How Joist AI Transformed Proposal Management at Woodard & Curran

Woodard & Curran, an industry leader in the environmental engineering, operations, and consulting sector, stands as a prominent force in addressing environmental challenges and providing sustainable solutions. With a legacy of tackling diverse projects, the company's commitment to innovation and excellence has solidified its position as a trusted partner in the industry.

Seeking continual improvement and efficiency in their operations, Woodard & Curran, like many AEC firms, recognized a common challenge within their proposal management processes. Propelled by a commitment to excellence and a desire to meet the dynamic demands of their field, Jen A, Woodard & Curran’s VP of Marketing, embarked on a journey to find a solution that would transform their approach to managing and leveraging historic proposal content.

In pursuit of a strategic and innovative solution, Woodard & Curran turned to Joist AI, a cutting-edge software with the promise of streamlining proposal data management and harnessing the power of artificial intelligence.

The Challenge:

Woodard & Curran faced a significant challenge in managing and organizing their proposal data efficiently. The marketing team encountered difficulties in retrieving and reusing valuable information from past proposals. The existing file structure, spread across various locations such as file servers, Deltek Vision, and SharePoint, made it cumbersome for the team to access relevant data promptly. The time-consuming process of searching for specific content and the lack of a centralized repository were hampering their productivity.

“Good information was being buried in proposals, and people, not just on our team but elsewhere in the company, were frustrated with the process,” said Jen. “If you’ve created it once, you should be able to find [the information] and use it multiple times. By the time you find everything you need, there’s no time to standardize because you’re already moved on to the next proposal. It seemed like such an easy problem to fix, but that wasn’t the reality.”

The Solution:

In the pursuit of addressing these challenges, Jen discovered Joist AI. The journey began when Jen met a fellow industry colleague at a conference and learned about a company who had created a software solution to streamline proposal data using artificial intelligence (AI). Hearing more and more about the benefits of AI and intrigued by the potential time-savings, Jen explored Joist AI, a software designed to wrangle proposal data efficiently and automate proposal creation.

Woodard & Curran initiated a pilot program with Joist AI, aiming to evaluate its effectiveness in overcoming their specific challenges. The software, though initially in a more basic form, showcased impressive capabilities. Over the next year, the team worked directly with Joist AI to help evolve the software to meet their specific needs. Woodard & Curran’s collaboration with Joist AI turned into a partnership, with regular discussions and feedback sessions contributing to the continuous enhancement of the software and Joist AI’s success with other like-minded AEC companies.

“Working directly with Joist AI has been a rewarding experience,” said Jen. “We have brought good ideas to the table, and it's gratifying to see those put into practice. The advances that the software has made just this year are impressive. It's exciting to know what’s on the horizon and that it’s going to be capable of helping us identify successful win strategies."

The Result:

1. Improved Efficiency and Time Savings:

Jen and her team experienced a substantial reduction in the time spent searching for and retrieving proposal content. With Joist AI's advanced search and filtering capabilities, Woodard & Curran estimated a time savings of 30-40% per proposal, highlighting the efficiency gained through the software.

2. Streamlined Resume Development:

Resume development and facilitation, one of Woodard & Curran’s largest challenges, became more manageable with Joist AI. The software enabled the identification and retrieval of specific resume versions, streamlining the process and avoiding unnecessary duplication of efforts.

"One of our biggest potential areas for improvement was in resume development. Joist AI has made it significantly easier to manage multiple versions and pinpoint the right resume for each proposal."

– Jen A.

3. Enhanced Collaboration and Communication:
‍The implementation of Joist AI positively impacted team communication, with members, both inside and outside of the marketing team, proactively using the software to find information. The tool became an integral part of daily workflows, leading to open communication and requests for additional capabilities.

4. Onboarding Efficiency:
‍The onboarding process for new team members improved, with the intuitive nature of Joist AI making it easier for individuals to learn and adapt. Software training sessions conducted by the Joist AI team contributed to a smooth onboarding experience for new employees.

5. Strategic Alignment and Future Opportunities:
‍Woodard & Curran found strategic alignment with Joist AI, addressing their immediate challenges, and supporting their key goals. The partnership extended beyond resolving existing issues, with discussions about future enhancements and features, including resume versioning and the exploration of AI-driven insights into successful win strategies.

6. Positive Security Compliance:
‍Joist AI successfully met the stringent security and compliance requirements of Woodard & Curran, aligning with their cybersecurity standards. The software proved to be a secure and reliable solution, easing concerns related to data privacy and security.

In conclusion, Woodard & Curran's collaboration with Joist AI resulted in a transformative experience, significantly improving their proposal management processes, fostering collaboration, and laying the foundation for future innovations in AI-driven insights. The successful integration of Joist AI not only addressed immediate challenges but also positioned Woodard & Curran as forward-thinkers in leveraging cutting-edge technology for enhanced efficiency and strategic advantage in a competitive landscape.


"Using Joist AI has provided our team with a unique professional development opportunity. It aligns with our key strategy around innovative technologies and data science. The software's flexibility to adapt to our needs has been gratifying--suggestions for improvements are always heard and implemented, making it a rewarding experience for our team. The collaborative relationship we have with Joist AI has been exceptional.”

Jen A., CPSM
Vice President of Marketing
Woodard & Curran