PIPELINEGuide
AI consulting: where to start without losing focus
The most common mistake when starting is not the wrong technology, but the wrong first step. A sequence that has proven itself in small businesses.
Getting started with AI consulting doesn't begin with the technology, but with a week of taking notes: What repeats itself, what takes the most time. Then a single, clearly defined process with a measurable goal — only with clear scope do quotes become comparable at all.
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 Without this definition, every system becomes outdated.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 — Fit
When it's worth it
- The process in question occurs at least weekly.
- It follows rules you can write down — even if there are exceptions.
- Today it's manual work that no one enjoys doing.
- There's one person who decides, not three who need to coordinate.
- You can name what would tell you it worked.
03 — Checklist
Clarify before the first quote
- What should improve? In one sentence, no jargon.
- How will you know? One number that should change.
- Who decides? One person, not a committee.
- What budget is available? A range is enough — it makes quotes comparable instead of arbitrary.
- By when? And what the deadline depends on.
- Which systems are involved? And who has access to them.
- What do you already have? Content, data, preliminary work — this reduces the cost.
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
Isn't a conversation with management enough?
No, that's the most common reason for a list that doesn't work later. The people who do the processes daily know the exceptions that an outside perspective never sees.
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 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.
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.
05 — Next
Related pages
- AI consulting — Overview
- AI consulting — How it works
- AI consulting — Data protection
- AI consulting — requirements
- AI consulting — DIY
- AI consulting — process
- AI consulting — alternatives
- AI consulting — introduction
- 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.