Glossary

What is IT consulting?

Definition, services & industry examples for IT consulting

The IT infrastructure should be future-proof, flexibly adaptable, economically efficient and secure. IT consulting aims to meet these core requirements and harmonize the technical basis of the digital strategy with overarching corporate goals.

What does IT consulting mean?

IT consulting supports companies in the strategic planning, development and modernization of their IT infrastructure. IT consulting can cover all aspects of information technology (IT) and their interaction, e.g. servers, networks and software applications, data structures, system integrations and interfaces, but can also focus on specific topics and IT-based processes, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, cloud migration, cybersecurity or data management.

The overarching goal is usually to develop a consistent IT system landscape from historically grown isolated solutions that is optimally aligned with the organization’s business goals and industry-specific requirements. IT consulting companies can provide analytical, methodological and operational expertise in all phases of the transformation process: from IT strategy consulting to the selection of suitable technologies, their implementation and integration through to the ongoing quality assurance of the new systems and processes.

What characterizes a professional IT consultancy?

A future-oriented IT consulting approach takes all levels of digital transformation into account from the outset and aims to optimally align the technical and digital basis with the business objectives. To this end, IT consulting should include all requirement criteria and relevant influencing factors from the outset: the corporate strategy as well as individual divisional strategies, the AI, data and digital strategy through to organizational, procedural and technological requirements. Professional IT consultancies take a technology- and system-agnostic (open-solution) approach. Their methodology is results-oriented, recommendations for action are analytically sound and based on measurable KPIs.

Why is IT consulting important for companies?

Without a robust, scalable and secure IT infrastructure, there is no technological basis for successfully implementing digital transformation projects. Against the backdrop of rapid technological developments, the IT landscape needs to be agile, innovative and continuously evolving.

An IT consultancy supports companies in understanding technologies as an integral part of their business strategy and advancing digital transformation processes holistically. It creates the basis for future-proof cloud strategies, data architectures and security concepts as well as the modernization of outdated legacy systems. In addition, IT consulting provides guidance for the development of effective data and AI strategies, which are becoming increasingly important for the success of digitalization projects.

Future-oriented IT consulting enables companies to succeed:

develop the IT landscape strategically, technically and organizationally
make the overall architecture more powerful, economically efficient and secure
support the corporate strategy and business objectives with technologies
minimize security risks and costs in the IT context
optimize IT-based processes
promote innovation and exploit competitive advantages

What are the advantages of IT consulting?

With methodical, technical and strategic expertise, industry know-how and analytical understanding, IT consultants create a data-based decision-making foundation for effective action. The result:

1

Increased efficiency

IT consulting can uncover critical bottlenecks, silos and inefficiencies. Appropriate adjustments to IT planning can increase efficiency potential, e.g. by automating processes and workflows.
2

Innovative ability

An IT consultancy classifies the significance of technological and digital trends and identifies both the opportunities and risks of innovative approaches. Companies can address value-creating innovation potential at an early stage and use this as a driver for growth, differentiation and outstanding market positioning.
3

Future security

IT consulting is always geared towards the future and continuously thinks ahead of the status quo. Experts combine external factors such as economic and technological developments with individual requirements in order to develop future-proof, scalable solutions for long-term business success.
4

Holistic further development

Professional IT consulting does not just look at individual processes and areas, but at the entire organization. It ensures that transformation concepts are anchored sustainably and at all levels – technologically, organizationally, economically and culturally.
5

Effective use of resources

IT consulting enables data-based resource planning, which has a positive impact on the cost efficiency of transformation projects and can reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the IT landscape in the long term.
6

Competitive advantages

IT consultants classify market developments, provide access to benchmarks and best practices and identify optimization potential that generates measurable business impact and strengthens competitiveness.

What are typical IT consulting services?

IT consulting services can cover all tasks that are relevant for the sustainable design, modernization and efficient use of IT infrastructures – from stocktaking including market and industry analyses, technology assessments, system and provider comparisons to the development of the IT strategy, its implementation and long-term optimization of the system landscape. The scope of services and the specific design of the IT consulting services depend, among other things, on the initial situation, industry-specific requirements and objectives of the company.

Below are the most important IT consulting services as well as classic components, procedures and methods:

Stocktaking: status quo analysis

IT consulting usually starts with a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the existing IT infrastructure, including expert evaluations, user interviews and document reviews. In this “discovery phase“, IT consultants assess the maturity level of the IT landscape in order to obtain a meaningful overall picture of the status quo and identify weaknesses, security risks and optimization potential.

Typical services and methods of the status quo analysis:

IT strategy consulting

The combined findings form the basis for IT strategy consulting, which produces a practical guide for the alignment and design of the IT landscape.

A future-oriented IT strategy is based on the status quo and combines this with business and corporate goals, innovation potential, available resources and capabilities. In addition to the effects on the IT landscape and current processes, organizational, personnel and financial aspects are also taken into account, innovative approaches are identified and potentials are weighed against expenses or risks.

IT strategy consulting usually combines several methods, frameworks and models, some of which build on and complement each other.

Typical services of IT strategy consulting:

IT infrastructure consulting & technology selection

The next step is to translate the recommendations for action and prioritized solutions from the IT strategy consulting into an IT roadmap with concrete packages of measures. Here, too, the available resources, technical and organizational capabilities and overarching requirements of the organization are taken into account.

IT infrastructure consulting focuses on the planning, optimization and modernization of the overall technical architecture and core components – from servers, networks and data sources, cloud and hybrid environments, integration interfaces to internal platforms and external services to automation and security concepts as well as the configuration of individual applications. Technology standards and architectural principles such as headless and composable concepts are also integral components of IT infrastructure consulting.

Typical methods and services of IT infrastructure consulting:

Implementation of the IT roadmap

The presentation of the IT roadmap usually covers the basic services of IT consulting. Professional IT consulting agencies also offer support with implementation.

Typical services in the IT implementation phase:

Change management

As technological changes always have an organizational impact, IT consulting services often also include change management. The aim here is to promote uniform standards, acceptance and understanding of the transformation process while taking corporate culture and compliance into account. In order to anchor the operational and process-related benefits in the organization in the long term, IT consultants provide support, e.g. in the form of:

Communication, education and training measures that prepare employees for new processes, systems and ways of working
Support in the development of digital working methods, processes and business models

Continuous IT monitoring & maintenance

Professional IT service providers do not see consulting as a one-off project, but as an ongoing partnership. Many IT consulting firms provide companies with long-term support for continuous development, maintenance, quality assurance and process optimization.

Why is IT strategy consulting the key to successful digital transformation?

In times of AI, automation and big data, a clear IT strategy is crucial for companies’ competitiveness and success. Without a clear strategic direction, initiatives remain reactive, fragmented and inefficient. A well thought-out IT strategy, on the other hand, ensures that technologies, processes and business objectives are optimally aligned. It is the compass with which digitalization can become a real value driver and engine for growth, efficiency and innovation.

Advantages of IT strategy consulting:

How does IT infrastructure consulting support long-term business goals?

Following on from IT strategy consulting, IT infrastructure consulting sets the course for the successful modernization and scalability of corporate IT – and thus ensures long-term flexibility, efficiency, security and growth.

Infrastructure consulting focuses on the specific design of the technical basis that makes digital business models, innovative services and data strategies work in the first place. In other words, infrastructure consulting makes the IT landscape fit and agile for the requirements of the digital future.

Advantages of IT infrastructure consulting:

What are typical challenges in IT consulting?

Difficulties in IT consulting often lie in the combination of technical expertise, business strategy and organizational requirements. They affect both the course of the project and the overall success of the transformation process. Frequent challenges in IT consulting:

1

Historically evolved IT landscapes

Companies rarely start with a holistically thought-out IT strategy that considers the technological developments and opportunities of the future from the outset. Individual solutions and isolated legacy systems often grow into confusing system landscapes that are insufficiently integrated. The central task and challenge for IT consultants is to harmonize heterogeneous systems and bring them together in a future-oriented way.
2

Data quality and feasibility

Transformation projects often fail at the operationalization stage because the feasibility of the IT strategy has not been sufficiently checked. Missing or misinterpreted data in the status analysis can lead to incorrect conclusions, misguided recommendations for action and unfavorable decisions. Professional IT consulting must therefore consistently subject prioritized measures to a reality check and be able to justify recommendations based on data.
3

Acceptance problems

The introduction of new systems and technologies has a direct impact on the way people, teams and departments work. These technical and procedural changes can be unsettling and meet with resistance from employees. In order to promote acceptance, clear communication is required in addition to professional preparation and onboarding for the new systems (through training and education) – ideally in combination with opportunities to actively shape the change process.
4

Time and budget pressure

When implementing IT strategies or IT projects, two key requirements usually come together: speed and cost efficiency. In other words, modernization should be implemented quickly without disrupting ongoing operations and business activities. At the same time, tight budgets and limited resources need to be taken into account. The challenge in IT consulting is to reconcile these requirements through precise project and resource planning.
5

Communication between IT and specialist departments

The problem of “translating” between technical requirements and business language is often underestimated. IT consultants take on a kind of interpreter function: complex technical solutions must be presented in such a way that even non-tech and non-IT stakeholders (e.g. management and employees from other departments) understand their added value and support the introduction of new tools.
6

Data protection, IT security and compliance

As the complexity and maturity of the IT landscape increases, so does the level of difficulty in complying with data protection, information security and regulatory requirements. IT consulting must ensure that recommendations for action and implemented IT measures are legally compliant and take into account compliance and ESG criteria, e.g. with regard to digital accessibility (EAA, WCAG), sustainability and climate protection (digital product passports) and data protection (GDPR).
7

Rapid change in markets and technologies

Markets, technologies and customer expectations are changing faster than ever. This requires IT consulting providers to have in-depth technical understanding and continuous further training in order to recognize and correctly classify (disruptive) trends at an early stage, to be able to advise companies in a future-oriented manner and to design their digital transformation projects in line with all requirements.

IT consulting in practice: Examples & industry-specific solutions

Increasing efficiency through automation, optimizing data and product quality, scalability, innovative strength and international growth: companies pursue very different objectives in IT consulting. The consulting approach and the jointly developed solution are just as individual as their long-term business strategy and the requirements of their industry.

The following examples show how IT consulting can generate sustainable business value and competitive advantages in practice – including through AI-supported processes, innovative services and modern technologies that bring agility, transparency and security to customer experiences and IT projects.

Future-proof marketing automation solution for medical technology

“Powerful simplicity” was just one of the many requirements Rodenstock had for its new marketing automation system. The manufacturer of biometric lenses was looking for a scalable successor technology to replace its existing system in the B2B environment. The system-agnostic IT consultancy focused on functional and technical criteria as well as commercial and strategic objectives.

IT consulting for maximum data quality in the manufacturing industry

Increased efficiency through automation, sustainable quality optimization, faster releases and flexible data management that increases reach and strengthens international market presence: European manufacturer Hauff-Technik benefits from these advantages thanks to successful IT consulting and the development and implementation of an innovative PIM system.

Harmonized CRM solution for international sales work in the pharmaceutical industry

Effective sales management is crucial in the highly competitive pharmaceutical industry. Johnson & Johnson was faced with the challenge of harmonizing its sales organization in the EMEA region with a uniform, automated CRM solution – including call planning, territory, customer and key account management, multichannel cycles and segmentation.

Composable architecture for growth in B2C & B2B commerce

A future-proof software architecture that ensures scalability and agility for the growing product range and international orientation: A composable commerce architecture created the ideal solution for this objective of LIEBHERR Hausgeräte GmbH. As part of the IT consultancy, an MVP project was initially implemented for the store and website areas.

Siemens Corporate Headquarters, all copyrights belong to Siemens AG, Munich/Berlin

Siemens and valantic revolutionize software deployment with AWS cloud-native framework

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BAUHAUS: Optimizing customer experience and logistics

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OutSystems

Fidelidade: Unlocking Digital Transformation in Insurance

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Adobe Commerce

mey: Successful conversion rate optimization in e-commerce

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Cognigy

Conversational AI at Toyota: with valantic we created an AI assistant at Toyota that reduced handling time per case by 20 minutes

IT consulting trends 2026

What developments are shaping IT consulting?

Companies that want to be successful in 2026 and beyond will have to think beyond pure technologies. In IT consulting, the combination of IT, business strategy, sustainability, security and platform thinking is becoming increasingly crucial. Future-oriented IT consulting takes economic developments and global trends into account in order to develop services accordingly and provide customers with optimal support.

The following topics will play a greater role in IT consulting:

Autonomous AI agents & domain-specific models

According to Gartner, AI supercomputing, multi-agent systems and domain-specific language models are among the ten key trends that companies should master in the coming year. The use of Agentic AI will bring decisive advantages, for example in the automation of complex business processes or the design of specialized industry solutions. The selection, integration and governance of Applied AI solutions such as autonomous AI agents will become both technically and strategically relevant in IT consulting. [Source: Gartner, IT-P]

Hybrid concepts, multi-cloud strategies & "cloud repatriation"

Companies are rethinking their cloud usage. The cloud repatriation of data and applications from the public cloud to private or hybrid environments, for example, is becoming particularly relevant with regard to cybersecurity and data security. IT consulting is in greater demand here for cost/risk analyses, the selection of scalable architectures and the development of hybrid or multi-cloud environments. [Source: DonClemTech]

Sustainability & Green IT

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a strategic “must-have” in all industries and IT strategies are being supplemented with corresponding aspects, e.g. energy efficiency of data centers, edge computing to reduce latency and bandwidth consumption or green cloud architectures. IT consulting solutions must be both technologically and ecologically future-oriented. [Source: IT-P]

Preventive cyber security & governance

Threats in the digital world are on the rise. Security and compliance aspects must be increasingly focused on in IT consulting and taken into account from the outset, e.g. through preventive security architectures, zero trust models, governance for AI applications and digital provenance. [Sources: Gartner, IT-P]

Platform engineering & internal developer platforms

A trend for internal IT: instead of relying on external solutions, more and more companies want to create their own platforms on which their development teams can operate. This opens up a new business area for IT consulting firms: the service package is expanding to include services for the development and optimization of internal developer platforms (IDPs), the automation of CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-a-code and self-service development environments. [Source: MozanTech]

Focus on business results & ROI

The economic environment remains challenging. Regulatory and security requirements are growing. IT consulting must increasingly focus on ensuring that IT not only functions technically, but is also adaptable and resilient and supports long-term business goals, such as increasing efficiency, reducing costs and implementing new digital business models. In future, IT strategy consulting will be even more business-oriented and aimed at measurable business value. [Source: IT-P]

Why IT consulting with valantic?

The success of IT transformation projects requires a strong implementation team that brings together technological know-how, a deep understanding of market, industry and customer requirements, and expertise in methodical procedures. With more than 4,300 digital experts worldwide, valantic is ideally positioned for this:

We combine strategic and analytical expertise with more than 20 years of operational experience as IT consultants and digitalization partners. Dedicated teams of experts transfer the opportunities and possibilities of digitalization to the industry, business goals and long-term corporate orientation of our customers. With a focus on future-proof, scalable digital, data and AI strategies, we derive specific fields of action, develop and implement a results-oriented, holistically effective IT strategy and ensure sustainable business impact through structured change management.

Find out more about valantic’s end-to-end approach and IT consulting services:

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