Getting Started Guide
From setting up your organization to generating your first Service Proposal.
1. Set Up Your Organization
~15 minFirm profile, bios, past projects, and methodology library. Done once.
2. First Proposal
~20 minUpload documents, extract requirements, generate the plan, and assemble the proposal.
1. Set Up Your Organization
Before creating your first project, take 15 minutes to set up your organization. What you enter here is automatically reused in every project.
Don't skip this step. An empty profile or missing bios produce generic results in OptimMetho and assembly.
1.1 Firm Profile
The firm profile is your organization's identity card in Clarido. It's automatically used in the firm presentation section of every assembled Service Proposal — and can be adapted to each RFP's context directly in the proposal.
Setting up your profile:
1. Go to Firm Profile from the sidebar.
2. Fill in your sector or industry in both French and English (e.g., Environmental Engineering, Strategic Consulting).
3. Write your firm description using the language tabs. This serves as the base that Clarido adapts to match each RFP's context when generating your Service Proposals.
4. Add your contact information: website, phone numbers (you can add multiple with labels like Office, Mobile, Support), and address.
5. Click Save Changes.
Document Templates
You can upload .docx templates that will be used to style your generated Service Proposals. Upload your firm's branded Word template so assembled documents match your visual identity.
Banned Words and Expressions
You can also define terms that Clarido should never use in AI-generated content — firm descriptions, adapted bios, and other generated text will automatically avoid these words.
Complete this page early — it feeds the Firm Profile adaptation module and the Assembly module in every project. The more precise your description and contact info, the less manual editing you'll need later.
1.2 Bio Library
The bio library centralizes profiles for all members of your organization. Import CVs once — Clarido automatically extracts the information. In each project, you select relevant members and their bios are adapted to the specific RFP context.
Importing a profile:
1. Go to Bios Library from the sidebar.
2. Click Add Member, then upload a CV (PDF or DOCX) or create a profile manually.
3. Clarido extracts: name, title, short and long bios, skills, certifications, education, and project history.
4. Review and correct the extracted information. Each field is bilingual — use the AI translation to fill in the other language.
5. Save the profile. It's now available for all your projects.
The original bio is never modified in projects. Each adaptation is saved separately per project.
1.3 Past Projects
Your past projects are your best argument. Document them here once, and they become available to include in every proposal via the Similar Projects module.
Adding a reference project:
1. Go to Past Projects from the sidebar.
2. Click Add a project. You can create one manually, extract projects from a document (DOCX or PDF), or import from an Excel template.
3. For manual entry, fill in the key fields: project name, client, dates, sector, location, and a bilingual description. You can also add objectives and deliverables.
4. Set the reference status (accepted, to request, confidential) and add tags to help filter projects later.
Start with your 5 to 10 strongest references. You can add more over time.
1.4 Methodology Library
The methodology library groups two types of reusable resources for your proposals:
- Bilingual content blocks — paragraphs, standard sections, recurring texts you want to quickly insert into your proposals.
- Proven methodologies — your approaches by mandate type (feasibility study, public consultation, strategic planning, modeling, etc.), used by OptimMetho as a generation base.
Adding a methodology:
1. Go to Methodology Library in the organization sidebar.
2. Select the Methodologies tab.
3. Click Add a methodology, give it a name and associate it with a mandate type.
4. Describe your phases, typical deliverables, and approach.
5. Reorder your methodologies by priority — OptimMetho will use those at the top first.
No need to be exhaustive from the start. One methodology per recurring mandate type is enough to get going.
2. Complete Project Workflow
Clarido is organized on two levels. The Dashboard lists all your current projects. Once inside a project, the Executive Summary shows step-by-step progress, key dates, and pending actions.
Follow the steps in order. Each module builds on the results of the previous one.
1. Create the proposal — Give it a name, associate it with a client, and set the submission date.
2. Upload documents — Drop all RFP files: main document, appendices, forms.
3. Review extracted requirements — Accept what's correct, fix or add what's missing.
4. Process addendums (if applicable) — Clarido detects changes and presents them for review.
5. Generate the production plan — Tasks, assignees, deadlines, internal milestones.
6. Generate methodology with OptimMetho — Structured phased approach adapted to context.
7. Adapt content to context — Firm profile, bios, similar projects adapted to the RFP.
8. Proposal assembly — Source → Structure (drag & drop) → Generate → Download .docx.
2.1 Upload Documents
Clarido accepts PDF, Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint (.pptx). You can drop multiple files at once — they'll be parsed and analyzed together.
Formats and constraints:
- Maximum size: 50 MB per file
- Text-based PDFs give better results than scanned PDFs
- Password-protected documents cannot be analyzed
Adding documents:
1. Go to the Documents tab of your project.
2. Click Upload and select the document type (RFP, Annex, Addendum, etc.) before dropping your files.
3. Clarido parses each document and triggers the extraction pipeline automatically.
4. If multiple documents are present, requirements are deduplicated across all sources.
You can add documents at any time. This is especially useful for appendices published after the main RFP and for addendums — Clarido will re-analyze and merge the new requirements into your existing list.
Add all documents related to an RFP in the same project, even if they arrive at different times.
2.2 Extraction & Requirement Review
This is Clarido's central module. Everything else — production plan, methodology, assembly — builds on the requirements you've validated here.
What the AI does:
1. Classification — Clarido identifies the document type and adapts its analysis.
2. Extraction — all requirements, dates, and compliance items are identified and categorized into 10 categories.
3. Discovery — a second pass targets implicit or cross-referenced requirements.
4. Deduplication — if multiple documents are present, identical or similar requirements are automatically grouped.
For each requirement, you see:
- Unique identifier (e.g., METH-001, ADM-003)
- Compliance status: Mandatory checkbox for requirements whose non-compliance triggers automatic rejection
- Priority level: Critical, Important, or Normal
- Exact quote from the source document
Available actions:
- Edit a requirement (text, category, priority)
- Manually add a missing requirement
- Filter by category, priority, or source document
Requirements marked Mandatory are those whose non-compliance triggers automatic disqualification. Treat them as absolute priority.
2.3 Addendum Review
When a client publishes an addendum, Clarido detects the changes and presents them in a structured way. You only see what changed — no need to reread the entire document.
Review flow:
1. Upload the addendum in the Documents tab. Clarido recognizes it automatically.
2. A notification appears: X changes detected — Review now.
3. Changes are classified into 5 types: New, Modified, Cancelled, Clarified, Informational.
4. For Modified or Clarified changes, a side-by-side visual diff shows exactly what changed.
5. Click the quote to see the full context in the source document.
6. Accept or ignore each change individually — or use Accept all / Ignore all.
7. Click Apply — accepted changes update your requirements.
Accepted changes follow the standard identifier format (METH-001, ADM-003, etc.) to stay consistent with your other requirements.
2.4 Production Plan
The production plan turns your validated requirements into a concrete work plan: what to produce, in what order, and who's in charge.
Plan structure:
- Compliance documents — certificates, attestations, forms to provide
- Team — team composition, bio adaptation
- Technical content — responses to technical requirements, section writing
- Assembly — compilation and finalization of the Service Proposal
How it works:
- Each block displays linked requirement identifiers — click to access directly.
- Eliminatory clauses are flagged with a visual alert.
- Evaluation weight is shown when specified in the RFP.
- Check off each task as you go. Assign a responsible person. Add internal milestones.
- You can manually add tasks and blocks to customize the plan.
2.5 OptimMetho — Methodology Generation
OptimMetho is the module that generates the methodology section of your Service Proposal. No more writing your approach from scratch for every RFP.
How it works:
OptimMetho analyzes the methodological requirements of the RFP and cross-references them with your library's proven methodologies. It produces a structured draft plan in phases — with objective, key activities, deliverable, and duration — adapted to the specific mandate context.
Usage:
1. Go to OptimMetho in the proposal sidebar.
2. Review the pre-filled mandate summary (title, client, duration, estimated budget).
3. Click Generate methodology plan.
4. The Adjust draft plan page has two complementary zones: the "How Clarido built this plan" block at the top groups the structuring decisions, and the phases of the plan sit below.
5. To rework a decision: click Edit decisions, then select the portion of a sentence you want to change. A small floating bar appears: type a short instruction ("shorten", "sharpen", "flip the meaning", "fix the typo") and Clarido rewrites only the selected portion. Hover a decision to reveal the ✕ Remove button, or click + Add a decision below the list. METH-NNN references inside the text are clickable and open the detail panel with the source-document quote. While you're editing decisions, the phases below are locked to avoid inconsistencies.
6. Once the decisions look right, click Validate and regenerate plan — Clarido realigns the phases on the new rationale in 30 to 60 seconds. A preview of the changes appears: choose Accept all or Reject. As long as a decision-editing session is open, the Move to drafting button stays disabled.
7. To adjust a phase, click Adjust — two modes:
• Edit manually — directly change the title, objective, key activities, deliverable, or duration. No AI call; your edits save immediately and are recorded in the revisions history.
• Refine with Clarido — describe what you want to change; Clarido reworks only that phase in 30 to 60 seconds. You review the changes before validating and can Accept all or Reject.
8. Remove a superfluous phase with its Retire button (reversible — you can reactivate it later). If a METH-NNN requirement is no longer covered by any active phase, a warning appears in the action bar at the bottom of the screen and the Move to drafting button stays disabled until coverage is restored. If the coverage check itself couldn't complete (network or service hiccup), you'll see a different warning instead — regenerate the plan or adjust a phase to re-run the verifier.
9. Check the history via the "N revisions" button at the top of the block — every manual or AI edit is labeled ("Phase 2 edited manually", "Decision 1 adjusted with Clarido", etc.) so you can compare versions.
10. When the plan is right, click Move to drafting in the action bar — Clarido then drafts the full methodology section from the validated plan. You can also click Review sources to go back to the previous step.
11. On the Write the Methodology page, the full methodology appears as a single continuous, editable document — no more separate per-phase cards. Click anywhere in the text to correct it directly. Your changes save automatically: an indicator at the bottom of the editor moves from « Unsaved changes » to « Saving… » to « Saved ». The Save button forces an immediate save and the Undo button reverts the last action (Cmd+Z). For a targeted rewrite, select a passage: a floating bar appears. Type a short instruction ("shorten", "make more formal", "sharpen the deliverable") and Clarido rewrites only the selected portion.
12. A coverage panel sits permanently to the right of the editor and tracks how well your draft addresses the tender's methodological requirements. At the top, a covered/total count and a progress bar show your overall coverage. Below, requirements are sorted into three groups: To address (not mentioned in the draft), To review (added outside the validated plan), and Covered. Click any row to see the original wording in the tender.
13. Use the Requirement markers toggle at the top of the coverage panel to show or hide the METH-NNN pastilles inside the prose — each pastille links a passage to a methodological requirement and opens the source document excerpt when clicked. They are hidden by default.
14. If the draft isn't right, the Regenerate the methodology button at the bottom of the coverage panel asks Clarido for a fresh full draft from the validated plan. Note: this replaces the current version and your manual edits are lost — a confirmation dialog reminds you.
15. When the draft is ready, click Insert into proposal in the bottom action bar — the content replaces the « Methodology » section in the Proposal tab. You can step back at any time with Review the plan.
The more your methodology library is populated, the closer OptimMetho's output will be to your actual way of working.
2.6 Adapt Content to RFP Context
This is the heart of what Clarido does for you: adapt your existing content to the specific context of each RFP.
Team module — adapt bios:
1. Open the Team tab in the Content section of your proposal.
2. Select members for this proposal and manage their assignments.
3. Click Adapt bio — Clarido generates a version targeted to client requirements.
4. Three lengths available: Short, Medium, Long.
5. Compare side-by-side the original and adapted version. Edit as needed.
Firm Profile module — adapt the presentation:
1. Open the Firm Profile tab in the Content section of your proposal.
2. Click Adapt to context — Clarido generates a version oriented toward this client's needs.
3. Edit directly if needed before validating.
Similar Projects module — choose and adapt references:
1. Open the Similar Projects tab in your proposal.
2. Clarido suggests the most relevant references based on RFP requirements.
3. Select the ones you want to include.
4. Click Adapt for the AI to rewrite the project sheet targeting client requirements.
Systematically adapt bios, firm profile, and project sheets for every RFP. That's what makes the difference between a standard proposal and a winning one.
2.7 Service Proposal Assembly
Assembly is the final step. Clarido gathers everything you've produced in the proposal and generates a structured Word document, ready to submit.
The 4 steps:
1. Source — generate the structure from your production plan (recommended) or start from scratch.
2. Structure — reorder sections with drag-and-drop, rename titles. Clarido displays format constraints detected in the RFP.
3. Generation — configure the document language and launch. Clarido assembles the content and produces a .docx file.
4. Download — review the generated document and download the final .docx file.
What's included in the document:
- Executive summary and project understanding
- Firm profile (adapted to the RFP context)
- Adapted bios of selected team members
- Selected and adapted reference projects
- Methodology generated by OptimMetho
Complete team selection, requirement review, and reference project selection before generating — the document integrates everything validated in the proposal.
You're Ready
You now know the key steps to process an RFP with Clarido. Start your first proposal to put it into practice.
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