Digitalisation in the construction industry and public procurement is receiving a new boost: the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is making the tendering process more efficient, more precise and significantly less time-consuming. A newly developed technology makes it possible to automatically read specifications and tender documents, prepare information in a structured manner and create an initial tender document – as a basis for the final review and customisation by specialists.
The system analyses extensive tender documents, identifies relevant items, quantities and performance obligations and transfers these into structured tender formats. Semantic correlations are also taken into account in order to avoid misunderstandings or misinterpretations. The result: a ready-made draft quotation that can be checked, adapted and finalised by humans.

The Institut für Mittelstandsforschung Bonn (Institute for SME Research Bonn) has shown in figures that the greatest costs for companies arise during the research, documentation and tender phases. For the smallest companies alone, the average costs per tender amount to around 3,070 euros. ‘What used to take hours or even days of manual work can now be prepared in just a few minutes,’ says Isabell Claus, Managing Director of the European AI company thinkers.ai. ‘Our AI not only supports the rapid recording of requirements, but also gives the specialist staff more time for strategic decisions, quality assurance and customised tender design.’

The application is aimed at construction companies, planning offices, service providers and wholesalers who regularly take part in tenders – particularly in areas with standardised service specifications such as building construction, civil engineering and plant construction as well as facility management.
In addition to increasing efficiency, the technology also offers compliance benefits: Structured data capture improves the traceability of tender preparation and significantly reduces the error rate. It also enables the fulfilment of growing requirements in tender processing – for example with regard to shorter deadlines, increasing documentation obligations or increasingly complex tenders.

The focus is not on fully automating the process, but on reducing the workload of specialist staff in a targeted manner. The combination of artificial intelligence and human expertise creates a hybrid model that combines technological performance with professional precision – and thus marks a pioneering step in digital tender management.