AI opportunity audit for SMBs

Clarity on where AI actually pays off in your business, and where it doesn't.

For small and mid-sized companies with 10 to 200 employees. In two weeks I map out how your business really works today. After that you know exactly where AI saves time right away, where an investment pays off and where waiting is the smarter move. The independent second opinion before you invest in AI.

Book a free 30-minute intro call →
Independent. No tool sales, no integration or consulting hours.
Sample report This is what your result looks like. Anonymised example: a mid-sized technical wholesaler with around 55 employees, mapped in two weeks.
12processes mapped
~24 htime saved per week
4quick wins
5AI opportunities found

A rough calculation: 24 hours a week at a 28 € hourly rate is around 33,000 € a year currently tied up in avoidable manual work.

The three highest-impact AI initiatives from this report
Prepare quotes automatically from incoming enquiries instead of entering every line item by hand~7 h/wk
Read supplier confirmations automatically and reconcile them against the order~5 h/wk
Capture and pre-qualify complaints in a structured way around the clock~4 h/wk

sample report · anonymised example · your existing systems stay untouched

01 Who this is for

Where this audit pays off most.

✓Small and mid-sized companies with established, repeating processes
✓Decision-makers who want clarity before investing in AI
✓Lots of repetitive manual work in day-to-day operations
✓Unsure what is AI hype and what actually pays off
02 What you get

Four things you keep. No subscription, no follow-on costs.

Process mapoperational core
Example process map of a mid-sized wholesaler from the result report
Biggest time drain found: entering every quote line item by hand from incoming enquiries. Around 7 hours a week in the back office.

A complete process map

How your business really works today and where time and money are lost.

Assessmenteffort & value
Value ↑
Quote entry
Supplier confirmation
Complaints
Product data
Shipping docs
Reporting
ERP posting core
Effort →
Quick winPays offHold off

An honest assessment of what AI does for you

Where the quick wins are, where an investment pays off, where it is smarter to hold off.

Findingwith recommendation
AI opportunity · Quote creation
Finding

Enquiries come in by email, fax or phone. The back office looks up the items in the ERP, checks prices and types every line item into the quote by hand. With many line items that quickly takes half an hour, often with typos.

Recommendation

The AI reads the enquiry, suggests matching items with the current price and pre-fills the quote. The back office checks and approves. The pricing decision stays with a person, only the typing goes away.

~7 hper week in the back office30→8minutes per quote

Concrete examples

What is possible in your business right away, shown on your real workflows, not on slides.

Roadmap30 / 60 / 90 days
Day 0306090
Quote creation
Read supplier confirmations
Capture complaints
Reconcile goods receipt
Maintain product data
Shipping documents
Automate reporting
AI policy & documentation
Total savings potential~24 h / week
8 initiatives across 90 days, staggered by impact and effort.

A prioritized 30/60/90-day roadmap

One you keep and can carry out with any provider you choose.

03 How it works

Little effort for you. I do the work.

Your total time commitment: the free 30-minute intro call, plus around 30 minutes per employee whose workflows we map. That is it. Mapping, follow-up questions and analysis are on me.

1

You hand out a short questionnaire to the team

Your employees describe their workflows, typed or simply as a voice note on their phone. I transcribe the voice notes, or I give you a short guide on how to do it yourself in seconds. No long meeting, no workshops.

2

I come back with targeted follow-up questions

Where something is unclear, I ask specifically. That makes the map exact, not approximate.

3

I draw how your business works

From your answers and my follow-up questions comes the process map, with the spots where time and money are lost today.

4

Deep analysis and ROI

Now I check for each process what is realistically possible with AI today, and calculate the potential value in hours and euros. Honestly, even where nothing pays off.

5

Report plus ready-made DIY guides

You get the full process map and the roadmap. For the most important findings I include clear step-by-step guides so you can get started yourself right away if you want. Without me, without new software contracts.

Includes DIY guides you can run yourself
04 Examples from my work

Built and running in live operations.

I have introduced AI in real businesses, not on slides. Exactly that experience goes into the audit, without you having to buy anything from me afterwards.

Indirec

Tenders & CRM
ChallengeRelevant tenders were being missed, CRM data was going stale.
SolutionCustom scrapers find every relevant tender, enrich it with AI and keep the CRM up to date automatically.
6 h/weeksaved · bulk CRM entry from 2 days to 3 hours

2besales

Content & sales
ChallengeConsistent, high-reach content in the right tone costs time every week.
SolutionOne AI agent per client plans a 3-month posting calendar in the exact tone and writes the drafts automatically.
4 h/weeksaved · per employee

Learnship

Customer support
ChallengeSupport was heavily staffed just to cover time zones and languages around the clock.
SolutionAn AI customer support that knows every customer and answers chat and email enquiries automatically, around the clock, in more than ten languages.
35 %lower operating costs · a high six-figure sum per year
05 Why me
Mark Oldenburg
  • Learnship · VP OperationsRebuilt support and processes, moved around 60 % to AI, cut operating costs by 35 %
  • Knotel · Managing Director DACHBuilt the DACH market from 0 to over 6 million € ARR
  • Movinga · VP Business DevelopmentRebuilt partner and growth processes from the ground up
  • Further tech scale-ups & advisoryAI integration and process optimization, across trade, services and SMBs
"I am not a classic consultant. I have introduced AI inside tech companies myself, on real workflows, with the teams that work with it every day. I know where AI really saves time in daily operations, and where it is just expensive and complicated. I sell no software and no follow-on projects, so I have no reason to talk you into anything."
Mark Oldenburg
06 The promise
"I sell you no tools and no consulting hours. What you get is clarity: a map of your processes and a roadmap for where AI pays off for you."

The audit is the step before any tool decision. Clarity first, then purchase, and you can carry it out with whomever you choose. Your ERP, CRM or industry software provider now offers its own AI features that tie you even more tightly to that one provider. I advise you independently: what actually pays off and where there are more neutral or cheaper routes.

07 Price
Compact 1 to 9 employees 2,500 € Germany: up to 2,000 € back via BAFA*
  • Operational core mapped, from order intake to invoice
  • 30-day quick-start plan
  • 1 DIY guide you can run yourself

For small businesses that want to start fast.

Most chosen Standard 10 to 49 employees 3,900 € Germany: up to 2,800 € back via BAFA*
  • Operational core plus 2 adjacent areas
  • 30/60/90-day roadmap with ROI
  • 3 DIY guides you can run yourself

The full opportunity audit for your business in two weeks.

Plus 50 to 99 employees 6,500 € Germany: up to 2,800 € back via BAFA*
  • All departments in the company
  • 30/60/90-day roadmap plus a 12-month outlook
  • 5 DIY guides you can run yourself
  • 1 month of the Living AI Roadmap: for one month your roadmap stays current, with a monthly assessment tailored to your workflows of which AI developments actually matter for you

For larger businesses with several departments.

* Based in Germany?
This audit is eligible for the federal BAFA subsidy ("Förderung von Unternehmensberatungen für KMU"), reimbursed directly to you: 50 % in the western states (up to 1,750 €), up to 80 % in the eastern states (up to 2,800 €).

Based elsewhere?
Several countries run comparable SME consulting subsidies. We check together in the intro call whether one applies to you.

A one-off fixed price, no follow-on costs. Just one working day gained per week returns a multiple of the fee over the year.

Your operational core is the main process you make money with, from the first order intake to the invoice. Larger packages add further areas and departments.

Book a free 30-minute intro call → Based in Germany, I walk you through the BAFA application. Based elsewhere, we check what local funding may apply.
08 Questions

Common questions. Answered honestly.

We already use ChatGPT in the business. Do we really need an audit on top of that?
Good. ChatGPT for text snippets or research is a solid first step. The question is: do the results flow back into your ERP or CRM automatically? Are quotes and documents created directly from the incoming data instead of retyped? That is exactly the gap between trying out a tool and actually changing a process that the audit uncovers. You get an honest assessment of where integration pays off and where standalone tools are perfectly enough.
Our software provider already offers AI features. Isn't that enough?
These tools are real and partly useful. The problem: they all come from the same provider and are designed to tie you more tightly to that one system. What fits in a neighboring system, what would be cheaper or more neutral, you don't see from that vantage point. I look across your entire software stack and tell you where the provider's AI makes sense and where an independent route leaves you freer and often cheaper. Your software provider can't do that for you.
What about data protection? We handle sensitive customer and business data.
A fair question, and it has more layers than most AI providers admit. On top of the GDPR, the EU AI Act adds a new layer that many haven't even got on their radar yet. Every AI tool that processes customer or business data has to fit within this framework, especially with cloud services. The audit checks exactly that: which tools meet the requirements, which don't, and where you need a data processing agreement or EU data hosting. I sell no software, so I have no reason to play down the gaps.
Will AI end up replacing my employees?
No. This is about relief, not replacement. The most realistic scenario: your people spend less time retyping, reconciling data and documenting, and more time on what really counts, namely customers, quality and the actual craft. The audit includes a change-management roadmap that shows how to bring your team along. Because the best tool is worthless if employees don't want to use it.
What does the audit cost, and is there a subsidy?
There are three packages: Compact (2,500 €), Standard (3,900 €) and Plus (6,500 €), depending on scope and company size. If your company is based in Germany, all three are eligible for the federal BAFA subsidy: 50 % in the western states (up to 1,750 €), 80 % in eastern Germany (up to 2,800 €). The program runs until 31 December 2026. If you are based outside Germany, comparable national SME-consulting subsidies may apply and we check together in the intro call whether one fits. You get three concrete results: a process map, a prioritized 30/60/90-day roadmap and an honest assessment that also tells you where AI doesn't pay off for you.
We just don't have time for a project like this right now.
I understand. That is why the audit is built so you invest at most two hours of your time: an intro call and a results review. The actual analysis runs in the background without disrupting your daily operations. Two hours for a roadmap that measurably saves you time afterwards. The ratio works.
What does this actually do for me? What do I get in the end?
The most tangible example from a sample business: quote creation. The back office needed around 30 minutes per quote to enter line items from the enquiry by hand. With the right automation it is 8 minutes. Across the week that frees up around seven hours. Overall we see roughly 30 % less administrative effort at comparable businesses. The investment has then typically paid for itself in about three months. You get a process map of your current workflows, a prioritized 30/60/90-day roadmap with concrete recommendations and an honest assessment that also tells you where AI doesn't pay off yet today.
Why independent? What do I gain from you selling nothing?
Most people who advise on AI today earn money from selling tools, licenses or implementation hours. That gives them an interest in you buying something. Not me. I sell no software, no integrations and no ongoing consulting hours. My only deliverable is clarity: a process map and a roadmap for where AI pays off for you and where it doesn't. You can carry it out with whomever you choose, entirely without me. That is the independent second opinion before you put money on the table.

Find out where AI pays off for you, and where it doesn't.

Book a free 30-minute intro call → No preparation needed. If there's nothing useful for you in it, I'll tell you so in the call.