For many digital agencies, the sales process is a paradox. You need to create detailed, accurate, and persuasive proposals to win new business, but the very process of creating them is slow, manual, and unbillable. This was exactly the challenge faced by Chax, a custom software development agency. While their team delivered advanced solutions for projects like construction documentation apps, sports and event live systems, complex mobile applications, interactive dashboards, and intuitive user interfaces, their proposal process became a bottleneck.
The team was spending days, not hours, on each new proposal. This drained valuable resources, delayed quotes, and sometimes cost them promising projects. They knew they needed a change. This case study explores how Chax transformed its chaotic proposal workflow into a streamlined, efficient, and winning process by implementing Storywise, saving an incredible 60% of their time writing offers.
The Challenge: Drowning in Documents and Spreadsheets
Chax’s proposal process was painfully familiar to many agencies. It started with a client brief, which could be anything from a structured PDF to a collection of scattered emails and rough sketches. From there, an experienced project manager would begin the laborious task of building a proposal.
Their main challenges were:
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Massive Time Inefficiency : A project manager would spend an average of 20 hours per proposal. This involved deciphering client notes, manually writing user stories in a spreadsheet, estimating hours, and then copying everything into a Word document for formatting. This slow turnaround meant potential clients were left waiting, and the agency could only handle a limited number of new bids at a time.
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Costly Manual Errors : The reliance on spreadsheets for cost calculations was a constant source of risk. A single formula error or a forgotten line item could drastically alter the final price, leading to underestimated projects that ate into profit margins. Scope creep was also a major issue, as vague requirements left room for misunderstandings.
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Inconsistent and Unclear Proposals : Without a standardized template, each proposal looked different. Some were overly technical, while others were too vague. This inconsistency made it hard for clients to understand the value being offered, leading to endless rounds of questions and revisions. Presenting different options, like an MVP versus a full-featured product, required creating entirely separate documents, making comparisons a nightmare for the client.
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A Painful Handoff to Development: Once a proposal was finally signed, the “wall of text” from Word and the rows from Excel had to be manually transferred into Jira. This process was not only tedious but also resulted in a significant loss of context. Developers received tasks without a clear understanding of the original business goals, leading to friction, rework, and a disconnect between the client’s vision and the final product.
The team at Chax realized this broken process wasn’t scalable. It was costing them deals, hurting their profitability, and frustrating both their clients and their internal teams.
The Solution: A Smarter Workflow with Storywise
Chax wanted a tool that could bring structure, automation, and clarity to their process. They needed more than just another document editor; they required a purpose-built platform for software proposals—something that could keep up with their expertise in developing highly customized software solutions. They found their answer in Storywise.
The team was able to adopt the new workflow in just a few days. Here’s how Storywise addressed their biggest challenges.
1. From Hours to Minutes with AI-Driven Automation
The first major change was automating the initial requirement-gathering phase. Instead of manually writing user stories, the Chax team started importing client briefs directly into Storywise. The platform’s AI analyzed the raw text and instantly generated structured epics and user stories, complete with titles and descriptions—perfectly suited to the complex needs of their custom software projects, such as real-time data displays and flexible cloud environments.
The role of the project manager shifted from a manual writer to a strategic editor. They could now review and refine the AI’s suggestions, add acceptance criteria, and structure the entire project scope in a fraction of the time. What used to take a full day of tedious writing was now accomplished in under an hour.
2. Eliminating Errors with Structure and Traceability
Storywise replaced Chax’s messy spreadsheets with a structured data environment. Every requirement became a data object with associated estimates, notes, and dependencies, perfectly accommodating the complex needs of their custom solutions. This eliminated the risk of manual calculation errors.
Furthermore, the platform’s traceability feature was a game-changer. Every user story was automatically linked back to the original source text in the client’s brief. If a question about a feature’s purpose arose, the team could instantly see its origin. This eliminated ambiguity and ensured that nothing was missed.
3. Clear, Consistent Proposals with Side-by-Side Comparisons
With Storywise, every proposal Chax created followed a consistent, professional structure. This made their offers easier for clients to read and understand. The “Side-by-Side Comparison” feature was especially impactful for the Chax team, as it allowed them to easily create and compare two versions of a proposal—such as a “Standard” and an “Enterprise” package—within the same project.
When presenting to clients, they could display both versions on a single screen, with the tool automatically highlighting the differences in features and cost. This transparency empowered clients to make faster, more confident decisions and positioned Chax as a strategic partner.
4. A Seamless Handoff with Jira Integration
The painful disconnect between sales and development was finally solved. Once a client approved a proposal in Storywise, the project manager at Chax could sync the entire structured backlog—epics, user stories, acceptance criteria, and all—directly to Jira with a single click.
The development team now received a perfectly organized, development-ready backlog. The context was preserved, the requirements were clear, and the “why” behind every task was fully traceable. The handoff became a seamless, error-free transition, allowing development to start on the right foot.
The Results: 60% Time Saved and Happier Clients
After implementing Storywise, the results at Chax were immediate and transformative.
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60% Reduction in Proposal Creation Time: The average time to create a detailed proposal dropped from 20 hours to just 8 hours. This allowed the agency to respond to nearly three times as many leads without hiring additional staff.
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Elimination of Calculation Errors or Missing Items: Storywise helps Chax avoid both arithmetic mistakes and the risk of leaving out important features. The platform automatically sums up all costs and ensures every line item is included. Plus, with its AI-driven analysis, it can suggest missing user stories or requirements, making it much less likely that key elements are overlooked during proposal creation.
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Faster Sales Cycles: The clarity of the proposals and the ease of comparing options reduced the average decision-making time for clients by 40%. The back-and-forth email chains were replaced with productive, data-driven conversations.
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Improved Client and Team Satisfaction: Clients praised the professionalism and clarity of the new proposals. Internally, goal clarity increased noticeably. Project managers were freed from tedious admin work, and developers were finally okay with the quality of the requirements they received.
Conclusion: Stop Drowning, Start Winning
Chax’s story is a powerful testament to the impact of adopting the right tools. By moving away from outdated, manual processes, they not only solved their immediate challenges but also built a scalable foundation for future growth. With their expertise in custom software development they were able to shift their energy back to innovation, rather than administrative burdens. This left even more room for what Chax does best: building tailored software for their clients.
Your agency doesn’t have to keep struggling with a broken proposal process. The tools to work smarter, faster, and more accurately are here.
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