From 45 to 15 Minutes:

How ACO Automated Their Tender Processing

"The biggest advantage is the time saved - I no longer have to search manually. I can finish a 300-page tender in 10-15 minutes."

3x

Faster processing of large tenders

Results

From Manual Quoting to AI-Supported Offer Creation Before Scalera, inside sales teams at ACO processed tenders manually. Matching tender positions with products from SAP required intensive search and repetitive data entry. Large tenders took up to 45 minutes or more and created growing backlogs. Today, incoming bills of quantities are analyzed automatically. Relevant positions are recognized, matching articles are suggested in seconds, and employees focus on review and customer consulting instead of manual searching. The result is a faster quoting process, lower internal pressure, and consistently high response quality.

3x

Faster processing of large tenders

30+ min

Saved per 300-page tender

100%

Schedule accuracy

0

Structural offer backlog

A Global Leader in Water Management

About ACO

ACO is a global family-owned company dedicated to drainage, water management, and the protection of critical infrastructure. With approximately 5,000 employees worldwide, ACO is a key player in the Construction, Infrastructure, and WaterTech sectors. The company was recognized by UNESCO as an ambassador for Sustainability Goal No. 6 — an acknowledgment of its outstanding engagement in clean water and sanitation.

Rising Offer Volume & Manual Bottlenecks

The Situation Before Scalera

ACO faced a growing burden: a constantly increasing volume of offers needed to be processed. While about 80% of incoming tenders were technically straightforward, processing them was extremely time-consuming.

  • Process: Manual search and assignment of products to tender positions.
  • Bottleneck: High pressure on the inside sales team, leaving little room for valuable customer consultation.
  • Metric: A 300-page tender took 30–45 minutes to process manually.

"The pressure on the inside sales team is rising constantly, and the volume of offers has increased massively." – Marco Dürst, Member of the Executive Board, ACO

Time Loss and Growing Backlogs

Impact on Business

The manual workflow created significant strain on resources:

  • Time & Cost: Valuable staff time was wasted on repetitive data entry rather than value-adding activities like customer consulting.
  • Backlog: A “notorious backlog” of unprocessed offers accumulated, risking slower reaction times compared to competitors.
  • Employee Satisfaction: The reduction in repetitive manual work has also improved internal satisfaction, reducing pressure in inside sales and increasing retention.

AI-Powered Quoting in Minutes

How It Works Now

Scalera’s AI solution has transformed the quoting process by intelligently automating the heavy lifting.

  • AI Analysis: The system analyzes incoming bills of quantities (Leistungsverzeichnisse) and automatically recognizes relevant positions.
  • Smart Suggestions: It suggests matching articles from the SAP system in seconds.
  • Human Control: Human expertise remains central. All suggestions are reviewed and approved by experienced staff, ensuring a balance between automation, quality, and accountability.

3× Faster Processing & Zero Backlog

Measurable Results

The implementation of Scalera delivered immediate, tangible improvements from day one:

  • 3x Faster Processing: Processing time for a 300-page tender dropped from 30–45 minutes to 10–15 minutes.
  • Efficiency: The backlog of unprocessed offers has shrunk significantly — ACO now has the “smallest offer backlog in the entire company.”
  • Agility: Project Go-Live in just 5 weeks — completed on time and on budget.
  • Strategic Benefit: Faster reaction times and professionalized offers give ACO a clear competitive edge.

Why Scalera: Partnership & Process Excellence

Why ACO Recommends Scalera

ACO did not simply implement a new software tool. The company fundamentally modernized its quoting process and established a scalable, structured way of handling tenders.

The decision was preceded by a structured evaluation process, including the consideration of internal development and alternative vendors. Scalera stood out through its combination of technical compliance, speed of execution, and close customer involvement in product development.

The collaboration combined technical excellence with a partnership-based approach. As Marco Dürst describes it:

“If we build it ourselves, we are the big tanker. Scalera is the speedboat.”

The project demonstrated that even in established enterprises with complex IT landscapes and strict governance requirements, rapid and successful digital transformation is achievable when execution and alignment are right.

Customer Voices: Immediate Impact & Acceptance

“The tool is very simple, intuitive, and fast. Our employees understood and used it immediately.” – Marco Dürst, Member of the Executive Board, ACO
“The biggest advantage is the time saved — I no longer have to search manually. I can finish a 300-page tender in 10–15 minutes.” – Daniel Bajovic, Internal Sales, ACO
“This is our first IT project in a long time that is on time and on budget.” – Marco Dürst, Member of the Executive Board, ACO

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