The short answer
Budget by outcome, not by product name.
The same Microsoft technology can support a two-day cleanup or a multi-department operating system. The cost difference usually comes from data, permissions, integrations, exception paths, testing and ownership—not from whether the screen says SharePoint or Power Apps.
For W.I.S.E., focused assessments typically begin in the low thousands, well-defined builds commonly fall in the mid-thousands, and connected modernization or multi-workstream solutions can move into five figures. The exact band is established before delivery begins.
W.I.S.E. public planning ranges
Findings, priorities and a roadmap.
One defined operational problem.
Multiple workstreams, integrations or phases.
Bounded ongoing support and improvement.
These are planning bands, not automatic quotes. W.I.S.E. scopes the actual work in writing before delivery.
What usually changes the price
- Data readiness: clean lists and clear records are faster to automate than duplicates, undocumented spreadsheets and inconsistent naming.
- Permissions: group-based access with known owners is simpler than years of unique exceptions.
- Integrations: standard Microsoft 365 connections are different from premium connectors, APIs, gateways and non-Microsoft systems.
- Process complexity: exceptions, escalations, audit requirements and multiple approval authorities add engineering and test paths.
- Adoption expectations: a small admin handoff differs from organization-wide training, communications and change management.
Hourly, fixed scope or retainer?
Hourly or time-and-materials work is useful when the scope is genuinely evolving, but it should still have a written range and a cap. Fixed or milestone pricing fits better when the deliverable and acceptance criteria are knowable. Retainers make sense when there is a continuing backlog or support responsibility—not simply because a project ended.
W.I.S.E. can use more than one model. The goal is to match the commercial structure to the uncertainty of the work rather than force every client into the same package.
When a paid assessment is the cheaper choice
If you cannot confidently describe the current state, ownership, data source, licensing or approval path, quoting the build first creates false precision. A focused assessment can be cheaper than either overbuilding a solution or pricing a large contingency into an unclear project.