Customer story:

How Franklin Energy Boosted Proposal Output by 60% and Cut Stress with XaitPorter

How XaitPorter Transformed Franklin Energy's Proposal Process

Franklin Energy, a leading North American energy efficiency and grid optimization company, replaced manual Word- and Excel-based proposal work with XaitPorter's co-authoring and automation solution. By automating formatting, centralizing collaboration, and embedding compliance into every section, their team now produces far more proposals with the same resources — and far less stress.

Business outcomes:

  • 60% more proposals with the same resources: Output grew from around 50 to around 80 proposals per year, without adding headcount.
  • Zero manual formatting: Predefined headers, margins, fonts, and metadata removed labor-intensive layout work entirely.
  • Reduced compliance risk: Embedded section-level compliance notes and consistent confidentiality markup protect sensitive data in strict public-sector bids.
  • Recoverable, controlled versions: Robust version control ended the fear of permanently lost or overwritten content.
  • Faster onboarding: New team members get up to speed quickly thanks to an intuitive interface and responsive support.

 

Franklin Energy logo

Region
Global

Company size
1100

Industry
Business Services

Solution
XaitPorter

What are the challenges of managing complex proposals in the energy efficiency sector?

Energy efficiency proposals combine strict public procurement requirements, state-by-state legal nuances, and large cross-functional review teams. For Franklin Energy, coordinating 20+ contributors from Business Development, Engineering, Marketing, and Legal — across shared drafts, conflicting versions, and tight deadlines — created chaos before a single section was final.

Before drafting even begins, Franklin Energy runs a thorough go/no-go process, asking three questions: Do we have the right resources? Is there a strong financial justification? Can we realistically win?

Once an opportunity clears that bar, the real complexity starts. Every section of the proposal — from pricing to legal terms — needs input from a different department to reflect the company's best thinking. That cross-functional depth is a strength, but with manual tools it multiplied versions, email chains, and deadline pressure.

"Once we confirm we have the bandwidth and the opportunity aligns with our goals, we bring in everyone — from Business Development and Engineering to Marketing and Legal. Coordinating that many people is like herding cats, but each perspective is essential." – Erin Guthrie, Proposal Writer, Franklin Energy

About Franklin Energy

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Port Washington, Wisconsin, Franklin Energy specializes in delivering turnkey energy efficiency and grid optimization programs.

With a workforce exceeding 1,000 experts, the company serves over 60 utility and government partners across the United States and Canada.

Their services span program implementation, technology solutions, and product offerings aimed at achieving carbon reduction and energy productivity goals.

“XaitPorter has been a lifesaver for us, enabling the management of multiple complex proposals simultaneously.”

Erin Guthrie, Proposal Writer, Franklin Energy

Erin-Guthrie-Franklin-Energy-headshot-bw-1170x1384

Why is MS Word risky for public-sector proposals?

Relying on MS Word for public-sector proposals creates labor-intensive formatting work, version control failures, and serious compliance exposure. For Franklin Energy, a single slip — like failing to mark confidentiality under California's Public Information Act — could have made private information public.

Before XaitPorter, the team manually aligned margins, managed headers, and tracked changes across multiple files for every proposal. Accidentally deleted content could be gone for good, or buried in a forgotten version. On top of the documents themselves, a massive Excel workbook tracked calendars, deadlines, and tasks for more than 20 contributors — each proposal with its own unique formatting rules.

"Creating a compliant, visually appealing proposal in Word was a tedious ordeal. Keeping headers, margins, and metadata consistent was a constant struggle. Xait has helped us streamline the process." – Erin Guthrie, Proposal Writer, Franklin Energy

With predefined headers, margins, and metadata, the team no longer maintains consistency manually — every proposal is automatically on-brand and compliant with company standards.

About Erin Guthrie

Erin Guthrie has been a Proposal Writer at Franklin Energy since June 2022, bringing extensive media experience to the role. Previously, she worked as a News Producer at KTLA and served as Executive Producer at KRNV News 4 in Reno, Nevada. Erin holds a Master’s degree in Sports Science and Education from The University of Akron and a Bachelor's degree in Communication Arts from Malone University.

How does XaitPorter simplify proposal creation for cross-functional teams?

XaitPorter simplifies cross-functional proposal work through four capabilities: pre-built layouts that enforce formatting automatically, robust version control that makes lost content recoverable, metadata tags that update key details like client names across the whole document, and in-context commenting that replaces long email chains.

When Franklin Energy adopted XaitPorter, the difference was immediate.

1. Pre-built layouts. "We can just focus on the content. XaitPorter automatically keeps fonts, formatting, and graphics in place. The efficiency gained allows us to focus more on delivering high-quality content and meeting our clients' needs."

2. Robust version control. "I never worry about accidental deletions anymore. With version control, we can always recover lost content, giving our team immense peace of mind."

3. Metadata tags. "Metadata tags allow us to update client names and other key data across the entire document automatically. This saves time and significantly reduces the risk of errors."

4. Collaboration tools. "We rely heavily on the comment tool. People can drop notes or questions right where they're needed, rather than managing long email chains."

With formatting handled automatically, the team invests its energy in content quality: better narratives, more visuals, and messages fine-tuned for each client.

“We rely heavily on the comment tool. People can drop notes or questions right where they’re needed, rather than managing long email chains. This efficient communication ensures clarity and productivity, making our workflow smoother and more effective.”

Erin Guthrie, Proposal Writer, Franklin Energy

How many more proposals can a team produce with proposal automation software?

Franklin Energy increased proposal output by around 60% — from roughly 50 to roughly 80 proposals per year — with the same resources after adopting XaitPorter. Just as important, the proposals improved in quality, readability, and visual impact.

"We went from around 50 proposals a year to around 80. XaitPorter has been a lifesaver for us, enabling the management of multiple complex proposals simultaneously. Its efficiency and collaborative features have streamlined our workflow, allowing writers to balance multiple opportunities successfully and deliver high-quality proposals." – Erin Guthrie, Proposal Writer, Franklin Energy

Clients have noticed the difference:

  • Improved readability: "It's not just an instruction manual anymore."
  • Visually engaging design: "We love infographics and graphics that break up the text. They make our documents visually appealing and help convey complex information in a clear, engaging way. With Xait, adding these elements has become much easier."

These improvements have contributed to Franklin Energy's overall growth, strengthening relationships with utilities, government agencies, and other stakeholders.

XaitPorter screen mockup with logo

How does XaitPorter reduce compliance risk in government and utility bids?

XaitPorter reduces compliance risk by embedding requirements directly into the document. Franklin Energy inserts invisible, unprintable notes that remind writers of specific RFP requirements in each section, and ensures confidential details are consistently marked in the final output — critical for public-sector contracts in states like California.

For public-sector work, missing a requirement can be catastrophic: accidentally revealing confidential pricing or sensitive data can sabotage future negotiations. Handling a high volume of proposals, Franklin Energy needs to be certain every legal and formatting requirement is met, every time.

 

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“XaitPorter simplifies this process, making it easier and less stressful for the team. Its internal and collaborative tools help us maintain compliance and consistency, allowing us to focus on delivering high-quality proposals without the worry of missing critical details.”

Erin Guthrie, Proposal Writer, Franklin Energy

Is proposal software like XaitPorter worth the investment?

For Franklin Energy, the ROI is clear: more proposals submitted, higher quality output, stronger client relationships, and more wins — plus fast onboarding that gets new team members productive quickly.

"When you realize how much time and stress it saves, the value becomes clear. We're submitting more proposals, and the quality has gone up. That leads to better client relationships — and ultimately more wins." – Erin Guthrie, Proposal Writer, Franklin Energy

New hires learn the software quickly: "The intuitive interface makes learning easy, and if we ever have questions, Xait's support team is always quick to respond."

Looking ahead, Franklin Energy is excited about AI integrations — Erin sees generative AI as a potential game-changer for streamlining creation, enhancing content quality, and ensuring consistency — as well as enhanced comment tools for tagging individual contributors.

"If a friend at a competing firm asked me for a recommendation, I'd confidently tell them that XaitPorter is the ultimate tool for reducing stress and crafting standout proposals."

Erin Guthrie Proposal Writer, Franklin Energy

“If a friend at a competing firm asked me for a recommendation, I'd confidently tell them that XaitPorter is the ultimate tool for reducing stress and crafting standout proposals. Its efficient and collaborative features make the entire process smoother and more effective.”

Erin Guthrie, Proposal Writer, Franklin Energy

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