Iris Blog - The Problem with RFPs? We’re Breaking It Down at DemoFest

When I first created Iris back in 2023, it was to solve a problem I kept running into—one I knew wasn’t unique to me. Around the same time, tools like ChatGPT were beginning to gain traction, and it became obvious: there had to be a better way to fill out RFPs. A way that didn’t rely on outdated content, awkward wordsmithing, or recycled language just to sound polished.

As Iris launched and the feedback started rolling in, it became clear we were on the right track. We weren’t just speeding up response times—we were giving teams back hours of their day, reducing stress, and solving a bandwidth issue that had been normalized for way too long.

On April 27th, I’ll be joining Glen Tipton from BuildOps at DemoFest to talk about exactly that—how AI is reshaping the RFP process, and the real impact it’s having on teams like his.

Before Iris: The Fire Drill Approach

Like many teams, BuildOps was flooded with RFPs during their busiest seasons. The process was reactive—more like a fire drill than a well-orchestrated strategy. RFPs felt like homework. Necessary, yes, but draining and disruptive.

Everything shifted when Glen's team adopted Iris.

They cut RFP response time by over 60%, turning chaotic, last-minute sprints into streamlined workflows. Now, they’re producing high-quality answers faster—and spending less time second-guessing or chasing down information.

That shift made one thing clear: the traditional, labor-intensive approach to RFPs just isn’t sustainable anymore.

So How Does AI Actually Help?

Let’s start with the obvious:
RFPs, DDQs, and security questionnaires are long, time-consuming, and often a huge drain on already stretched teams.

Iris changes that by:

Importing your past RFPs and documentation
Building a dynamic knowledge map of your organization’s expertise
Generating tailored, brand-specific responses that align with your tone, formatting, and style

It’s not just about saving time—it’s about eliminating chaos.

For Sales Engineers, Integration Is Seamless

Sales engineers are already balancing deep technical accuracy with tight timelines. Iris doesn't require them to overhaul their process—it seamlessly integrates with their existing workflow.

With Iris, SEs can:

Instantly pull from a centralized bank of pre-approved answers
Assign and review content directly in tools they already use—like Slack, Chrome, and Salesforce
Tag the right SMEs without confusion over ownership
Generate technical responses that meet brand standards—without needing to rewrite from scratch

No more bouncing between stale docs, old decks, or inbox rabbit holes. Iris puts the right answers at their fingertips—accurate, compliant, and ready to send.

The more your team utilizes it, the more intelligent it becomes. Every RFP response improves the next.