50%
Time Saved
3X
Faster Turnaround
20%
Improved Win Rate
Organization Snapshot
Beacon Health System serves northern Indiana and southwest lower Michigan. Its colorectal cancer screening initiative shows how AI-enabled workflow automation can expand access to preventive care while preserving clinical oversight.
Industry
Manufacturing & Industrial Services
Region
Southwest & Southern Indiana
Size
200+ Team Members
Development
Internal Build Using Claude and Base44
Deployment
Org-wide use
THE OPPORTUNITY
Project Details Arrived in Every Format Except the One Estimators Needed
At Nix Industrial, project information arrived through phone calls, text messages, emails, handwritten notes, spreadsheets, and photos without context. Some details remained in a representative’s memory after a site visit.
Every representative asked different questions. Estimators had to follow up to assemble the information needed to prepare a quote.
Those gaps created callbacks, return visits, assumptions in pricing, and manual data entry. With roughly one in four bids becoming work, the company needed a more efficient way to prepare estimates, including those that would never become projects.
The information usually existed. It just didn’t arrive complete, in one place, the first time.
THE AI SOLUTION
Standardize the Questions, Not the People
Nix began by asking its estimators a practical question: What information do you need every time to price this type of job?
Their answers became the foundation for NIX-IQ, a guided intake application that representatives can use onsite to capture project details, measurements, and marked-up photos. Required fields help catch missing information before the representative leaves.
The first project type was handrails, with 19 required answers covering geometry, design, materials and finishes, installation, and scope requirements, alongside site photos.
Claude: Design Partner and Builder
Nix used Claude to turn estimator input into question sets, write application requirements, and build the application and its integration in Base44.
Base44: Application Platform
Base44 hosts the application, supports logins and roles, and stores answers, files, and photos. Business administrators can edit question sets without writing code.
Pipedrive: Connected CRM
Submitting an intake creates a new deal in Pipedrive, with customer information, answers, and supporting documents organized for tracking and estimating.
RESULTS AND IMPACT
Estimators Start with a Complete Picture
Consistent information for every request
Handrail intake follows the same questions in the same order, giving estimators a standardized starting point.
Missing details caught onsite
Representatives can see what is missing while they are still with the customer, rather than discovering gaps later.
No manual retyping into the CRM
Customer, contact, and project answers flow into Pipedrive when the intake is submitted.
An application the business can maintain
Administrators can update questions as estimating needs evolve, without writing code.
LESSONS LEARNED
What Nix Would Tell Another Manufacturer
Start Small
Begin with one manageable project or agent to build familiarity. Nix started with handrails before expanding to other job types.
Connect to Systems in Use
Integrate new tools with familiar software and workflows. Nix connected its intake application directly to Pipedrive.
Use AI to Build, Not Just to Chat
AI can help turn operational knowledge into a working application. Nix used it to translate estimators’ requirements into a practical tool for the business.
Ready to Apply AI to Your Business?
Ready to Partner with INAI? Contact: [email protected]