Travel companions, not consultants
As travel companions, we pursue the goal of understanding digitalisation and AI not as an end in themselves, but as tools for lasting change. As a boutique consultancy, we are focused, flexible and approachable.
Think First: before we act
We are a micro-enterprise without a classic employee team. That is a deliberate choice. Small units think more nimbly, act more honestly and accompany more sustainably than large consulting firms driven by utilisation targets.
Our core principle is the Think-First principle: understand before acting. No vendor lock-in, no hidden interests, no technology as an end in itself. Everything we develop together belongs to you, enabling you to make your own, sovereign decisions.
Travel companionship means: we fly with you, not ahead of you. Not as assessors with final reports or consultants with theoretical concepts, but as partners at eye level.
Four people, one goal
Our core team of travel companions, coordination and sales combines consulting depth, operational experience and process discipline, complemented by a network of proven specialists for concrete implementations.
Patrick Bichler
Founder · Senior Consultant · Travel Companion
Patrick Bichler founded our company with the goal of putting the bridge between business and IT in SMEs on a new foundation: away from one-off assessments, towards lasting travel companionship. Throughout his career, enabling people has always been at the centre, through enthusiasm, knowledge and structured thinking.
As Fractional CIO, Enterprise Architect and AI Officer in ongoing mandates, he accompanies leadership teams through digitalisation, AI adoption and governance development, with a clear credo: understand before acting, empowerment instead of dependency.
- Digital business transformation & enterprise architecture
- AI adoption and AI governance (EU AI Act, ISO 42001)
- Information security, ISO 27001 & GRC (official Vanta partner)
- Leadership enablement & executive sparring
Urs Sidler
Senior Consultant · Travel Companion
Urs Sidler helps organisations navigate change successfully – whether through digitalisation, new technologies, or organisational development. Central to his work is the implementation of strategic initiatives: from making sense of the landscape and reaching decisions to embedding them durably within the organisation.
As a sparring partner for leadership teams and Fractional Chief Digital Officer in ongoing mandates, he helps organisations connect business, organisation, and technology in a focused way – pragmatic, structured, and with an eye on what matters.
- Digitalisation, AI, and organisational development
- Organisational design and governance
- Strategy implementation and business decisions
- Executive sparring for leadership teams
Carmela Baumann
Coordination · Back Office · Partner
Carmela Baumann is our organisational backbone. As a partner, she is responsible for coordination, back-office processes and smooth operations, so that the travel companions can focus entirely on their mandates.
Her strength lies in structure: clear processes, clean workflows, reliable communication. What works in the background makes quality visible, in every client interaction and every working session.
- Coordination and back-office organisation
- Process design and operational excellence
- Partner and network communication
Thomas Schick
Business Development · Southern Germany
Thomas Schick is responsible for building our network in Southern Germany. With more than 25 years of B2B sales experience and a qualification as an IHK AI Manager, he combines deep market knowledge with technological understanding and translates our offering into the language of his counterparts.
He joined the team in June 2026 and focuses on developing partnerships and client access across the German-speaking market.
- B2B sales and partner development in Germany
- Relationship building with management teams and IT decision-makers
- AI qualification (IHK AI Manager) and market positioning
Rooted in the ecosystem
We are an active member of networks that strengthen innovation and trust in the digital world.
Voices from practice
Our work speaks for itself, and our clients speak for us. Authentic LinkedIn recommendations, unabridged. (Original German.)
Seit einem halben Jahr begleitet Patrick uns auf unserer Digitalisierungs-Reise. Mit Weitblick, Fachwissen, Empathie und Pragmatismus versteht er es, unsere Mitarbeiter auf allen Ebenen auf dieser Reise mitzunehmen.
Ich arbeite seit rund einem Jahr eng mit Patrick Bichler zusammen und schätze seine Fähigkeit, Unternehmen bei der digitalen Transformation und dem Einsatz von KI strategisch zu begleiten. Er versteht es, Führungskräfte und Organisationen individuell dort abzuholen, wo sie auf ihrer Digitalisierungsreise stehen, und hilft ihnen, die richtigen Fragen zu stellen, bevor Technologien ausgewählt und Projekte gestartet werden. Besonders wertvoll ist seine Fähigkeit, Leute zu coachen und den Fokus auf Organisation, Kompetenzen und Veränderungsbereitschaft zu legen — Bereiche, die für nachhaltigen Erfolg oft entscheidender sind als die Technologie selbst.
Ich durfte in den vergangenen rund 8 Monaten eng mit Patrick Bichler im Rahmen der Transformation unserer Business Unit Architektur & Consulting zusammenarbeiten. Patrick hat uns als externer Coach mit hoher fachlicher Kompetenz, strategischem Weitblick und einer beeindruckenden Fähigkeit begleitet, Menschen in Veränderungsprozessen mitzunehmen. Die Zusammenarbeit war jederzeit professionell, vertrauensvoll und inspirierend.
Patrick besticht durch seine nette, lustige und ruhige "Schweizer Art". Das schafft eine gute Atmosphäre, in der man die Dinge gemeinsam und kreativ erarbeiten kann. Patrick schafft es prima, den Dingen einen Rahmen zu geben, den Gesamtzusammenhang herzustellen und mögliche Auswirkungen zu beschreiben. Wir wissen jederzeit, wo wir stehen.
What sets us apart from traditional consulting
Think First: no actionism
We don't buy technology before we've understood the need. Every recommendation is based on context, not commission interests.
No vendor lock-in
Everything we develop together (architectures, policies, processes) belongs to you. Our service is empowerment, not dependency.
Travel companion mindset
We don't deliver assessments or concept papers and disappear afterwards. We fly with you and support you through implementation.
Small steps, real results
No mammoth project, no annual plan without deliverables. We work in manageable steps, with measurable artefacts from the first month.
A strong network, clear competencies
No vendor lock-in, but a curated ecosystem: for specific implementation needs, we connect you with proven partners who have the right expertise for your situation.
Let's get to know each other
A free first conversation costs nothing and often brings more clarity than six months of research.