does not flow into the training of third-party models. Whatever we improve in generic patterns never reveals your confidential information.

Is this GDPR- and EU-AI-Act-compliant?

Yes. EU-hosted, GDPR-compliant and built on a human-in-the-loop principle: the digital employee asks when unsure, escalates when a human must decide, and documents every action traceably. Fully autonomous execution of irreversible actions without your approval is not provided for.

Who is responsible for the results?

The digital employee prepares, your team approves. Every action is recorded in a log accessible to you. You keep control over what goes out or into your systems — responsibility that stays with you.

What if the digital employee makes a mistake?

Standard roles are designed so that you can review and correct results before they are passed on. For tasks with direct external or financial impact, human approval is part of the workflow. As with any new colleague: verify first, then trust — more and more over time.

How is this different from Microsoft Copilot or US providers?

We are the European alternative for SMEs: fixed prices per role instead of per-seat licences, EU hosting instead of mixed locations, AI-Act compliance built in rather than your responsibility, and joint onboarding instead of self-service. We address the managing director, not the IT department.

What is DigiFair?

For every active digital employee, Hainzelman pays a symbolic employee contribution to projects that mirror the pillars of the German social system — bindingly. You can additionally cover the employer’s share, just as you would for any human colleague.

Are further costs included in the monthly price?

The subscription includes continuous learning and adaptation, LLM costs within typical team usage, email support and EU hosting. Only in the case of permanently above-average consumption does a fair surcharge apply. Everything transparent, nothing hidden.

Question not covered?

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