Digital Transformation Consulting
You know which processes can be digitized and what comes first.
- Process analysis
- Target state and roadmap
- Requirements and specification
SAP
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Odoo
Salesforce
HubSpot
IT consulting and IT strategy, from assessment to implementation
ASES offers IT consulting for companies: we clarify with you which processes can be digitized, whether your software can support further growth and which platforms fit your existing systems. The result is an IT strategy that sets out what comes first. That way, you know which technology suits your project before you invest in development.
IT consulting: how it works
Choose where you stand today. The map shows your next step and what you get after each phase.
- You are here
Initial consultation
- We
- We talk about your goal, your processes and your systems and clarify which questions the consulting should answer.
- You
- You tell us where things are stuck today and what should change.
- At the end
- The questions you need answers to.
- You are here
Scope and quote
- We
- We define which processes, systems and parts of the code we look at and which documents you will have at the end.
- You
- You name your contacts and review the quote.
- At the end
- A fixed-price quote with a precisely described scope.
- You are here
Assessment
- We
- We talk to the people who work with your processes and systems, look at systems, interfaces and code and compare the options worth considering.
- You
- You give us access to systems and documents and make time for the conversations.
- At the end
- A clear picture of your processes, systems and code.
- You are here
Result and roadmap
- We
- We write down what we found, give the reasons for every recommendation and put the next steps in order. We present the results to you and your team.
- You
- You ask follow-up questions and decide which steps to take.
- At the end
- Documents you can base decisions on and keep working with.
- You are here
Implementation on request
- We
- Our team implements the recommendations, with a separate fixed-price quote.
- You
- You choose the steps we take on.
- At the end
- The chosen steps, implemented by our team.
Your first step
Your team shows us how it works today and with which programs. Together we find the step where starting pays off the most.
Enough to get started
A short description of your processes and the names of the programs you work with.
Your first step
We clarify with you what the solution must do and which systems it works with. Then we compare the options worth considering.
Enough to get started
Your goal and the programs you use today. If you already have quotes, bring them along.
Your first step
We look at the structure, code and documentation, even if another provider built the system, and talk to the people who work with it.
Enough to get started
Access to the code and, if available, the documentation.
Your first step
We read your plan, clarify open questions and send you a quote for the implementation.
Enough to get started
Your concept, your roadmap or your requirements specification.
The section further down shows what we look at in the assessment.From process to code
IT consulting for strategy, architecture and technology
As an IT consulting company, we clarify the goal of the project with you and assess your existing systems. If several options are worth considering, we show you the pros and cons of each. The strategic IT consulting comes from the same team that develops and runs software at ASES.
Software Architecture & Code Review
A clear assessment of your system and its code before you build further.
- Architecture review
- Code review
- Assessment before modernization
GitHub
GitLab
Java
.NET
PHP
Technology Consulting
A well-founded choice of software, ERP or cloud, with the running costs of each option.
- Software and ERP selection
- Standard or custom development
- Cloud and provider choice
- SAP
- Odoo
Shopware
AWS
Azure
The documents from the consulting
Every consulting engagement ends with written documents: depending on the assignment, an IT roadmap, a target state, a review report or a decision paper. We write them so that they are clear even without an IT background.
Subject
Digitizing order processing
Scope
Processes, shop, ERP
Format
Roadmap
Now
- Record orders in one systemImpact: highEffort: medium
Next
- Connect shop and ERPImpact: highEffort: high
- Manage pricing rules in one placeImpact: mediumEffort: low
Later
- Customer portal for reordersImpact: mediumEffort: high
Subject
Order processing
Scope
Processes and systems
Format
One-page target state
Goal
An order is recorded once and runs from there to the invoice. Business customers reorder online.
Principles
- Every piece of information is entered once.
- One system holds customer data and prices.
- Knowledge is in the documentation.
Subject
Ordering portal
Scope
Architecture, code, interfaces
Format
Report with recommendations
FindingThe framework no longer receives security updates.
ConsequenceNew security vulnerabilities remain unpatched.
RecommendationUpdate to a supported version.
Impact: highEffort: lowFindingThe pricing rules are in several places in the code.
ConsequenceEvery price change has to be made in several places.
RecommendationBundle the rules in one module.
Impact: highEffort: mediumWhat works well
- User interface and business logic are cleanly separated.
- The interface to the ERP is documented.
Checked, no findings
- Database structure
- Dependencies between the modules
First: Update the framework to a supported version.
Subject
Choosing an ERP system
Scope
Three options compared
Format
Decision paper
Which system will hold orders, stock and prices in the future?
- Introduce a standard system
- Fits if
- the processes match what the system provides for
- Running costs
- Licenses per user, hosting and maintenance
- Extend and connect the existing system
- Fits if
- today's system runs stably and receives updates
- Running costs
- Maintenance of the system and upkeep of the integrations
- Develop custom software
- Fits if
- no standard system handles the processes
- Running costs
- Hosting and maintenance
Recommendation: Extend the existing system and connect it to the shop.
Reasoning
- The system runs stably and receives security updates.
- The missing features can be added through interfaces.
What we look at, from process to code
Depending on the question, we look at your company as an overview or in detail: from the processes and the IT architecture down to a single module in the code. On each level, we answer different questions. We define in the quote which levels your assignment covers.
Processes
- Where does your team type the same details into several programs?
- Where does your team keep lists alongside the program?
- Which processes can be digitized, and in what order?
Systems
- Which system is the source of truth for customer data and prices?
- Which interfaces do your systems offer?
- What do licenses, hosting and maintenance cost over several years?
Architecture
- How do the parts of your software work together?
- Can the structure support new features, more users and more languages?
- Can the system be connected to new programs?
Code
- Does more than one person know their way around the code?
- Where has technical debt built up that makes every change more expensive?
- Can another team continue working with the code and documentation?
What does IT consulting cost? What the price depends on
You know the price of the consulting before it begins. The initial consultation is free. As soon as it is clear which questions the consulting will answer and which systems we will look at, you receive a fixed-price quote.
Quote
Consulting, one-off
Fixed price for the consulting
- Fixed price for the precisely described scope
- If the scope changes, we adjust the quote first
- No billing by the hour
Result
Afterwards, on request
Implementation and new tasks
- Implementation as a separate fixed-price project
- New tasks per work package, each with its own quote
- Ongoing guidance for a flat monthly fee
What the scope depends on
- How many processes and areas we look at
- How many systems are involved
- How large and how old the code we review is
- How many teams and locations we talk to
- Whether a short assessment or a complete strategy is needed
- How many options we compare
If you have a budget range, tell us, and we will plan the first step within it.
Running costs afterwards
Before we recommend a technology to you, we calculate with you what licenses, hosting and maintenance cost over several years.
What you own at the end
The documents from the consulting belong to you. Your own team or another service provider can continue working with them. Whether you commission the implementation from us is your decision.
- with your team
- with another service provider
- with ASES
- Documents
- Roadmap and target state
- Review report with recommendations
- Decision paper with reasoning
- Rights
- Rights of use for all documents
- Sharing with your team or other service providers
- If we implement it
- Source code and Git repository with the complete change history
- Technical documentation
- All access credentials
You receive the source code, documentation, access credentials and the rights to the documents after full payment.
Technologies we compare and use
We work with these platforms every day. In a consulting engagement, we compare them with what you already use and put together your systems, your tech stack, so that they fit your processes.
ERP and accounting
Systems for orders, stock, prices and accounting.
Shop and CMS
Shop systems and websites whose content your team manages itself.
CRM
Customer data, sales and inquiries in one place.
Cloud and operations
Hosting, containers and the operation of your applications.
Development
Languages and frameworks in which your software is written.
- SAP
- Odoo
- Microsoft Dynamics 365
- JTL
- Xentral
- weclapp
- plentymarkets
- DATEV
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- Zoho CRM
- Pipedrive
- Shopware
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- Magento
- WordPress
- TYPO3
- TypeScript
- Python
- Java
- .NET
- PHP
- Node.js
- React
- AWS
- Azure
- Google Cloud
- Hetzner
- Docker
- Kubernetes
ASES in numbers
- 1 teamOur own team, no subcontractors
- 15+More than 15 years of experience on the team
- 35+Companies in more than 35 countries work with us
- 10Conversations in ten languages
Frequently asked questions about IT consulting
Answers on costs, process, results, code and implementation.
We do not bill by the hour. As soon as it is clear which questions the consulting will answer and which systems we will look at, you receive a fixed-price quote. The price depends on how many processes and systems are involved, how large the code is and whether you need a short assessment or a complete strategy. If the scope changes, we adjust the quote first.
IT consulting clarifies decisions about processes, software and technology before you invest in implementation. With us, it covers three topics: which processes can be digitized and in what order, how your software is built and whether it can support further growth, and which platforms fit your systems. At the end, you have documents to base your decisions on.
Depending on the assignment, a roadmap, a target state, a review report with recommendations or a decision paper. If several options are worth considering, the decision paper shows the pros and cons of each. We present the results to you and your team, and you can ask follow-up questions before you decide.
That depends on how many processes and systems we look at and how large the code is. Our own team starts promptly. If a fixed date is coming up, such as the end of a contract or a planned system change, mention it in the initial consultation. We plan the scope accordingly.
Yes. You can start with a single question, such as choosing a system or having us look at an application's code. We then plan the scope for exactly that question.
Both. One-off consulting ends with your documents. With ongoing guidance, we talk regularly about upcoming decisions, for a flat monthly fee. We decide with you in the initial consultation which form suits your question.
A target state, an assessment of today's systems, well-founded decisions on technology and providers, and a roadmap. The target state describes how processes and systems will work together in the future. The roadmap sets out the order of the steps and who is responsible for them.
Yes. We look at the structure, code, data and interfaces and assess which parts can continue to be used. The report describes the state of the system and puts the next steps in order.
Yes. If you have quotes, we compare them against the same criteria: what the solution does, how it is connected to your systems and what it costs to run afterwards. If you have yet to obtain the quotes, we first write a requirements specification so that the quotes can be compared.
We need access to the code, the documentation if there is any, and a conversation with the people who know the system. We use your details only to review your project. On request, we sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before the first conversation.
We recommend what fits your needs. If a well-configured standard system is enough, we advise you to use it, even if custom development would be the bigger order for us. We compare every option against the same four criteria: integration with your systems, running costs, room to grow, and data and operations. We give the reasons for our recommendation.
Yes, with our own team, from design and development to operations. You receive a separate quote for the implementation. The team then already knows your starting point from the consulting.
More on IT consulting and strategy
- Software DevelopmentYou get software that maps your processes, and the source code with it.
- AI & AutomationRoutine work such as capturing receipts or sorting inquiries runs automatically.
- Cloud & OperationsAfter the launch, we run, monitor and update your application.
- Website CheckChecks your website's load time, SEO, accessibility, security and privacy, for free and in under a minute.
Let's talk about your IT strategy
Tell us which decision is coming up and which systems you work with today. We will get back to you as soon as possible and find a date for the initial consultation with you.
- Free initial consultation
- No obligation
- NDA on request