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How Illuminico Uses Drawer AI to Streamline Lighting Takeoffs and Pricing

case-study-illuminico

Industry

Commercial Lighting Distribution

Challenge

Rapid expansion across multiple territories made pricing hard to standardize while bid volume kept climbing. Manual pivot table creation and spreadsheet formatting ate into estimator time, and because lighting drawings have no industry standard, getting reliable AI takeoffs required the system to adapt quickly.

Results

Pairing Drawer AI with Illuminico's existing takeoff and calculation tools produced faster, more accurate takeoffs and reduced manual rework as detection accuracy improved. The team now has a clear roadmap to automated spreadsheet outputs that cut bid prep time, and enough capacity to keep pace with continued growth and acquisitions.

Key Product

Electrical Takeoff

www.illuminico.com

Our vision is one cohesive system that makes our estimators more efficient, not replaces them. Drawer AI is a key part of making that happen.

Bob Mann

Senior Estimator at Illuminico

illuminico case study

About Illuminico

Illuminico is a national lighting company specializing in the procurement of lighting fixtures, accessories, parts, and controls from global manufacturers. Operating from offices in West Palm Beach, the DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia area, Hudson Valley, New Jersey, Texas, and the Southeast, the company works to bridge the gap between design and budget through transparent pricing and a streamlined purchasing process. Illuminico has made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies four consecutive years.

The Challenge

Illuminico has grown rapidly, landing on the Inc. 5000 list four consecutive years. But expansion across multiple territories created a major challenge: standardizing pricing and handling rising bid volume. Manual pivot table creation and formatting consumed valuable time, and inconsistent lighting drawings made AI adoption difficult.

“One of our biggest challenges is standardizing pricing across territories,” said Bob Mann, Illuminico. “Lighting drawings lack industry standards, so AI has to adapt quickly to give us reliable takeoffs.”


The Solution

Illuminico turned to Drawer AI to improve its estimating process. By pairing Drawer AI’s AI-powered takeoff capabilities with current calculation and export tools, the company accelerated workflows while pushing for features like bulk fixture editing and seamless spreadsheet integration.

“The goal is simple,” Mann explained. “We want measurement lists from different tools merged automatically, pivot tables created instantly, and spreadsheet outputs ready for pricing—without hours of manual formatting.”

 

Results

  • Reduced manual rework with improved AI detection
  • Faster, more accurate takeoffs by combining Drawer AI with existing takeoff solution
  • Clear roadmap to automated spreadsheet outputs, cutting bid prep time
  • Ability to keep pace with rapid company growth and acquisitions

“As AI improves, it’s becoming essential to our growth,” Mann said. “We’re already seeing time savings, and our team can focus on higher-value estimating and pricing.”


What's Next

Illuminico plans to expand its use of Drawer AI across more workflows, aiming to build a fully integrated system for takeoffs, cut sheets, alternate products, and pricing. The long-term vision is a seamless process that takes drawings to bid-ready pricing automatically.

“Our vision is one cohesive system that makes our estimators more efficient, not replaces them,” said Mann. “Drawer AI is a key part of making that happen.”

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