Portal launches their AI Proposal Builder, the talk of CEDIA 2024. The feature is available now in Beta to all dealers.

November 12, 2024 – Portal.io, the proposal software and product/pricing database for integrators, has launched it’s latest innovation: the AI Proposal Builder. This revolutionary tool allows integrators to create complete proposals in seconds, transforming the tedious proposal process for dealers in the AV and Security industries.

As “AI” increasingly becomes a meaningless buzzword, many professionals are growing weary of companies using it to promote minor features that offer little real world value.

“Honestly, most AI news today is just fluff—it’s dressed-up automation with no real impact to dealers’ business,” said Kirk Chisholm, founder of Portal. “We saw an opportunity to leverage AI to build something we’ve envisioned since I started Portal over 12 years ago: build a proposal for dealers based on the information they gather during the project discovery and walkthrough process. This is not just another AI feature; it dramatically improves how dealers approach the proposal process.”

“I was a skeptic at first. In fact, when we got a teaser that Portal was working on AI, I actually emailed them and told them nobody needs this. That was before I saw it,” said Ricky Marks with Audio Video Specialties in Charlotte, NC. “Then I saw it live and was completely floored. We’re an early adopter and we haven’t looked back. This is a game changer.”

The first step in quoting a new project is to define the scope, which usually happens with a jobsite walkthrough or review of plans. Dealers take notes and document the scope, which they later have to reference as they work to build the complete proposal. This draws out the process and often leads to missing details. With the AI Proposal Builder, dealers can dictate the full scope of the project right from the jobsite, or record detailed audio or video content from a project walkthrough. The AI Proposal Builder then generates a Proposal Outline, including the scope of work, areas with full descriptions and tasks with parts and labor budgets – in seconds.

The Proposal Outline can be reviewed with the customer in real time in order to help qualify them and start setting budget expectations. Once ready, the dealer can click a button to convert the detailed Proposal Outline in a full proposal in Portal. They can then refine and adjust each area as needed, giving dealers full control over the quoting process. The AI Proposal Builder cuts proposal time and speeds up the process, allowing dealers to get a complete proposal in the hands of customers much faster. When customers are used to waiting days, sometimes more than a week, for a proposal from other contractors, being able to deliver a proposal within hours sets dealers apart.

Portal’s AI Proposal Builder was first unveiled at CEDIA 2024, to rave reviews from dealers and industry leaders. The feature won Best of Show from Residential Systems.

“I come to CEDIA every year to find the one thing…this is that one thing,” observed Justin Dohman of Elite AV in Southlake, Texas.

“We showed the builder to many dealers leading up to CEDIA, and they were so amazed that we decided to set up cameras to record live reactions at our booth.” said Kirk. The dealer reactions can be seen in Portal’s CEDIA 2024 recap video.

CE Pro Editor-in-Chief Arlen Schweiger also recognized it as one of the standout solutions from CEDIA Expo 2024, noting, “The folks at Portal designed an incredibly integrator-friendly product that will boost efficiencies and help dealers deliver more comprehensive proposals that are much simpler to put together.”

Since the initial limited beta launch in September, hundreds of dealers have adopted the AI Proposal Builder, providing invaluable feedback that has helped Portal continue to optimize the tool. “We’re excited to see this feature grow and evolve with customer feedback and advancements in AI technology. This is just version 1 — this is the worst version you’ll ever see and it’s blowing people’s minds,” Kirk added.

Even in its early Beta release, the AI Builder has garnered significant attention from dealers and positive feedback. Ricky Marks continues, “When I saw the AI solution at Cedia, I made my entire staff come to check it out. We are now 100% Portal AI.” Ricky has since become the #1 most engaged user of the new feature.

Chris from Simply Connected in Texas says, “It’s the smartest use of AI so far that I’ve seen in our industry.”

As part of the launch, Portal has made available a public demo version of the AI Proposal Builder, and you don’t even need a Portal account to experience it.