About me

I'm Doinel Atanasiu, a software engineer and AI automation consultant for SMEs, a freelancer based in Umbria, Italy, with a degree in Computer Science from the University of Perugia. I have 7+ years of experience in software development and have co-founded two small software companies. Today I design and build custom automations for European SMEs that take the manual work out of processes such as order entry and quote preparation, with two published real cases: a metalworking manufacturer in Umbria, central Italy, and a home-maintenance company in Milan.

The AI was already there. The process was missing.

When I met the two companies behind my published cases, they were already using AI.

The administrator of a metalworking manufacturer in Umbria, central Italy, downloaded every PDF order, uploaded it to ChatGPT, had it produce a spreadsheet and checked it before entering the order into the management software. It took 3-4 minutes per attachment, by the administrator's estimate. The owner of a home-maintenance company in Milan copied customer requests into ChatGPT and pasted the reply back into WhatsApp, about half an hour for every quote.

In both cases AI sped up one step, and a person still did everything else. What was missing was someone who understood how the company worked, set the formats and rules, and connected the AI to the programs it already used. That's the work I chose to do.

Today, by their own estimates, the administrator spends about a minute per attachment and the owner 10-15 minutes per quote. I explain how both systems work on the pages about automated order entry and the AI quote assistant on WhatsApp.

Where I come from

I graduated in Computer Science from the University of Perugia. In 2019 I co-founded my first software company, and in 2021 my second. For years I did what every small business owner does: finding clients, writing quotes, meeting deadlines and making the numbers add up. When an owner talks to me about margins and lost hours, I know what they mean.

Through those companies I worked for businesses as small as yours. For a craft company that makes lava stone tables, I built an online configurator where customers design their table and see it in 3D before ordering. For a food retailer, I built a customer loyalty app.

Since 2024 I've worked as a freelancer. I led software development for an energy startup, working alongside the CTO, and built AI systems that helped the team follow client projects from first contact to sale. For an insurance company I built a WhatsApp assistant that answers customers' questions about their policies, and for a training company a system that helps staff find the documents they need. Then came the SMEs, with the two cases above.

How I think

Process first, then AI. In the order case, the most important part was deciding with the company what an order looks like: one format and one table for units of measure. AI came in afterwards, with a precise job. Put on top of a messy process, it repeats the same mistakes faster.

The technology adapts to your company. Your management software, email and WhatsApp stay as they are. Running my own companies taught me what it costs a team to change programs and habits, so I build around the ones already in place.

What I build is yours. Accounts and infrastructure are in your company's name, with full access, and I choose EU-hosted services whenever one exists. I want you to keep working with me because it pays off, and to be free to stop whenever you like.

One point of contact. From the first call to training, you deal with me. When a project needs a designer, a systems administrator or another developer, I bring them in and I answer for their work.

The steps, from the first call to maintenance, are on the page about my work as an AI automation consultant for SMEs.

When I'm not the right fit

I'd rather tell you upfront. I'm probably not who you're looking for if:

the process changes every time and its rules can't be written down. Automation needs rules, and here it would have to guess;
you only need a chatbot for your website. I build systems tied to daily work, like orders, quotes and email;
you want an off-the-shelf product with a monthly fee. I build custom software at a fixed price, and the system stays yours. For a standard need, a good subscription tool may cost you less.

Key facts

Base: Umbria, Italy. I work remotely with companies across Europe and travel on-site when a project needs it: working with me from abroad.
Legal form: freelancer, registered for VAT in Italy.
Education: BSc in Computer Science, University of Perugia.
Experience: 7+ years in software development.
Languages: English, Italian and Romanian.
Find me on: LinkedIn and Google.

Tell me where you'd start

Write to me about the task that takes up most of your hours, how often it repeats and which programs you use for it today. I'll reply myself, with a first assessment.

Interested in a system like this?

Reach out on LinkedIn or WhatsApp, or send me an email.

Message me on LinkedIn Message me on WhatsApp

Email me at doinel@atanasiu.me

FAQ

Common questions and answers

Do you work alone or with a team?

I design and build the system myself. When a project needs it, I bring in trusted external collaborators, such as designers, systems administrators or other developers. The client still has a single point of contact, and I answer for the result.

Are you a company or a freelancer?

I'm a freelancer registered for VAT in Italy. You sign the contract with the person who designs and builds the system, and I invoice you directly.

Why hire a freelancer instead of an agency?

You always deal with the person who builds the system, from the first call to delivery, and the system is in your company's name. If we ever stopped working together, any developer could take it over.

Do you take on small projects?

Yes. How much time a task costs you matters more than its size: automating a single step that repeats every day can be worth it. Depending on complexity, it takes from a few days to a few weeks, always at a fixed price.