Innovation today is not about keeping up with trends but about making breakthrough innovations that can quickly transform operations and generate growth. AIS, through a Microsoft-funded program, is proud to have partnered with an emerging company in the construction materials supply industry and helped this industry leader jump-start their journey of AI-enabled innovation, which not only results in significant improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and scalability but also drives growth.
The Problem
Slowed Growth Because of Manual Processes
Although very common, this critical challenge in an emerging construction materials supply company had the inside sales department bogged down with manual processes. Responding to Request for Quotations (RFQs) was an activity that took up a lot of time. It was laden with errors and waste since the process depended on vendor response times and data entry. The company knew that to maintain their edge, they had to reduce this process’s cost—but how wasn’t very clear.
The Spark
A Project Initiated by Microsoft
AIS connected the company to a Microsoft-sponsored AI App PoV program, designed to allow organizations to experiment with AI-driven solutions in a low-risk, high-reward environment. This gave the construction materials supply company the ideal chance to see what impact AI could have on its RFQ process without a major upfront investment.
The Approach
Co-Creation of Innovation
It all began with a series of discovery workshops, working closely with the company’s IT and business teams to uncover pain points and define the desired outcome. This resulted in defining a clear roadmap toward an AI-driven solution that could automate part number recognition from RFQs and create accurate sales estimates.
Harnessing Azure AI services and other such services of Azure OpenAI, we developed a solution to parse product descriptions embedded within RFQs, match them against the existing database of item numbers, and automatically trigger estimate creation. The solution was built to scale with the company’s growth, allowing it to expand alongside its operations.
The Impact
From Proof of Value to Strategic Advantage
The results from the pilot program were magnificent. What used to take hours now takes minutes, and the accuracy of the company’s estimates improved dramatically. This frees up valuable time for their sales team and enhances customer satisfaction through more prompt response times.
But that was not the only benefit: the AI-driven system set the stage for further innovation and positioned the company well to integrate better AI functionalities going forward. The company should be better equipped to adapt to market changes, scale up operations, and maintain competitiveness.
The Journey Continues
Expanding AI Capabilities
That initial success was driving bigger and more complex projects. The company is now beginning to look across the remainder of the business for additional AI applications, embedding innovation deeper into its operations. What once began as a small pilot funded by Microsoft has now evolved into this strategic advantage that drives growth and sets the company up for long-term success.
The Power of a Small Start
This is the story of the small start: how a focused pilot, low in risk, can light the fire of more pervasive change. AIS is here to enable our customers to discover and deploy emerging technologies that help solve not only today’s challenges but also those laying the foundation for innovation and growth in the future. If your organization is ready to kick off its own AI journey, we’d love to partner with you. Let’s discuss how a Microsoft-funded program can help you unlock new possibilities and drive success in your industry.
To help our customers get started on their data modernization journey, we offer a range of early engagement options, allowing you to prove out capabilities, gain insights, and plan a roadmap for long-term success. Learn more about Microsoft programs and available engagement options to kickstart your journey!
