[ Initial Consultation ]

Initial Consultation — How it works

Before you commit to an advisory engagement, you should know whom you'll speak to, how the first meeting runs, what to prepare, and what answer you'll receive afterwards. This page documents PODBIM's initial consultation in five steps. It is free of charge, takes 60 to 90 minutes, runs under NDA, and is always conducted personally by Ing. Andreas Huemer MSc, MBA — owner and managing director. We treat the initial consultation as a clarification step, not a sales step: at the end you receive an honest assessment — even when that is a non-recommendation with a referral to a more suitable partner.

What you can expect

Free of charge — you pay nothing for the meeting or the written assessment afterwards.
60 to 90 minutes — on-site, at our Burgkirchen office, or as a video call.
Personally with the founder — no junior, no sales staff.
Under NDA — confidential, signed before the conversation.
With written assessment afterwards — within 5 working days, free of charge.

The 5 steps

Step 1 — Inquiry — Contact us via the form on the home page, by email at office@podbim.com or by phone at +43 664 9641980. We reply within one working day.
Step 2 — Pre-clarification (15-minute call) — A short call to check fit on both sides: which project, which bottlenecks, what would be a good outcome from the initial consultation? No pressure, no sales pitch. If there's a fit we schedule the initial consultation. If not, we say so openly — and where possible refer you to a better-suited market participant.
Step 3 — Initial consultation (60 to 90 minutes, free of charge, under NDA) — Format as you prefer: on-site at your premises, at our Burgkirchen office, or by video call. Attending: Ing. Andreas Huemer MSc, MBA personally. A non-disclosure agreement is sent by email beforehand and mutually signed before the meeting. Content: project clarity, bottleneck diagnosis, methodological grounding.
Step 4 — Written assessment (within 5 working days) — Within 5 working days you receive a PDF assessment of 2 to 4 pages: methodological proposal, estimated effort, recommended approach with phase outline. This assessment is non-binding and free of charge — it commits you to nothing.
Step 5 — Proposal or clear non-recommendation — If there is mutual fit, you receive a proposal with phases, effort, and fixed-price / day-rate options. Smaller packages (methodology audit, requirements review, BIM baseline) are also possible — there is no minimum engagement size. If there is no fit, you receive a written explanation and, wherever possible, a referral to a more suitable colleague or market participant.

What we don't do

We don't sell a 'method package' or a stock workshop.
We don't apply time pressure.
We don't promise 'guaranteed savings' or ROI numbers before diagnosis.
We refer you elsewhere if there's no fit — including to market peers.
We charge nothing for the initial consultation or the written assessment.

What to bring for preparation

A short description of the venture (1 to 2 paragraphs is enough).
Current state (idea, pre-project, requirements specification, ongoing project).
Your most important questions or concerns.
Optional: sketches, requirements specs, BIM requirements, layout plans — if available. Not required.

Frequent questions

What does a PODBIM engagement cost after the initial consultation? — It depends entirely on the venture. We work with phase-based fixed prices for clearly bounded packages and day rates for open-structured mandates. A concrete number comes only with the written assessment in step 4.
How quickly can you start? — Under normal workload within 2 to 4 weeks of order placement. For time-critical mandates we find a faster solution together.
Do you also work internationally? — Yes, EU-wide. For English-language mandates, both the initial consultation and the written assessment are conducted in English.