Digital Consulting for scalable digital business models

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I digitise my B2B sales without losing the personal touch?

  The digitalisation of B2B sales does not mean replacing face-to-face sales, but rather complementing and relieving the pressure on them in a targeted manner. In many companies today, sales teams are taking on tasks that can be handled digitally. With the help of digital applications such as self-service portals, product configurators or CPQ systems, these steps can be structured and, in some cases, automated. Customers can thus inform themselves independently, pre-configure products or prepare quotations. The sales team then becomes involved in the process at a later stage and in a more targeted manner. Customers are better informed and their requirements are clearer. Personal selling remains central, but is utilised more efficiently. Instead of investing time in repetitive tasks, the sales team can focus on advising, closing deals and building customer relationships. Digital sales solutions therefore support face-to-face sales rather than replacing them.

• How do you develop a digitalisation strategy that will actually be implemented within the company?

  Many digitalisation strategies fail because they remain too abstract and are not translated into concrete actions. A workable strategy begins with a clear vision: how should your company operate digitally in the future? What role do digital channels, data and systems play in this? On this basis, existing structures are analysed and areas for action identified. It is crucial to view these not in isolation, but as an interconnected system. It is important to start implementation early and to validate assumptions, for example through prototypes or pilot projects. A good strategy not only sets out the goal, but also the concrete path to achieving it.

• How do you define a meaningful vision?

  A vision describes how your company should operate in the future from a business, process and technological perspective. It is not just about aspirations, but about a concrete, tangible picture. How do customers interact with your company? What role does sales play? Which processes are digital? Which systems are in use? A good target vision links business objectives with concrete changes in day-to-day operations and serves as a guide for decision-making and for prioritising initiatives. In practice, a target vision is rarely fully defined from the outset, but is developed and refined collaboratively over the course of the transformation, so that decisions can be made consistently and in a targeted manner.

• How can I tell if digital consulting is right for our business?

  Digital consulting is particularly beneficial if existing processes involve a lot of manual work, if preparing quotes is time-consuming, or if digital channels are not delivering the desired contribution to the business. Typical signs of this include long lead times in sales, knowledge that is heavily tied to specific individuals, or data silos between systems. In such situations, a great deal of time is often invested in operational activities without yielding any additional business benefit. A structured business review helps to quickly assess the relevance of these issues. This involves examining key objectives, existing processes and the current system landscape. This reveals where short-term improvements are possible and where it makes sense to pursue structural changes. On this basis, it is possible to assess which measures deliver genuine added value. This could be, for example, through quick wins with an immediate impact or through targeted investments in scalable, digital solutions with long-term benefits and economic impact.

• How can I effectively digitise our sales process for complex products – from consultation to order placement?

  The digitalisation of sales processes for complex offerings does not begin with technology, but with the biggest bottlenecks in the existing process. These are often manual quotation creation, a lack of pricing logic, or knowledge that is heavily tied to specific individuals. These factors lead to long lead times, inconsistent quotations and limited scalability in sales. A sensible approach is therefore built up step by step: first, key logic is structured and mapped out in a minimal, functional setup, for example in the form of an MVP configurator or a guided selling journey. This allows processes to be standardised at an early stage, reduces risks and, at the same time, lays the foundation for scalable, digital sales processes in which quotation preparation and consultation become increasingly structured and automated.

• What role do data and product data play in digitalisation?

  Good data is not a minor matter, but a prerequisite for scalable models, particularly in sales and digital commerce. Product data plays a central role here: attributes, variants, prices and dependencies. Only when this data is structured and consistent can it be utilised in systems such as online shops, CPQ or configurators. Furthermore, data enables automation, personalisation and informed decision-making. It forms the basis for functions such as product recommendations, automated quotations or data-driven sales processes.

• Where does artificial intelligence really add value within a business?

  Artificial intelligence offers particular value in data-driven processes involving repetitive tasks. Typical areas of application include sales forecasting (predictive sales), automated quotation generation and support with customer engagement. AI can also be usefully applied in processes such as classification, data preparation or decision support. It is crucial not to start with the technology, but with the specific use case. The greatest benefit is achieved when AI solves specific problems, integrates seamlessly into existing processes and thereby delivers measurable results such as time savings or higher conversion rates.

• How do I plan a digital project so that integration with ERP and CRM systems doesn’t become a bottleneck?

  In many digital projects, integration with existing systems such as ERP or CRM is one of the most critical factors. This is particularly true when different systems, data structures and established processes come into play. A sensible starting point is a clearly defined preliminary project in which the key integration points are identified. These typically include product master data, pricing logic, bills of materials or quotation structures. The aim is to establish transparency regarding dependencies, data flows and complexity at an early stage. Building on this, an iterative approach is recommended, in which integrations are implemented and validated step by step, rather than planning everything at once. This reduces risks and allows the first functional sections to be realised more quickly. In many cases, a decoupled architecture is also advisable, for example via API-based interfaces or a mapping layer that connects different systems and processes data consistently. This creates an integration logic that does not act as a bottleneck, but forms a stable foundation for scalable digital systems.