CIO / IT buyer · Compare classic D365 AMS with the per-ticket Skalp AI model

Classic D365 AMS vs Skalp AI — the factual 2026 comparison

Before renewing your D365 AMS, objectively compare the classic retainer with the per-ticket model. Seven criteria that change the economics.

TL;DR

Factual comparison: classic Dynamics 365 AMS vs Skalp AI on 7 criteria (cost, lead time, risk, lock-in). 80-87% saving per resolved ticket.

Join the waitlist

Microsoft D365 F&O expertise

10 ans

D365 F&O

1 credit / ticket

≈ €200, degressive in packsA ticket is resolved when SKALP AI successfully develops exactly what was defined during the needs analysis phase and tests pass — ticket handled + code or deliverable made available.

vs €800-1,200 at a typical SI

48 h

Average delivery time

Azure DevOps

Validated by your IT

The problem with your current vendor

The classic AMS model has 3 structural flaws

✗The monthly retainer guarantees human availability, never resolution within a set delay.
✗Per-ticket unit cost is invisible — diluted in the retainer, impossible to challenge in governance.
✗Technical vendor lock-in (knowledge, repo, conventions) costs €30-80k to break, killing competition.

How SKALP solves it

Skalp AI inverts the 3 axes: price, risk, ownership

✓1 credit (≈ €200) per ticket (AI develops exactly what was defined during needs analysis and tests pass) and merged on your Azure DevOps — visible, decimal-precise budgeting.
✓No billing if the ticket is not resolved — Skalp carries the failure risk.
✓All code, tests and documentation stay in your Azure DevOps repo — switch vendor or in-house with no hidden cost.

How it works

Submit your ticket

Describe the business or technical need in a few lines. No 50-page spec required.

AI generates the extension

X++ code, unit tests and documentation produced in under 48 hours.

Validation on your Azure DevOps

Pull request submitted on your repository. Your IT lead reviews and validates before merge.

Delivered — 1 credit (≈ €200)

The credit is only consumed when the development is generated (smart contract). Once merged, it's delivered. No billing if the ticket isn't resolved.

The factual comparison

Criterion	Classic D365 AMS	Per-ticket Skalp AI
Pricing model	Monthly retainer + extra person-days	Flat 1 credit (≈ €200) per developed ticket
Contractual commitment	Human availability (acknowledgement SLA)	Effective resolution (merged delivery)
Standard ticket lead time	5 to 15 business days	48 business hours
Per-ticket cost visibility	Diluted in retainer — varies by profile	1 credit (≈ €200), same on every ticket
Failure risk	Borne by client (billed even if unresolved)	Borne by Skalp (not billed if unresolved)
Code ownership	Theoretically client / practically vendor (lock-in)	100% in your Azure DevOps repo
Exit cost	€30-80k in skills transfer	€0 (cancel without notice, code is yours)
Automated tests	Rare — mostly manual UAT	SysTest delivered systematically

Frequently asked questions

Does the per-ticket model fit all request types?+

For 90% of cases (extensions, classes, workflows, reports, integrations), yes. For very exploratory matters without defined scope (R&D, audits), a flat consulting mode can complement — but these represent a minority of standard D365 AMS.

What 12-month ROI by replacing my current AMS?+

On a typical D365 AMS budget of €150-300k/year for 100-200 tickets, switching to Skalp AI cuts annual cost to €20-40k (80-87% saving). Even keeping 50% of the AMS budget as a safety net, net saving lands between €60-100k/year.

Can we combine AMS and Skalp AI during transition?+

Yes, this is the most common practice: a 2-3 month parallel run during which the current AMS continues and new developments go to Skalp. At the AMS annual term, renegotiate down or terminate based on measured results.

To go deeper on the same topic, seen from other angles.

Comparisons

Submit your first ticket

1 credit (≈ €200) if resolved. Nothing if not. Chat and needs analysis free.