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.
Microsoft D365 F&O expertise
10 ans
D365 F&O
€200 / ticket
Fixed price per resolved ticket
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
- ✓Single €200 price per ticket resolved (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
1
Submit your ticket
Describe the business or technical need in a few lines. No 50-page spec required.
2
AI generates the extension
X++ code, unit tests and documentation produced in under 48 hours.
3
Validation on your Azure DevOps
Pull request submitted on your repository. Your IT lead reviews and validates before merge.
4
Delivered — you pay €200
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 €200 per resolved 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 | Transparent €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.
Related pages
To go deeper on the same topic, seen from other angles.