How Bruns unlocks 63+ years of tender knowledge with Brainial
Bruns had no shortage of tender knowledge. Since 1963, the company has built an extensive library of proven proposals, strong answers and specialist project experience while creating interactive exhibitions for museums, science centers and visitor centres around the world. Because many of these projects begin with a tender, that knowledge is invaluable. The challenge was finding the right information at the right moment.
“With every new tender, the challenge is not a lack of expertise, but it’s in finding the most relevant information,” says Commercial Tender Manager Miranda Hartung. As the knowledge base continued to grow, every new tender risked repeating work that had already been done. Bruns therefore needed a smarter way to search, apply and build on more than 63 years of expertise.
Why Bruns needed more than a writing tool
Like many organisations, Bruns experimented with ChatGPT. “I created a project in ChatGPT and invited a few colleagues. It was useful for answering individual questions or writing short pieces of text, but it didn't provide an effective way to search, structure and connect the expertise, project experience and organisational knowledge that had been built up over many years.”
The team therefore started looking for a solution that could do more than generate text. They wanted a platform that could help them quickly identify relevant experience, supporting evidence and project information, so they could focus their time on developing the strongest possible proposal for each client. Bruns found that solution in Brainial.
Everything a tender team needs in one platform
From the very first demo, Miranda realised Brainial offered much more than AI-generated text. “From identifying and screening tenders to analysing documents and supporting proposal development, the entire process comes together in one platform. I immediately noticed that Brainial was built by people who understand the challenges tender managers face.”
“The workflow is logical, you don't have to switch between separate tools, and the platform is incredibly easy to use.” That simplicity played an important role in the decision. Miranda wasn't looking for a complex system that only technical specialists could use. “Tenders are already complicated enough. It's a relief when the tool around them is simply efficient, effective and easy to use.”
A flying start with more than 63 years of knowledge
According to Miranda, implementing Brainial was surprisingly smooth. Because Bruns had already organised its strongest proposals and standard evaluation checklist, they could quickly upload everything into the platform. “Together with Brainial's implementation manager, we prepared the environment step by step.”
There was little convincing to do internally. Colleagues were immediately enthusiastic and quickly started using the platform. Of course, some people adopt new technology faster than others, but according to Miranda, the biggest learning curve simply comes from using it. “The more you work with the platform, the better you learn which instructions produce the best output. It's really a matter of doing it.”
Faster decisions and room for more tenders
Today, Bruns uses Brainial to quickly screen new opportunities against its key criteria. “After uploading the tender documents, I can immediately identify the main requirements, risks and opportunities,” she says. This gives the team a stronger basis for its go/no-go decision, without first having to read every document from beginning to end.
Once the team decides to proceed the tender, the process also moves faster and more smoothly. Relevant information is easier to retrieve, outputs can be traced back to their source and proposals can be tailored more effectively to the specific requirements of each tender. As a result, Miranda can handle more tenders within the same available capacity, while maintaining greater control over the process. “The lead time is smoother, and I feel more in control,” she explains.
No more digging through old files
Once Bruns decides to submit, Brainial surfaces the most relevant knowledge, expertise and project experience for the tender at hand. “Our own history is the foundation,” Miranda explains. “Bruns has been around for quite some time, so we've built up extensive knowledge. The challenge is making that knowledge easily accessible when you need it.”
Every client and every project is different. “Brainial helps us quickly find the expertise and experience that are most relevant, so we can focus our effort on creating a proposal that genuinely reflects the client's needs.”
As a result, Bruns can make better use of decades of experience while ensuring every proposal remains client-focused, relevant and carefully tailored to the specific project.
Make better use of your team's tender knowledge
Want to see how Brainial can make your own tender knowledge instantly searchable and reusable? Book a demo and discover how to combine previous proposals, company knowledge and new tender documents to create stronger, evidence-based submissions in less time.
