Why it matters for your business
Prices and speeds vary widely between a provider's smallest and largest models, and many business tasks do not need the most capable one. Sending simple, high-volume steps to a smaller model while reserving a frontier model for complex reasoning can lower running costs and latency without hurting quality. It also reduces dependence on a single vendor. The tradeoff is more testing: each route needs its own evals, and the routing logic must be checked so hard requests are not sent to a model that cannot handle them.
Example
A support operation routes each incoming ticket through a small, fast model that tags category and urgency. Routine order status questions are answered by the same small model with a help article lookup. Complex billing disputes and angry escalations go to a larger, more capable model that drafts a careful reply for a human agent to review.