# Knowledge Base — Software, AI & Operations > Practical articles on custom software, AI, automation, digital operations, and scaling a modern business. Source: [https://aergent.nl/en/blog](https://aergent.nl/en/blog) Language: English Aergent knowledge base / Amsterdam # Blog & News Practical thinking on custom software, automation, AI, and the systems behind growing companies. ## Selected reading Ideas for sharper operations eigen-so Latest field note / Software ## Own vs Rent: The Software Ownership Debate Why owning beats subscribing. 26 Aug 2026 3 min read [Read article](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/own-vs-rent-software) ### Just published 04 [Efficiency What Does It Cost to Have a Website Built in 2026? 24 Aug 2026](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/website-cost-guide)[Efficiency WordPress: When It Is Enough, and When It Is Not 24 Aug 2026](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/when-to-use-wordpress)[AI The EU AI Act for SMEs: When Does It Affect Your Software? 24 Aug 2026](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/eu-ai-act-smes)[Software European Cloud and Data Sovereignty: Where Does Your Data Actually Sit? 24 Aug 2026](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/european-cloud-data-sovereignty) ## Knowledge base archive 23 articles found Search the knowledge base 01 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [What Does It Cost to Have a Website Built in 2026?](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/website-cost-guide) Realistic price bands for a business site, webshop and web application, what actually drives the price, and which costs continue after delivery. 7 min read 02 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [WordPress: When It Is Enough, and When It Is Not](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/when-to-use-wordpress) An honest line between publishing and working, from a team that builds both WordPress sites and custom applications. 4 min read 03 AI 24 Aug 2026 ### [The EU AI Act for SMEs: When Does It Affect Your Software?](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/eu-ai-act-smes) The four risk categories, the provider versus deployer distinction, and what you can prepare now. 4 min read 04 Software 24 Aug 2026 ### [European Cloud and Data Sovereignty: Where Does Your Data Actually Sit?](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/european-cloud-data-sovereignty) Why server location is not the same as legal control, and the three levels of sovereignty to choose between. 4 min read 05 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Vendor Lock-In and Your Exit Strategy: Can You Still Get Your Data Out?](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/vendor-lock-in-exit-strategy) The four forms of lock-in, the EU rights that now help, and the questions to ask before signing. 5 min read 06 Software 24 Aug 2026 ### [Your SaaS Supplier Just Raised the Price. Now What?](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/saas-price-increase) Calculate what you really pay, then choose between four routes instead of two. 5 min read 07 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Maritime Fuel Costs: Why Forward Calculation Breaks in Excel](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/maritime-fuel-cost-calculation) EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and bunker volatility interact. A spreadsheet computes one scenario; you need dozens. 6 min read 08 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Connecting Exact Online, AFAS and Twinfield: What Works and What Does Not](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/exact-afas-twinfield-integration) What each API practically allows, the five pitfalls that derail integration projects, and when a middle layer pays. 5 min read 09 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [A Cookie Banner That Actually Complies (Without Wrecking Your Conversion)](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/gdpr-compliant-cookie-banner) The four hard requirements, the design patterns that invalidate consent, and a banner setup that works. 4 min read 10 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Google Analytics and GDPR: Is It Still Allowed, and What Are the Alternatives?](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/google-analytics-gdpr-alternatives) Where the legal tension actually sits, how to configure Analytics correctly, and which EU alternatives remove the problem. 4 min read 11 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Why Your Website Is Slow: Core Web Vitals and INP Explained](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/core-web-vitals-inp) What LCP, CLS and INP actually measure, why INP is the hardest, and which fixes deliver most. 5 min read 12 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Is Your Website Legally Required to Be Accessible? The European Accessibility Act Explained](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/website-accessibility-requirements) Who is covered, what WCAG 2.1 AA requires in practice, and how to establish where your site stands. 4 min read 13 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Food Cost Under Control: Stock and Purchasing Without Guesswork](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/hospitality-stock-purchasing) Move from a monthly percentage to margin per dish, and find out where the money actually leaks. 5 min read 14 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Hospitality Scheduling: From WhatsApp Group to a Rota That Works](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/hospitality-staff-scheduling) Where scheduling time disappears, what automation genuinely solves and how to make hours reconcile with payroll. 4 min read 15 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Digital Menus and Allergens: Change a Dish Once, Update Everywhere](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/digital-menu-allergen-management) How to move from five separate menus to one source, and meet allergen obligations in the process. 5 min read 16 AI 24 Aug 2026 ### [What an AI Chatbot Does and Does Not Solve in Customer Contact](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/ai-chatbot-realistic-expectations) An honest view of where a chatbot delivers, where it structurally falls short, and how to calculate the return. 5 min read 17 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Connecting iDEAL and Mollie: What a Payment Integration Really Involves](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/ideal-mollie-payment-integration) Webhooks, idempotency, refunds and reconciliation — the parts of a payment integration that decide whether it holds up. 5 min read 18 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Building a Client Portal: Sharing Documents Without Email Attachments](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/client-portal-secure-document-sharing) When a client portal pays for itself, what it needs at minimum and where these projects go wrong. 5 min read 19 Software 24 Aug 2026 ### [Custom Software or Standard SaaS: When Should You Choose Which?](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/custom-software-vs-saas) An honest framework for comparing process fit, total cost, ownership and speed. 5 min read 20 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [Which Business Processes Should You Automate First?](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/business-processes-automate-first) A practical scoring method for selecting a high-value, low-risk first automation. 5 min read 21 Efficiency 24 Aug 2026 ### [7 Signs Excel Is Starting to Hold Your Business Back](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/signs-excel-holding-business-back) Recognise the spreadsheet ceiling and learn when a web application becomes the safer choice. 5 min read 22 Software 24 Aug 2026 ### [What Does Custom Software Cost in 2026? Pricing, Timeline and ROI](https://aergent.nl/en/blog/custom-software-cost-2026) What drives the cost of custom software, how long delivery takes and how to calculate a credible return on investment. 9 min read ## Useful thinking, sent occasionally. New field notes on software, AI, and operational design. No generic trend summaries. Work email address