The History of Submittals in OASIS

The process of creating submittals in the lighting industry has changed significantly over the past few decades. What began as a fully manual, time-intensive task has evolved through digitization, automation, and, more recently, structured data systems. This article explores the evolution of submittals in OASIS and how we've used AI to support the expertise behind the work (you!).

Before 2000: Manual Process

Before 2000, submittals weren’t assembled with a click; they were built by hand. Lighting reps worked from shelves of product guides, mostly three-ring binders, pulling pages one by one to match fixture schedules. If a guide was bound, some reps cut the spine off to access the pages. 

Once assembled, everything was copied, marked with project details, and organized. Copies were then made for each decision-maker, and someone would manually highlight every cut sheet (often as part of a late-night “submittal party”), ending with stacks of spiral-bound books ready for delivery.

2000: Digitization and Guided Learning

In 2000, Ingen Software set out to improve the process. Early tools existed, but the workflow remained manual, so the approach was to digitize everything. Binders became digital catalogs, tabs became sections, and projects became “submittal projects.” Users could load and highlight cut sheets digitally. 

A key feature was learning: when a user selected and highlighted a cut sheet, the system remembered and could repeat the process automatically the next time, including approximate matches that could be reviewed as needed.

2005: The PDF Transition

By 2005, manufacturers began providing PDFs, but many were simply scanned documents. Low resolution resulted in poor image quality, while high resolution produced large, slow files. Some were password-protected, which forced reps to print and re-scan them to continue using them in submittals.

In response, Ingen developed a web crawler that allowed users to pull PDFs directly from manufacturer websites. Users could point OASIS to a URL, gather available documents, and keep only what was relevant.

By 2010, Ingen Software was onboarding one to two manufacturer sales representative firms each month. To assist new customers in getting started, Ingen kept a library of cut sheets on a shared drive to help initialize each new database. This service was offered for free, but it soon became hard to manage and was eventually discontinued as manufacturer websites improved.

2016: Integration and Automation

By 2016, ERP integrations reduced the need to re-key orders, and machine learning expanded automation. Users could enter a catalog number and have OASIS retrieve the correct cut sheet, apply highlights, and prepare it for submittal.

2020: Browser-Based Access

By 2020, OASIS began moving to the browser while retaining its core functionality (becoming OASIS Online). Around this time, it became clear that submittals alone carried limited perceived value and that the refinements users made to cut sheets reflected their own expertise, raising questions around ownership and sharing.

2023: Folio and Structured Data

In 2023, Ingen shifted toward a broader approach with Folio, structuring product data into a comprehensive database. OASIS can now automatically generate clean, highlighted cut sheets, with users adding refinements and context based on their product knowledge.

Ongoing: AI as a Supporting Tool

As you can see, AI has been part of this progression throughout, from guided learning to automation to structured data systems, and continues to support the creation and refinement of submittals. Used well, it remains a tool that amplifies the expertise already in place and simply makes the process easier for those who choose to use OASIS.