n8n agency: workflows that actually take work off your team
n8n is the most capable automation tool that respects your data sovereignty - when it's set up properly. Olio designs, builds, and operates n8n workflows for companies: from your first automation to a self-hosted instance on EU servers, including AI agents, custom nodes, and maintenance. Senior engineers instead of click-along tutorials. Boutique agency from Mönchengladbach, Germany, working remotely across the EU.
What we automate with n8n
Typical workflows connect CRM, email, accounting, and internal tools: enriching leads from forms and writing them into the CRM, generating quotes and invoices automatically, classifying and routing incoming email and documents with AI, assembling reports from multiple sources. Using n8n's AI nodes we also build agents that read text, extract data, and prepare decisions - connected to OpenAI, Anthropic, or self-hosted models.
n8n, Make, or Zapier?
Zapier and Make start fast but get expensive with volume: you pay per execution, and your data flows through US servers. n8n runs self-hosted on your own infrastructure - fixed costs instead of per-task pricing, full data sovereignty, and the freedom to drop in real code wherever the visual editor ends. For complex workflows with loops, error handling, and custom nodes, n8n is the technically cleanest choice. We'll tell you honestly in the first call which tool fits your case.
Self-hosted n8n: GDPR and data sovereignty
We run n8n on servers in Germany or the EU - typically on Hetzner, via Docker or Kubernetes, with backups, monitoring, and updates. Your customer data never leaves the EU, data processing agreements are clean, and AI steps can run through EU endpoints or self-hosted models on request. That makes n8n the first choice for companies that want to automate without compromising on data protection.
How we work
We start with a process audit: where is time being lost, which automation pays off fastest? Then we build a pilot of two to three workflows - in production, not as a demo. Once the pilot runs, we expand step by step: more processes, proper error handling, documentation, and training for your team. You decide whether we keep operating the instance or your team takes over.
Why Olio
n8n workflows are quick to click together - and just as quick to become an unmaintainable tangle. We build workflows like software: versioned, tested, with error handling and monitoring. As a development agency we also write custom nodes and connect systems that have no ready-made integration. And where n8n isn't the right tool, we build the missing piece as code - we sell you the tool that fits, not the one we happen to have.
What you get with us
- Production workflows instead of click-demos: versioned, tested, with error handling
- Self-hosted n8n on EU servers - full data sovereignty, GDPR-compliant, fixed costs
- AI agents inside n8n: reading documents, classifying email, extracting data
- Custom nodes and API integrations for systems without a ready-made connector
- A pilot in production within 2 to 4 weeks - from €5,000, with measurable time savings
- Operations, monitoring, and maintenance by us - or a documented handover to your team
Core Technologies
Let's automate your processes
Frequently asked questions
What does an n8n project cost?
A pilot with two to three production workflows runs €5,000 to €15,000; larger automation suites with many processes and custom nodes land between €15,000 and €50,000. We offer operations and maintenance of the self-hosted instance as a monthly package. After the process audit you get a transparent estimate.
What is n8n?
n8n is a workflow automation tool under a fair-code license: you connect hundreds of services through a visual editor and can insert real code anywhere. The decisive difference from Zapier or Make: n8n runs on your own infrastructure - with full data sovereignty and no per-execution fees.
n8n or Zapier/Make - which is right for us?
Zapier and Make are fine for simple, low-volume automations. n8n wins as soon as data protection matters, volume grows, or workflows get complex: self-hosting instead of US cloud, fixed costs instead of per-task pricing, real code instead of click limits. We'll tell you honestly which tool fits your case.
Do we need an n8n license?
The community version is free to self-host for internal business use - enough for most mid-sized companies. n8n Enterprise with SSO, environments, and granular permissions pays off for larger teams. n8n Cloud is the hosted variant with monthly fees. Our advice is license-neutral.
Is n8n GDPR-compliant?
Self-hosted: yes, very cleanly. We run your instance on servers in Germany or the EU, your data never leaves the infrastructure, and data processing agreements cover operations. AI steps can run through EU endpoints or local models instead of US APIs on request.
Can you build AI into our workflows?
Yes - that's now the most common part of a project: classifying and answering email, reading documents and invoices, summarizing text, enriching data. n8n ships AI agent nodes for this, which we connect to OpenAI, Anthropic, or self-hosted models - including guardrails so the automation stays reliable.
How fast is the first workflow live?
A pilot with two to three workflows is typically in production within 2 to 4 weeks - including hosting setup, error handling, and a short training session. After that we expand step by step, prioritized by time saved.
What happens when a workflow fails at 2 a.m.?
Production automation needs operations: we set up monitoring and alerts, and failures flow into defined retry and escalation paths instead of silently disappearing. Under a maintenance package we fix incidents within agreed response times - automation you can't rely on isn't automation.
Can you connect systems that have no n8n integration?
Yes. We build custom nodes and use n8n's HTTP and code nodes to connect virtually any API - including industry solutions and legacy systems. Where no interface exists at all, we build a clean bridge, for example via file imports or a small middleware.
Do you take over existing n8n instances?
Yes. We audit your workflows, clean up, add error handling and monitoring, and take over operations and further development. Instances that have grown to dozens of untested workflows are a common starting point - we have a structured intake process for exactly that.
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