Why RPA cost control is crucial for Dutch companies

When implementing robotic process automation, it is important that decision-makers understand the various components that influence RPA expenditure. We divide these costs into three main categories: vendor pricing models, development with module or infrastructure costs, and maintenance that also generates ongoing expenses.

Dutch IT managers often struggle with hidden costs that can disrupt the budget significantly. Research shows that RPA licensing costs typically represent only 25-30% of total RPA costs, with the remainder coming from implementation and maintenance.*

*Implementation timeframe based on average project duration with Dutch clients, individual projects may vary depending on organization size and complexity.

Dutch market-specific cost factors

In Dutch practice, IT managers often underestimate the cost structure: hidden IT costs lie in integration work, additional management activities and necessary adjustments to existing information systems, which are not directly visible on invoices or budgets.*

*Results dependent on organization-specific factors, implementation quality and market conditions. No guarantee of specific outcomes.

• Software and licensing costs: Substantial increase due to price rises and new legislation such as the Environment Act*
• Personnel costs ICT & Contracting: Noticeable increase due to staff shortages and increasing cybersecurity requirements*
• Localization & Dutch language support: Additional costs for translation, adaptation and Dutch support*
• Datacenter and hosting costs: Higher costs for mandatory storage in Dutch/EU datacenters*
• GDPR Compliance: Costs for privacy measures, data governance and audits according to Dutch/EU legislation*
• VAT & Taxation: 21% VAT on software plus new reporting obligations from 2030*

*Cost increases based on industry reports and internal client measurements 2023-2024. Individual results vary by organization, sector and implementation scope.

The Dutch reality for IT investments

These cost factors illustrate why IT projects structurally turn out more expensive than in other markets. The combination of noticeable license cost increases, staff shortages in the ICT sector and Dutch compliance requirements create a cost accumulation that particularly affects SME organizations.*

*Financial results dependent on starting situation, implementation quality and market factors. No guarantee of specific ROI percentages.

🎯 For IT decision-makers this means:

Aim for structurally 20-35% additional budgeting for Dutch market-specific costs on top of standard software licenses.*

Organizations that don’t include this in their business case will face cost overruns.

*Budgeting based on average experience with Dutch projects since 1999, individual timeline varies by organization complexity and scope.

Save costs, contact us

Vendor pricing models with licensing costs

To effectively minimize RPA implementation costs, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the different pricing structures of RPA vendors. Vendor costs can vary significantly and are influenced by factors such as the number of required bots and specific functionalities.*

Licensing costs typically represent approximately 30% of total robotic process automation costs.* Some common examples of these pricing models include subscription plans that vary depending on attended or unattended bots.

*Cost distribution based on internal measurements with Dutch clients, individual results vary by organization and process scope.

Brief general overview of license prices

Vendor	Plan Type	Costs	Notes
Microsoft Power Automate	Basic	€15/user/month	No RPA functionality
Microsoft Power Automate	RPA-enabled	€150/month	Including unattended automation
UiPath	Enterprise	Up to €60,000/year	Comprehensive solutions
Automation Anywhere	Unattended bot	€750/month	Each additional bot
Automation Anywhere	Attended bot	€125/month	Additional costs
Fortra Automate	1 bot	€5,000	Initial setup
Fortra Automate	5 bots	€16,000	Scaled pricing

Of course variations are possible, check our other pages on this topic or contact us for specific pricing information.*

*Prices are indicative and may vary by vendor and contract terms. Individual results vary by organization.

Advanced strategies to minimize RPA costs

Companies that want to get maximum return from their investment in Robotic Process Automation (RPA) while keeping costs as low as possible, would do well to choose a smart strategy. They look critically at which business processes yield the most when automated. They also choose RPA systems that can easily grow with their organization.*

*Efficiency gains based on before-after measurements with clients, specific results depending on current process quality and organizational factors.

1. Prioritize high-ROI processes

Maximizing the benefits of RPA starts with prioritizing high-ROI processes.*

Target areas for Dutch implementations:

• Data entry tasks: Invoice processing and order entry
• Order processing: After order entry, problems begin in some processes
• Standard reporting processes: Monthly financial reports
• Rule-based operations: Compliance checks and validations
• Marketing: Marketing Automation is not a magic word, but simply a ‘Must Have’
• GDPR-related processes: Data audit trails and privacy assessments

*ROI results based on internal measurements with Dutch clients, individual results vary by organization and process scope.

2. Implement scalable and cloud-based solutions

Companies can align their automation capabilities with growth by using scalable RPA solutions.*

Advantages of cloud-based RPA compared to traditional on-premise setups are:

• Substantial upfront investment savings: 60-80% cost savings possible*
• Subscription pricing models: That reduce upfront costs*
• Flexibility: For efficient scaling without significant infrastructure cost increases*

*Savings based on comparative studies, individual results vary by organization and starting situation.

3. Choose cost-effective RPA tools

Entry-level subscriptions for UiPath start at €3,000 annually, while Automation Anywhere offers community editions at no cost.*

Important considerations for vendor selection:

• Customization needs: Adapting RPA solutions to unique business processes can double or even triple costs*
• Ongoing maintenance: Typically expect to allocate 15%-20% of your initial investment annually to maintenance and updates*
• Dutch compliance: GDPR-ready solutions may come with additional costs but prevent fines*

*Costs and savings are indicative and vary by project complexity and organization-specific factors.

4. Develop a Center of Excellence (CoE)

Assembling (internal) professionals working on monitoring RPA ROI is essential.*

The CoE should pay close attention to:

• Costs and benefits of the solution: And make adjustments to further improve results*
• Inform use cases: For expanding your solution to other processes*
• Identify successes: Your RPA investment can help identify other processes for similar successes*

*ROI monitoring results dependent on implementation quality and organization-specific factors.

5. Focus on compliance and risk mitigation

RPA helps companies comply with industry regulations by:

• Generating real-time audit trails: For easy reporting*
• Enforcing strict access controls: And data security protocols*
• Automated compliance procedures: For GDPR and Dutch legislation*

In this way you reduce the risk of fines and improve the effectiveness and reputation of your organization.*

*Compliance results dependent on correct implementation and compliance with all relevant legislation.