Process Automation Consulting: What Good Automation Consulting Delivers

A consulting service for process automation clarifies which processes in your company are worth automating, in what order, and by what means. In the end, you receive a prioritized process list, a cost-benefit assessment, a target picture for the system landscape, and a roadmap – not the sale of a specific tool.

Why automation often disappoints without consulting

Many projects start with a software demo instead of a problem. Then a poorly organized process just becomes bad faster, or individual automations are created that no one maintains. Independent consulting reverses the order: first the process, then the tool.

The five phases of automation consulting

1. Assessment

Conversations with the people who actually do the work, and a look into the systems in use. The aim is to identify recurring tasks, duplicate data entry and media discontinuities – for example when data from an email is transferred manually into the merchandise management system.

2. Prioritization

Each candidate is assessed according to frequency, time required, susceptibility to errors, regularity and implementation effort. The article Which processes should be automated?.

3. Economic viability

For the top candidates, an estimate is made of how much time they currently take and what implementation will cost. This creates a solid basis for the decision – see Calculate the ROI of process automation.

4. Target state and tools

Which systems remain, which are connected via interfaces, where can AI help – for example when extracting data from documents or answering inquiries? This is also where the decision between standard tools and custom development is made.

5. Roadmap

A quick, visible first step (“quick win”), followed by the larger initiatives. This includes responsibilities, data protection issues, and how employees are brought along.

How to recognize good consulting

• Manufacturer neutrality: Recommendations are based on your problem, not on commissions.
• Team involvement: Those who know the processes are at the table.
• Concrete results: written process list, figures, and roadmap instead of general slides.
• Implementation expertise: The consultants know what is technically realistic because they implement themselves.
• Honesty: Even “That is not worth it” is a good consulting outcome.

What consulting costs — and how you can use grants

The effort depends on the number of areas and processes. For an initial analysis in a small or medium-sized company, just a few consulting days are often enough. The Consulting before an automation project is eligible for funding: The BAFA consulting grant subsidizes consulting costs up to €3,500 by 50% or 80% (new federal states, Lüneburg and Trier regions) – for applications submitted by 31/12/2026. The INQA coaching provides nationwide funding for 80% of a longer, supported change process. Which path is suitable is shown by the Funding Check.

How we combine consulting and implementation is described on the pages AI Consulting and Process Automation.

What questions good consulting asks

• Which tasks are repeated daily or weekly?
• Where is data transferred from one program to another?
• Which errors keep happening — and what do they cost?
• Who is responsible for which step, and where is a process waiting?
• Which programs are in use, and which interfaces do they offer?
• Which data is personal or particularly sensitive?

What you should have in hand at the end

1. Process map:the key processes with steps, participants, and systems.
2. Prioritized list:Candidates with a benefit-effort assessment.
3. Economic feasibility estimate for the top candidates.
4. Target state: which systems remain, how they are connected, where AI helps.
5. Roadmap:first step, sequence, responsibilities, data protection issues.

Consulting and implementation from a single source – or separately?

Both have advantages. Separate consulting is maximally independent, but the result must be handed over to an implementation team. Consulting and implementation from a single source shorten the process, because the consultants know what is technically realistic. In both cases, it is important that the recommendations areclearly justified and do not point toward a specific product. In subsidized BAFA consultations, this is even a requirement: consultations aimed at selling the company’s own products are excluded.

From our practice

Two examples from our own work: For WINGS, the distance learning provider of Wismar University of Applied Sciences, manual processing of application documents was replaced by a digital application assistant with automatic data transfer. For the integration support service of Caritas , documentation, scheduling, and the management of paper and Excel were converted to digital processes – together with the people who do the work every day.

At the Pumpenallianz NordAt the beginning, there was general AI consulting for management: Which applications are relevant at all for a network of service companies, and where is a sensible first step?

Typical process of a funded automation consulting engagement

1. Preliminary discussion: Goals, areas, suitable funding – free of charge and without obligation.
2. Funding application:with BAFA before contract conclusion, with INQA via the initial consultation at a consulting center.
3. On-site analysis: discussions, process review, look into the systems.
4. Assessment and target state: joint prioritization and economic evaluation.
5. Report and roadmap: written recommendations and next steps.

Data protection and security in automations

Automations move data between systems – often personal data as well. That is why a few basic rules belong to every project:

• Processing location: Run workflows and AI steps on servers in Germany or the EU whenever possible.
• Contracts:A data processing agreement for each service involved.
• Minimum privileges:Each connection is granted only the access it needs.
• Logs:Each run is logged in a traceable way.
• Documentation:What the workflow does is described – also for the record of processing activities.

Frequently asked questions

What does a process automation consultancy do?

It analyses your processes, assesses which ones are worth automating, estimates effort and benefit, and creates a target picture with a roadmap for implementation.

How long does an automation consultancy take?

For an initial analysis in an SME, just a few consulting days are often enough. More extensive projects involving several departments take correspondingly longer.

Is consulting for process automation subsidized?

Yes. The BAFA consulting subsidy supports consulting on organizational questions in company management; applications are possible until 31/12/2026. INQA-Coaching supports guided change processes nationwide with 80%.

Do I need consulting before automation?

Not necessarily for a single, clearly defined process. As soon as multiple areas or systems are affected, consulting helps avoid costly wrong decisions.

What does consulting for process automation cost?

It depends on the number and complexity of the areas involved. An initial analysis in an SME often takes only a few consulting days; through BAFA and INQA-Coaching, 50 to 80% of consulting costs can be subsidized.

As of October 2026.