How Pierre Construction Group Cut Proposal Preparation Time in Half with a Custom AI-Accelerated Solution

When Growth Creates New Challenges

As businesses grow, the processes that once worked well can quietly become obstacles to efficiency.

That was the situation facing Pierre Construction Group (PCG), an architectural metal contractor known for delivering complex canopy systems, aluminum composite panels, and custom architectural metal solutions. With more projects, more project managers, and hundreds of proposal packages prepared each year, a manual proposal workflow was beginning to consume valuable time.

The process wasn't broken—but it wasn't built for the company's continued growth.

Project managers gathered project information, manufacturing specifications, product catalogs, and CAD drawings before sending everything to an administrator who assembled the final proposal package. The completed package then returned to the project manager for review, edits, and approval before finally reaching the customer.

Each proposal required multiple handoffs, emails, and revisions. While accurate, the process created unnecessary back-and-forth, slowing responsiveness and tying up valuable administrative resources.

"We knew there had to be a better way," said Collins Westcott of Pierre Construction Group. "The project managers already had all the information. By the time they explained everything to someone else, they could have almost completed it themselves."

The Objective: Eliminate Bottlenecks Without Sacrificing Quality

Pierre Construction Group wasn't looking to replace people.

The goal was to eliminate repetitive administrative work while maintaining the company's high standards for quality, branding, and customer service.

The objectives were clear:

• Reduce unnecessary communication between project managers and administrative staff.
• Standardize proposal formatting and presentation.
• Improve response time to customers.
• Free administrative staff to focus on higher-value responsibilities.
• Create a scalable process that could support continued company growth.

From Idea to Working Prototype—in One Meeting

Instead of spending weeks discussing requirements and waiting months to see results, SolidFuture took a different approach.

Using its AI-accelerated software development methodology, Chris Hamilton, CEO of SolidFuture, created a working prototype during the very first discovery session.

Within approximately one hour, Pierre Construction Group was interacting with an early version of the application.

"It was incredible to watch," Westcott recalled. "Chris had something working right there during the meeting. We could immediately say, 'I like this. Change this. Move this here.' There wasn't any guessing."

Rather than relying on lengthy requirements documents, the team collaborated around a working prototype that provided clear direction from day one.

Refining the Solution Through Real-World Feedback

Following the initial prototype, SolidFuture completed the core application and delivered it for internal testing.

Project managers and key team members used the software in real-world scenarios, identifying small adjustments to help the application fit naturally into their daily workflow.

Once feedback was collected, SolidFuture quickly implemented the requested improvements, completing revisions within approximately one week.

After live company data was integrated and project managers received training, the application was ready for production.

The entire project—from discovery to deployment—was completed in just 30 days.

A Simpler Process for Everyone

Today, project managers create proposal packages directly within the application.

Instead of relying on multiple emails and administrative handoffs, they can:

• Generate proposal packages themselves.
• Make revisions instantly.
• Review the completed package immediately.
• Email proposals directly to customers from within the application.

The result is a dramatically simplified workflow.

"What used to be a two-, three-, or even four-step process has basically become one step," Westcott said.

Cutting Proposal Preparation Time by Approximately 50 Percent

Although proposal complexity varies by project, the overall office effort required to produce proposal packages has been reduced by approximately half.

Many proposal packages can now be assembled in just 10 to 15 minutes.

Just as importantly, administrative staff no longer spend valuable time performing repetitive formatting and document preparation.

Instead, they can focus on supporting customers and project teams in ways that create greater value for the business.

"This really took a tedious task off Katie's plate," Westcott explained. "It's not that it was difficult—it just consumed time that can now be spent elsewhere."

Consistency Builds Confidence

One unexpected benefit has been greater consistency across every proposal.

Because every package follows the same standardized format, customers receive professional, branded documentation regardless of which project manager prepares it.

That consistency reinforces Pierre Construction Group's reputation for quality while simplifying internal processes.

AI That Accelerates Development—Not Replaces Expertise

While artificial intelligence played an important role in accelerating development, Westcott emphasized that the technology never replaced human expertise.

"AI helped get us to the finish line faster," he said. "It still required SolidFuture's developers to refine everything, but AI handled a lot of the repetitive work upfront and gave us a huge head start."

The result was faster development without compromising quality, security, or brand integrity.

Customer information remains protected through secure authentication, and every proposal continues to receive human review before being delivered.

Looking Beyond Proposal Automation

The success of the project has already inspired new ideas.

After seeing how quickly the proposal process could be transformed, Pierre Construction Group is exploring additional opportunities to automate repetitive workflows, including shop drawings, quoting, and other administrative processes.

"It definitely has my head spinning," Westcott said. "Now I'm thinking about what else we can automate to improve turnaround time and better serve our customers."

Technology That Fits the Business

For Westcott, the greatest value wasn't simply building software—it was building software designed specifically around the way Pierre Construction Group operates.

"You're not trying to force your business into someone else's software," he said. "Instead, you're getting a solution that's built specifically for how you work."

He credits SolidFuture's ability to combine technical expertise with practical business understanding.

"Chris doesn't just understand software. He understands manufacturing businesses. He asks the right questions, gets to the root of the problem, and then creates a solution that fits exactly what you need."

Continuous Improvement That Benefits Customers

As Pierre Construction Group continues to grow, the new proposal automation system is expected to create even greater returns.

With seven project managers handling approximately 250 projects annually, small improvements on every project quickly add up to meaningful gains across the entire organization.

More importantly, those gains translate directly into faster responsiveness, greater consistency, and an even better customer experience.

For Pierre Construction Group, automation wasn't about replacing people.

It was about empowering them to spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time delivering exceptional service to every customer.