PIPELINEGuide
Implementing AI Advisory: Step by Step
The path from decision to live operation — in the order that has proven effective in small businesses, including the points where projects typically get stuck.
AI advisory is implemented by first naming the bottleneck, then narrowing the scope, and only then moving to execution. The implementation itself takes 2 to 3 weeks; projects are almost never delayed by technology, but by missing content, access, and decisions.
01 — Getting started
Where to begin
Name the bottleneck
Not the most interesting thing, but what takes the most time. A week of tracking what repeats delivers a more realistic list than any workshop.
Define a small scope
One process, one measurable goal. What works gets expanded — what doesn't costs little.
Survey the starting situation
What content, data, and access is available. For AI advisory, this is the factor that most strongly influences effort and timeline.
Decide who is responsible
For the implementation and for operations afterward. Without this definition, every system becomes outdated.
Only then request proposals
With a clear scope, proposals become comparable. Without it, you get numbers that have nothing to do with each other.
02 — Process
The steps in detail
Preliminary conversation
One hour to clarify whether and where there's anything to gain at all. Free of charge.
Workshop
Half to full day at your business. We talk to the people who know the processes.
Evaluation
We assess the use cases we found and calculate them.
Presentation
You get a document and an hour where we walk through it. Whether you continue working with us afterward is open.
03 — Participation
What we need from you
- A contact person who can make decisions — not just forward them.
- Access to the affected systems, in time and not on launch day.
- Real examples from daily business — the messier, the more useful for testing.
- Two to four hours for coordination, distributed over the project duration.
- An answer to the question of what success means. Without it, nothing can be assessed afterward.
04 — Bottlenecks
What typically causes delays
- Content and deliveries. By far the most common cause of delay. Text, images, price lists, access credentials — what's missing blocks progress.
- Decisions. When it's unclear who approves, the project waits. A named contact person with decision-making authority noticeably shortens the timeline.
- Access to third-party systems. Getting access to inventory management, phone systems, or CRM regularly takes longer than the integration itself.
- Endless review rounds. Two correction rounds are normal, five are a sign that the goal wasn't clear at the start.
05 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
Isn't this just a disguised sales event?
The recommendation regularly includes items you can implement yourselves or with your existing service provider, as well as cases we advise against. The document is yours and works without us too.
What funding is available in Austria?
Options include KMU.DIGITAL and aws digitalization funding — current terms at kmudigital.at and aws.at. Both require the application to be approved before awarding the contract — that's why we bring it up early and not at the end.
What if nothing makes sense for us?
Then that's what the report says. It happens, especially with businesses that have very few recurring processes or no digital data foundation. An honest no is cheaper than a project that runs aground.
How does this differ from consulting by the Chamber of Commerce?
The Chamber offerings provide a good overview of funding options and basics. We go a step further and look at your specific processes and systems — with effort estimates that we ourselves would have to meet.
What does it cost us if nothing comes of it in the end?
Only the agreed price for the workshop and document — there's no success fee and no hidden follow-up obligation. The preliminary conversation is free and is meant to catch exactly these kinds of mismatched inquiries beforehand.
Do we also get recommendations for providers other than you?
Yes, where it makes sense. Some use cases are better suited to standard software or a specialized provider — that's stated in the document, not hidden.
Who should be at the workshop?
At least one person from management and two to three who do the affected processes daily. Without the second group, you get a list that doesn't work in practice.
06 — Next
Related pages
- AI consulting — Overview
- AI consulting — Pros and cons
- AI consulting — team and buy-in
- AI consulting — checklist
- AI consulting — alternatives
- AI consulting — process
- AI consulting — requirements
- AI consulting — Costs
- AI automation
- Process automation
- AI training
- All guides
AI consulting by region
Next step
Let's talk briefly about whether this makes sense for you.
A twenty-minute conversation is usually enough to clarify whether a project makes sense. If not, we'll say so — that's cheaper for both sides than an offer nobody needs.