Scaling with Purpose: The Four Strategic Categories of Predefined Consulting Services

At SUSE, we’re reimagining how consulting can better serve the evolving needs of our customers. Today, we’re proud to introduce a new structure within our Predefined Consulting Services (PCS) portfolio — four distinct categories that guide customers through their technology journey: Initialize, Test Drive, Implement, and Optimize.

These categories aren’t just labels — they’re designed to help our clients identify where they are and what they need next. Whether you’re taking your first steps with SUSE, evaluating new platforms, deploying at scale, or fine-tuning mission-critical environments, there’s a PCS offering built precisely for that moment.

Initialize: guided exploration to start smart

The Initialize category is all about guided exploration. This is where we help you get started with clarity and confidence—laying the groundwork through discovery, architecture design, and operational planning. We collaborate to define best practices, implement core guardrails, and establish secure, scalable foundations so you can make informed decisions from day one.

Test Drive: validate before you scale

Think of this as your opportunity to pilot and prove. In the Test Drive phase, we run a scoped engagement designed to validate your solution fit and demonstrate real business value. By aligning with success criteria, we help you see how the technology performs in your environment, for your use cases. It’s the perfect phase to build stakeholder confidence before broader rollout.

Implement: from deployment to day one

Ready to move to production? The Implement category is where we bring it all to life. Our team provides targeted deployment services to install, configure, and operationalize your environment for production use. From rigorous testing to a smooth handoff, you get a fully functional, production-ready solution—delivered with expert guidance every step of the way.

Optimize: sustain, improve, evolve

Optimization isn’t a one-time event—it’s a continuous journey. This category delivers day-2 technical assessments, upgrades, and health checks to ensure your system stays stable, secure, and high-performing. With in-depth reviews of your architecture, configuration, and performance, we identify improvement areas and provide clear, prioritized recommendations. Stay ahead of surprises and evolve your system with confidence.

Client-focused. outcome-oriented. PCS evolved.

This new category framework strengthens our promise to deliver clear, outcome-driven consulting at every stage of the customer journey. It makes it easier to engage with SUSE Consulting, easier to understand the value, and easier to make forward progress.

This is just the beginning — and we’re excited to share more in the days ahead as the offerings are aligned to each category.