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Revolutionizing RFI and tender processes with AI
Thein Digital enables product managers and sellers to find the right information immediately so they can respond to their clients faster
Thein Digital is a leading Czech-based supplier of ICT infrastructure with specialization in cloud services, enterprise architecture and cybersecurity. Alongside a range of services, they offer comprehensive security solutions and are engaged in the sales and service of computer equipment. With a strong portfolio of established ICT company partnerships, Thein Digital drives innovation, through projects like private 5G networks, and provides 24x7 cybersecurity protection. In the industrial sector, they focus on automation, robotics and advancing Industry 4.0 in the rail industry.
However, the company faced a challenge: they needed to optimize the efficiency of product managers in handling requests for information (RFIs) as part of tenders. Then sellers could respond to ad hoc client queries with more accuracy and without delay.
Product managers encountered difficulties in locating relevant information spread across various files and locations, such as websites, pdf repositories, videos and presentations. They had to frequently search through the same sources and address similar recurring queries—a time-consuming and repetitive process. On the other hand, sellers struggled with delays in accessing essential product details needed to create requests for proposals (RFPs), and failed to provide timely and accurate responses during client interactions. This fragmented process slowed down operations and increased the risk of outdated or inconsistent information.
Applying AI to help simplify information access and response time
To address the challenge, Thein Digital partnered with IBM® Client Engineering in a pilot to develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution that could centralize relevant product information into a single accessible knowledge base. Each company provided data and 6 participants for the 2-month pilot.
The goal was to enable users to directly ask specific questions in natural language and generate responses to entire RFI documents. To achieve that goal, the pilot used IBM watsonx.ai™ and IBM Watson® Discovery.
watsonx.ai was used to refine the input questions, by transforming them into more direct or specific queries. Then, the subsequent output was automatically checked for completeness and accuracy, making the process simpler and faster for the end user.
IBM Watson Discovery was used as an aggregation point for the knowledge base. Its capability for smart document understanding helped improve the accuracy of the information searched. The product also separated knowledge bases so there would be no problem with mixing different content and information when inputting questions. IBM Watson Discovery also included a clear user interface that allowed knowledge base management with minimal technical skills.
AI-driven centralized knowledge base at your fingertips
The result of the pilot is a simple interface that appeals to product managers, who now can quickly produce and validate comprehensive RFI answers. It also caters to sellers, who can now gain instant access to detailed product information.
“Each generated answer is linked to the original documents, making it easy to verify the information,” says Jan Havlíček, Product Manager at Thein Digital. “Users can validate and edit these responses as needed, allowing us to gradually build a robust, human-verified knowledge base that serves as a single source of truth for future RFIs. In addition, we can also implement this solution on our other products and for our customers.”
According to Alexandr Dobes, Business Technology Leader at IBM Client Engineering, “watsonx is designed to help enterprises accelerate the development of trusted AI solutions, providing the tools to quickly pull information from large documents and various sources.”
This pilot exemplifies how AI can support a critical need for organizations today with fast, accurate and data-driven decisions. And by implementing this solution, Thein Digital not only optimizes its internal processes but also lays the groundwork to offer AI-driven information management solutions to its customers in the future.
The success of this project highlights Thein Digital’s commitment to innovation and efficiency in its business operations.
Thein Digital s.r.o. (link resides outside of ibm.com) is an International System Integrator and Professional Services Company that delivers IT infrastructure solutions, founded in the Czech Republic. Since 1993, the company has supplied high quality hardware and software products that help well-known companies to simplify their daily data center operations. What makes Thein Digital unique is a keen integration service enabled through a well-educated and helpful team of experts.
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