Process Automation Experts in Düsseldorf

Independent Consultant

• Advisory focus: E-Commerce, Digitalization, Automation, Pricing, Assortment & Merchandising, Platform Strategy
• Industries: Retail & Consumer Goods
• Subject Matter Expert for leading management consultancies
• Ongoing executi...

• Industries: Energy, Telecommunications, Manufacturing
• Transformation & Change: Supported complex IT and digital transformation programs as Scrum Master, Agile Coach, Change Manager and RTE Consultant at Siemens Energy (global SAFe rollout), E.ON (sales technology platform), Schneider Electric (S/4HANA transformation DACH) and Vodafone (Operational Excellence)
• Agile Roles: Scrum Master, Agile Coach, Product Owner, Business Analyst, RTE Consultant in cross-functional and scaled teams (SAFe, Scrum, Spotify Model)
• Procurement Excellence: Strategic purchasing consulting with a focus on cost optimization, supplier management, digitalization and organizational development, including building supplier scorecard models, AI-supported procurement approaches and process automation in purchasing
• Managed functional leadership of interdisciplinary project teams of up to 12 people in national and international settings
• Successful launch of several global ARTs at Siemens Energy with improved coordination across sites
• Increased change acceptance and established communication structures in the S/4HANA program at Schneider Electric
• Introduced agile methods, OKR frameworks and KPI dashboards at E.ON, increasing velocity and transparency
• Reduced purchasing costs through strategic sourcing and supplier optimization
• Implemented process innovations in close cooperation with IT and business teams

• -- ENGLISH Version (Deutsche Version unten) ---

Experience

• Ex-BCG Platinion: 14 years as Manager & Chief IT Architect, leading large-scale IT transformations in complex group structures
• 20+ years of C-level consulting across AI/IT strategy, enterprise architecture, IT organization, transformation, M&A due diligence, project recovery, and interim management
• IT leadership experience with cross-functional, intercultural teams of up to 100+ people
• Hands-on background in software engineering, IT architecture, and project management
• Fortune Europe 500 focus; numerous international projects; SME and start-up experience

Core services:

• IT strategy, enterprise architecture (EAM), target architectures and roadmaps
• PE/M&A/carve-out IT/tech due diligence, asset valuation, cost estimation
• GenAI transformation, process automation, and AI governance
• IT reorganization, target operating model (TOM), agile transformation
• IT governance, development and ITSM process optimization (BizDevOps, SAFe)
• Review and recovery of critical large-scale IT programs
• Planning and steering of transformation programs and IT project portfolios
• IT vendor and platform selection (RfI / RfP)
• Coaching & Interim management

Industries (selection): Insurance, financial services & banking, energy & utilities, telecommunications, retail & consumer goods, logistics, media, industry & engineering, healthcare, professional services

Projects (selection):

• M&A Buy-side IT/Tech Due Diligence of an Acquisition in the Energy Sector (Utility, Smart Home) — AI-augmented with Anthropic Claude

• AI Initiative for LLM-Based Optimisation and Automation of Sales and Billing Processes

• Interim management Enterprise Architecture & group target architecture/roadmap development (METRO)

• Reorganization: Design and introduction of agile IT target operating model at international wholesale group (METRO)

• Design and implementation of agile BizDevOps target operating model (E.ON Grid Solutions)

• Platform/vendor selection for renewal of core insurance solution of start-up (ELEMENT Insurance)

• Establishment of project assurance capability and review/recovery of critical transformation projects (ERGO)

• Enterprise architecture management and development of divisional/solution architectures (Deutsche Post DHL)

• Strategic pricing architecture decisions in digital sales application landscape (E.ON Energie)

• IT due diligence: Architecture evaluation and monetary valuation of IT assets (ProSiebenSAT.1 Media)

• Interim management of group-wide security/compliance programme (ERGO)

• Enabling an application landscape for different sales organizations and product structures (E.ON Energie)

• Realignment of business/IT strategy and InsurTech platform selection (RfI, RfP) (nexible, ERGO Digital Ventures)

• Stabilization/optimization of an agile/SAFe business/IT DevOps landscape transformation (Lufthansa AirPlus)

• Process optimization and design/management of digitization and robotics introduction in power plants (RWE Nuclear)

• BSS target architecture development for fixed/mobile networks convergence (Deutsche Telekom)

• Optimization of IT organization model and methodology in application development and testing (Deutsche Telekom)

• Evaluation of fulfillment of a general contractor agreement for run-off/migration of contract portfolios (ERGO)

• -- DEUTSCHE Version (English version above) ---

Experience

• Ex-BCG Platinion: 14 years of strategy and implementation of large-scale IT transformations in complex corporate structures (Manager & Chief IT Architect)
• 20+ years of C-level-adjacent IT consulting: IT strategy, enterprise architecture, IT organization, transformation, due diligence, project recovery, and interim management
• IT leadership responsibility for cross-functional, intercultural teams of up to 100+ people
• Solid hands-on experience in software development, IT architecture, and project management
• Focus on Fortune Europe 500, numerous international projects; SME and start-up experience

Industries: insurance · financial services & banking · energy · telecommunications · retail & consumer goods · industry & engineering · logistics · media · healthcare

Services (focus areas):

• IT strategy, enterprise architecture (EAM), IT landscape target visions and roadmaps
• M&A/carve-out IT/tech due diligence, asset valuation, and cost estimation
• GenAI transformation, process automation, and AI governance
• IT reorganization, target operating model (TOM), agile transformation
• IT governance, development and ITSM processes (BizDevOps, SAFe)
• Review and recovery of critical large-scale IT projects
• Planning/steering of transformation programs and IT project portfolios
• IT service provider/platform selection (RfI, RfP)
• IT project management (agile, classic, hybrid)
• Coaching & interim management

Projects (selection):

• M&A buyer-side IT/tech due diligence of an acquisition in the energy sector (utility, smart home) — AI-augmented with Anthropic Claude
• AI initiative for LLM-supported optimization and automation of sales and billing processes
• Interim management of Enterprise Architecture and development of group target architecture in wholesale (METRO)
• Reorganization: design and introduction of an agile IT target operating model (TOM) at an international wholesale group (METRO)
• IT reorganization: introduction of an agile BizDevOps target operating model (TOM) at an energy group (E.ON Grid Solutions)
• Platform selection / vendor selection for renewal of the core insurance solution of a B2B2C start-up (ELEMENT Insurance)
• Process optimization, digitalization, and introduction of robotics in power plants (RWE Nuclear)
• Assessment of fulfillment of a general contractor agreement for run-off/migration of life insurance portfolios (ERGO)
• Business/IT strategy and InsurTech platform selection for a digital insurer/start-up (nexible, ERGO Digital Ventures)
• Enabling an energy application landscape for multiple sales units (E.ON Energie)
• Strategic architecture decisions in price management of a digital sales application landscape at an energy group (E.ON Energie)
• Stabilization/optimization of an agile DevOps IT transformation in business travel and payment management (Lufthansa AirPlus)
• Interim management in a group-wide security and compliance program of a global insurer (ERGO)
• Building project assurance capability as well as review and optimization/recovery of critical IT projects in an insurance group (ERGO)
• Building enterprise architecture management and development of domain and solution architectures for a logistics group (Deutsche Post DHL)
• M&A IT due diligence – evaluation and valuation of IT assets in the media sector (ProSiebenSAT.1 Media)
• Development of BSS target architecture and roadmap for fixed/mobile convergence (Deutsche Telekom)
• Optimization of IT governance/organization and methodology in application development and testing at a telecommunications group (Deutsche Telekom)

PLANT-MY-TREE®-per-order

The application enables Shopify merchants to automatically place tree-planting orders for every incoming order. By integrating ecological contributions directly into the purchase process, the manual effort for tracking and billing reforestation initiatives is eliminated. The system increases transparency for end customers through real-time visualizations of the ecological impact directly in the storefront. The architecture is based on a modular monolith with Spring Boot in the backend and an integrated React app inside the Shopify admin area. The solution uses webhooks to capture order data in an event-driven way and integrates the weclapp ERP system for automated monthly invoicing. An app proxy mechanism provides dynamic statistics such as CO2 compensation and planted trees without any performance loss for the merchant shop.

Tasks:

• Design of the modular software architecture based on Spring Modulith to ensure high maintainability
• Development of the event-driven business logic for evaluating Shopify orders via webhooks
• Implementation of automated invoicing by connecting the weclapp REST API
• Building the frontend using React Router and Shopify App Bridge for native integration
• Design of the database model and implementation of the persistence layer with JPA/Hibernate and Prisma
• Integration of internationalization processes for global use in the frontend and email communication
• Automation of deployment processes using Docker and GitLab CI/CD

Project skills: Java 25, Spring Boot, Spring Security, Spring Modulith, Hibernate, JPA, REST API, PostgreSQL, Maven, Liquibase, React, TypeScript, React Router, Vite, Node.js, Prisma, Zod, Docker, Docker Compose, GitLab CI/CD, Shopify CLI, Shopify App Bridge, Polaris, weclapp, i18next, Lombok, Vitest

• Responsible for driving digital transformation and aligning country organizations with the Rhenus platform model

• Initiated the digital transformation roadmap for five countries, ensuring alignment with global group strategy

• Built and led a high-performing digital transformation consulting team, expanding delivery capacity from one to three value streams and thereby fast tracking the roadmap from 3 to 2 years

• Acted as strategic advocate for 5 country organizations, ensuring group-wide cross-functional alignment

• Redefined business analysis into an agile approach, reducing time-to-value for platform harmonization by 50%

• Migration of backups and complete workloads to AWS and Azure, including setup and management of AKS & EKS clusters.
• Automation with Terraform & ArgoCD, CI/CD pipelines implemented with GitLab.
• System monitoring on OpenShift 4 (on-premise) with Grafana & Prometheus, use of CloudWatch and X-Ray for analysis and logging.
• Building and maintaining secure network infrastructures (VPCs, SGs, WAF, ACLs), integration of Azure Log Analytics.
• Close collaboration with infrastructure and development teams, maintenance of technical documentation with Confluence, ticket handling via Jira, and promoting cloud knowledge within the company.

AI Strategy & Enablement for SMEs Management consulting – SMEs (e.g. marketing boutique, IT & office services)

Concept and delivery of structured AI introduction and strategy workshops for small and medium-sized businesses. Result: Practical AI status assessment, prioritized use case list, and management decision template as the basis for the next steps in the company’s AI development.

Activities

• Needs analysis and individual preparation of the consulting formats
• Facilitation of a structured AI status assessment including vision, mission, and target picture
• Identification and prioritization of relevant AI use cases and action fields
• Creation of management decision templates and roadmaps
• Raising awareness for opportunities, risks, and success factors of AI introduction
• Support for first customers with AI-supported automation scenarios
• Supporting people and teams through the change process of AI introduction (CM)

Methods / Tools / Technologies

Methods:

• AI status assessment & use case analysis
• Workshop moderation / facilitation
• Requirement Management
• Change Management (PROSCI)

Tools:

• Generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude)
• Automation/AI coding tools (e.g. n8n, Claude Code, Visual Studio, Antigravity)

Technologies:

• Prompt engineering
• AI workflow automation

• Led the global HRIS transformation program (16 country units): program setup, PMO, phase planning, status reporting, and steering up to partner/SteerCo level
• Built an HR readiness assessment framework (6 dimensions, weighted scoring) as a decision basis for implementation and AI maturity — mandated by the board as the project outcome
• HR process architecture: analysis of 80+ level-3 processes and 87 ISO process documentations across 13 country clusters; gap analysis and harmonization roadmap
• Designed agentic AI HR processes (hiring, onboarding, probation period management) on SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud and ServiceNow — human-in-the-loop design, process screening for agentic potential, decision paper at partner level
• HRIS market analysis: vendor screening, criteria framework, and evaluation logic for system selection
• HR target operating model: organizational analysis, archetype framework (9 dimensions), governance design for a global HR function
• Self-assessment tools and workshop formats for 16 country HR teams incl. nomination and stakeholder management; SharePoint project hub and communication architecture
• AI-supported consulting delivery: my own Claude-based working model for analysis, document creation, and project management — one consultant delivering program output

• ERP Integration & Rollout: SAP/SuccessFactors/Salesforce implementation with seamless system alignment and efficiency gains.
• AI Strategies & Automation: Data-driven solutions for talent matching, process automation, and AI-powered decision-making.
• Global Transformation Advisory: Strategic guidance for C-level executives on digitalization, cost optimization, and scaling.
• Industry-Specific Digitalization: CRM/system optimization for automotive (e.g., Daimler, VW) and manufacturing (ERP evaluation, AI adoption).

• SAP S/4HANA, OTC, 2nd & 3rd level support, project implementation of S/4HANA Cloud Private Sales & Services
• SAP SCM/OTC/P2P/LE/CS/PS, S/4HANA Private Cloud (Sales, Services), CPI, SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), EDI, IDoc, ABAP, user exits, SAP Activate, ITIL, SAP Cloud ALM
• Support and consulting for integration of SAP ECC into new business areas in SAP S/4HANA
• Decommissioning legacy systems and implementation of the new harmonized SAP S/4HANA landscape
• Process optimization in SAP S/4HANA and support for daily requests from business users and key users
• Project implementation of S/4HANA Private Cloud Sales & Services
• Responsibility for the SCM stream within the global template
• Process design with Signavio and creation of Business Process Documents (BPD)
• Creation of functional design specifications (FS, TS) including interface design and WRICEF objects
• Ensuring integration of PTP with FI/CO, O2C and EWM through SAP customizing
• Migration from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud to replace legacy systems and implement a harmonized system landscape
• SAP BTP & CPI: extension of Cloud Platform Integration (CPI), integration of PTP with FI/CO, O2C and EWM, optimization of cloud-based services
• Analysis and evaluation of existing SCM processes in the SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud environment
• Design of integrated solutions in OTC, P2P, EWM, LE and PP including forecasting and capacity planning
• Extension of transportation processes in SAP TM and SAP LE-TRA to support multimodal transports focusing on rail freight and integration of external rail logistics providers via EDI (VDA, EDIFACT)
• Consulting on further migration to SAP S/4HANA Supply Chain
• Functional consulting on developed supply chain processes
• Management of SAP CCS processes for contract types and bonus agreements
• Execution and maintenance of distributions and settlement keys
• Support for integration of transfer rules into the CCS model
• Documentation of CCS process changes for traceability and compliance
• Customizing and optimization in OTC: condition maintenance for pricing, materials, freight, customers, price & material groups; extension of sales document types, item categories, credit memos, down payments and prepayments with pricing procedure, condition types, access sequences, condition tables, condition records, billing types, invoice types, item categories, sales document types, reconciliation accounts, tax accounts; integration with FI/CO for accounting and financial closing; bonus settlements; delivery process optimization; configuration of delivery schedule types with account determination; creation of schedule line categories for delivery schedules; maintenance of schedule lines for delivery schedule types; schedule line determination settings such as order date, delivery date, availability check rules, returns etc.
• Customizing and optimization in P2P: purchase requisitions, purchase orders, document types (reason codes for ordering, rejection and blocking), scheduling agreements and stock transfer schedules; maintenance of material master and vendor master; payment terms; Incoterms; purchasing groups; purchase prices; quota agreements; contracts; purchasing info records; release procedures (characteristics, classes and release strategies); message control; maintenance of vendor master data; assignment of purchasing info records to materials and vendors; configuration of vendor evaluation with weightings; execution and adjustment of material requirements planning processes; creation of detailed functional specifications for P2P processes such as goods receipt (MIGO), goods issue, purchase requisitions and orders; ensuring data quality and master data maintenance in tables such as MARA, LFA1 and LFB1 etc.
• SAP Fiori: extension and customizing of Fiori apps to improve usability and efficiency; implementation of analytical Fiori apps to monitor KPIs and processes; workflow optimization and UI adaptations for enhanced user experience in SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud
• Process modeling in Signavio; optimization and documentation of business processes; workshops and training on process modeling
• 2nd & 3rd level support in OTC, P2P, CS, PS modules (SCM): incident and change tickets; processing, resolution and documentation of SAP user requests; feasibility analysis for change requests; process optimization; service management with SAP CS; Cloud for Customer (C4C) for modern customer service processes; migration of SAP CS to S/4HANA Field Service Management (FSM); use of embedded analytics for service processes
• Customizing, testing, documentation, training; ensuring integration and collaboration between O2C, P2P and FI/CO modules for supply chain optimization; feasibility analysis; effort estimation; debugging; programming; IDoc and EDI monitoring etc.
• 2nd & 3rd level support in C4C Sales and Services: opportunities, surveys, user creation and authorizations; extension of Business Technology Platform; enhancement of CPI interface; customization of customer and material master data; orders; quotations; equipment; service notifications; surveys; tasks; PS orders; integration of PTP with FI/CO, O2C and EWM; ensuring integration and maintenance of MRP processes etc.
• Responsibility for process analysis and design in export processing, Intrastat and customs management in compliance with international trade regulations (e.g. export control, preference agreements, dual-use)
• Integration and optimization of Intrastat reporting in SAP SD including maintenance of statistical commodity codes, country of origin, tariff codes etc.
• Customizing in SAP SD foreign trade (SD-FT/FTT) for customs-relevant fields and processes
• Coordination and preparation for integration with SAP GTS, including ATLAS reporting, embargo checks, export control and tariff determination
• Collaboration with customs authorities and logistics providers on export declarations and approval processes
• Creation of test cases for customs processes, export documents, commercial invoices, export declarations etc.
• MDG (Master Data Governance): data quality and maintenance of master data in relevant tables (e.g. MARA, LFA1, LFB1); change requests for master data maintenance in O2C/P2P
• SAP S/4HANA migration: support for migration from SAP R/3 to SAP S/4HANA, including data migration, process optimization and system harmonization; support for global rollouts for subsidiaries in multiple countries; experience in developing SAP templates for global implementations
• ABAP: development and optimization of programs to extend functionalities in O2C and P2P modules; debugging and troubleshooting; customization and enhancement of user exits for customer-specific requirements; IDoc and EDI monitoring

• Hybrid/Remote
• Digitalisation introduction and optimisation of software
• Advice on the introduction of AI
• Data & AI strategy
• Interim / tech consultant
• Product, process & management
• Vendor management
• Compliance management platforms (ISO 27001, GDPR, EU AI Act)
• M&A due diligence & analysis

Architected the strategic transition of the legacy customer base from license/maintenance contracts to a subscription model.

• Migration Strategy: Designed the commercial architecture and pricing frameworks; aligned Product, Marketing, and Sales teams to pivot the legacy install base toward ARR-based models.
• Pilot Program: Executed a "forced upsell" pilot resulting in a 2x uplift and generating €250k+ in incremental ARR within the initial cohort of 12 enterprise clients.

• CRM process and feature consulting
• AI infusion workshops to introduce AI apps for critical business processes
• Prototyping – Vibe coding with Lovable
• Development of several apps for global bid management in the CPQ, Salesforce, and SAP S/4HANA environment
• Requirements and process management
• Introduction of a new data governance model
• AI infusion – supporting apps and business processes with AI applications
• Portfolio management of AI ideas: identifying and selecting AI projects in bid management
• Prototyping AI projects with Lovable.dev
• Building an AI data foundation in Snowflake
• Blueprint for different business units and global rollout
• An agile prototype-first approach with design thinking and vibe coding to prototype all applications
• Presentation at a global conference on using AI in business and validating ideas with design thinking & vibe coding
• AI infusion workshops at global conferences for prototyping ideas with business stakeholders

• Led SampleManager LIMS 21.x & LabWare LIMS v8 implementation, reducing manual lab errors by 40% and improving data traceability.
• Configured LW LIMS & SM LIMS 21.2: workflow design, role-based access control (RBAC), and master data management.
• Designed and configured LES workflows: sample lifecycle management, test assignments, approvals, and result review processes.
• Managed Master Menu and CI configuration, ensuring consistency, data integrity, and regulatory compliance.
• Integrated LIMS 21.2 with MES, ERP, EM, WinKQCL (Lonza MODA), SoftMax Pro, Empower, and Chromeleon CDS via REST APIs and web services.
• Implemented PAS-X MES: architecture design, multi-platform implementation (PAS-X, Siemens Opcenter), and integration with PLC, SCADA, and DCS systems.
• Executed IQ/OQ/PQ qualification protocols and Validation Summary Reports (VSR) for QC analytical and utility systems in aseptic and sterile production environments.
• Developed and reviewed Risk Assessments, Traceability Matrices, and Data Integrity evaluations in accordance with ALCOA+, 21 CFR Part 11, and EU Annex 11.
• Led EMA/FDA/WHO inspection readiness, standardized CQV SOPs, enabled digital CQV integration (LIMS/CDS/MES/SCADA/ERP/SDMS), and ensured 21 CFR Part 11 & Annex 11 compliance.
• Managed secure OT cybersecurity: network configuration and access control.
• Configured NuGenesis SDMS for document/data management, CDS/LIMS integration, workflow automation, and reporting.