Automating SOWs is saving ODOT thousands of hours on statements of work

Why was SOW Automation Important to the ODOT?

Like many procurement and sales teams exploring Statement of Work (SOW) automation, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) began with a focused—but complex—use case: automating architecture and engineering contracts. These contracts define the scope for projects like bridge design and environmental studies—work that happens before any construction begins.

ODOT used this architecture and engineering SOW automation project as a proof of concept (POC). The department manages SOWs for 37 distinct discipline areas, including environmental analysis, hydraulics, traffic, roadside development, and railroad contracts.

“It has been very easy with the toolset that Gavel gives us, even though we didn’t know if any system could handle the complexity,” said Frey. “We watched the tutorial videos, and now we’re able to generate documents in seconds instead of months.”

SOW Process Before and After Gavel

The Pre-Automation SOW Process

Before using automation, drafting a Statement of Work was time-consuming, inconsistent, and required input from multiple parties. There was no standardized process, and each SOW could take up to 9 months to complete. Staff had to manually search through past documents for precedents, update language, confirm compliance with approved provisions, and draft each version from scratch.

The Automated Process with Gavel

Now, with Gavel, staff can simply select the relevant discipline areas, answer guided questions that follow complex logic, and instantly generate three large documents:

• A 400+ page SOW with tasks, deliverables, timelines, and conditional logic
• A glossary of terms and definitions
• A standards document with links to relevant rules and regulations

The complexity is substantial: over 400 potential terms, 340 possible linked references, and countless variable pathways depending on project specifics and stakeholder needs. Since these documents originated in Microsoft Word, Gavel’s native Word integration was essential to a smooth transition.

Once this initial SOW workflow was proven successful, ODOT planned to expand automation to other procurement categories, such as goods and trade services and personal service contracts.

“Baby steps,” said Frey. “Over 400 pages of baby steps.”

Despite the complexity, building out all the necessary logic in Gavel took less than a week. With documents requiring monthly updates, ODOT needed a platform that allowed anyone—not just developers—to make changes. Gavel’s no-code functionality made that possible.

Business Impact and Cost Savings

ODOT drafts roughly 200 SOWs each month. By automating these workflows, the agency is saving thousands of hours annually. The results: greater efficiency, lower proposal development costs, and improved team focus.

While SOW automation can be used for internal teams or external stakeholders, ODOT’s current implementation is for internal users. However, the department plans to make these tools public-facing soon—allowing consultants and vendors to enter proposal data directly into the automated workflows.

As more teams see what’s possible, ODOT’s use cases for Gavel continue to grow.

Automate Proposals for Your Business or Professional Services

If you're interested in streamlining the process to create proposals and statements of work and replicating the results of the ODOT, book a time with our team at Gavel here.

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