How a Commercial Manufacturer Replaced Manual Bid Management With an AI-Powered Cost Engine


How a Commercial Manufacturer Replaced Manual Bid Management With an AI-Powered Cost Engine


A leading U.S.-based commercial furnishings manufacturer partnered with Galent to transform its bid management and pricing operations critical to revenue generation and competitive positioning.

Operating at global scale, the organization relied on multiple disconnected tools and manual workflows to manage bids, pricing logic, and approvals. As deal volumes increased and pricing complexity grew, these legacy processes became inefficient, error-prone, and difficult to scale.

The engagement focused on building an AI-enabled Total Cost of Ownership Engine (TCOE) using a modern, automated, and integrated approach designed to improve speed, accuracy, and governance across the bid lifecycle.

The result: a unified, intelligent bid management platform enabling faster submissions, higher accuracy, and a strong foundation for AI-driven pricing optimization.

Client Challenges:

As the organization scaled, its bid management ecosystem presented several operational and structural challenges:

Fragmented Systems & Manual Processes: Bid management relied on multiple Excel-based tools (Worksheet 2020, eQuote, Analyzer), leading to disconnected workflows and inefficiencies.

Duplicate Data Entry & Error Risks:Disparate systems required repeated manual inputs, increasing the likelihood of inconsistencies and human error.

Lack of Auditability & Traceability: Inability to track SIF (Specification Information Form) changes or user actions compromised data integrity and pricing validation.

Slow Bid Turnaround Times: Manual workflows and validation delays impacted speed, reducing responsiveness in competitive deal scenarios.

Inconsistent Pricing Accuracy: Absence of standardized validation mechanisms led to variability in pricing logic and reduced confidence in outputs.

Galent’s Approach

Galent implemented a platform-driven, automation-first transformation strategy to streamline bid management and enable scalable, intelligent pricing operations.

AI-Enabled SIF Automation

Automated the ingestion and processing of SIF data:

  • Intelligent SIF parsing and validation
  • Automated brand review workflows
  • Seamless file merging for unified bid inputs

    • Built using Lightning Web Components (LWC) for a responsive and scalable user experience.

    Pod-Based Agile Delivery Model


    Deployed dedicated feature pods to accelerate development and execution:

    • Parallel development of SIF automation, pricing logic, and bid workflows
    • Faster iteration cycles and continuous delivery
    • Improved alignment with business priorities

    Integrated, API-Driven Architecture

    Established a connected ecosystem through REST API integrations:

    • Unified integration with middleware and Analyzer systems
    • Single source of truth for all bid and pricing data
    • Real-time synchronization across systems

    Embedded Quality & Automation

    Integrated Selenium-based QA automation to ensure:

    • Consistent validation of workflows
    • Reduced defects and manual testing effort
    • Higher reliability in production releases

    Governance, Security & Compliance


    Implemented robust governance frameworks:

    • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for secure data access
    • Immutable audit logs for full traceability of actions and changes
    • Enhanced compliance and pricing transparency

    Structured Agile Execution


    Delivered through a 24-week agile program with:

    • Sprint-based execution and visibility
    • Continuous client collaboration and feedback loops
    • Incremental value delivery and risk mitigation

    Solution Delivered

    • AI-enabled TCOE platform for bid and pricing management
    • Automated SIF parsing, validation, and processing
    • Pod-based agile delivery for parallel execution
    • REST API-driven integration with enterprise systems
    • Embedded QA automation using Selenium
    • RBAC and audit logs for governance and compliance
    • 24-week structured agile delivery model

    Business Impact

    The transformation delivered significant improvements in speed, accuracy, and operational readiness for future AI capabilities.

    Key outcomes:

    • Accelerated Bid Cycle Time: Reduced bid turnaround time by 60%, enabling faster response to market opportunities and improved win rates.

    • Improved Pricing Accuracy & Data Integrity: Established rule-based validation frameworks ensuring consistent, reliable, and auditable pricing outputs.

    • Eliminated Manual Inefficiencies: Reduced duplicate data entry and streamlined workflows through automation and system integration.

    • Enhanced Governance & Transparency:Enabled full traceability of changes and actions through audit logs and controlled access mechanisms.

    • AI-Ready Foundation: Built a scalable platform ready for predictive pricing, advanced analytics, and intelligent decision-making.

    This engagement highlights how AI-enabled automation and modern engineering practices can transform critical business processes like bid management. By replacing fragmented tools with a unified, intelligent platform, Galent enabled faster decision-making, improved pricing accuracy, and stronger governance while laying the groundwork for future AI-driven capabilities.

    The result is a scalable, resilient TCOE platform designed to support growth, enhance competitiveness, and drive sustained operational excellence.

    Executive Insight: A Client Perspective

    “Galent helped us transform a highly manual and fragmented process into a streamlined, intelligent platform. The impact on speed, accuracy, and transparency has been significant. What stands out is their ability to combine deep technical execution with a clear understanding of our business needs—setting us up for future AI-driven innovation.”
    – Director, Pricing & Commercial Operations.