A multidisciplinary firm of around 1,500 employees, Mead & Hunt turned to AVAIL’s content management system (CMS) in 2022 to make it easier for their designers and engineers to find the right data, quickly. Since, efficiency has only improved across the firm’s business groups. Mead & Hunt’s Dan Dankert shares what sold his team on AVAIL and the value its all-in-one content management solution has brought the firm.
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How did Mead & Hunt—a multidisciplinary firm with over 50 active offices in the U.S.—manage content across its expert planning, architecture design, engineering, environmental, and construction administration businesses before the firm implemented AVAIL’s content management system (CMS) in 2022?
“File Explorer,” says Dan Dankert, Digital Practice Director at Mead & Hunt. The system was pretty rigid and limited in who had read-write access, he elaborates. Documentation covering what information was in the file system and how to access it was kept in a static PDF that was time consuming to update.
“It was an archaic, older way of approaching content management,” Dan says. For Mead & Hunt’s 1,500 employees, it was unsustainable.
The decision to adopt AVAIL wasn’t just about content management features. It was about people.
Mead & Hunt felt welcomed into a relationship with AVAIL’s team, which involved participation in the software company’s professional development Confluence events before the firm became a customer. The Mead & Hunt team also appreciated the chance to explore the platform’s potential before committing. “You weren’t chasing the sale,” Dan says about the AVAIL team, “you were offering solutions, asking ‘Does it fit? Try it.’”
That mattered, Dan says, “I never got pressured from AVAIL.”
A testimonial from another firm in Mead & Hunt’s Wisconsin BIM managers group sealed the deal—praising AVAIL not only for its product, but also for its post-sale support. “He was happy with not only the product but the support you guys give,” Dan says of the recommender. “That’s one of those things that matters more to me. It’s about long-term relationships and the support after the sale. If the product’s great out of the box but isn’t supported, you know you’re going to have problems… Knowing that he was thrilled with you guys, that went a long way.”
Mead & Hunt’s Dan Dankert, pictured middle with AVAIL's Randall Stevens on the left, says he keeps coming back to AVAIL’s professional development event Confluence Lexington for all the conversations he has with his design technology peers and software representatives, who make a clear effort to understand the needs of his firm and the industry.
Mead & Hunt’s primary goal was clear: make it easier for employees to find the right content, quickly and confidently.
With AVAIL, they gained:
The shift to AVAIL wasn’t just about saving time, it was also about improving quality—ensuring teams are always working from the most current data.
Since 2022, Mead & Hunt has benefitted from using AVAIL across its numerous business groups including food and beverage, education, federal, transportation, water, and more—and the team is excited about what’s next to support their multidisciplinary firm. Their early feedback has helped guide AVAIL’s roadmap, particularly around new support for AutoCAD and Civil 3D workflows.
Dan emphasizes the importance of this kind of collaboration: “In the current business environment, AVAIL has become more than just a software vendor; they have become a partner for Mead & Hunt.”
He appreciates AVAIL’s active engagement with his team, and specifically CEO and Founder Randall Stevens’ curiosity around the firm’s business problems. “Expanding their tools to support more of our business groups is invaluable,” Dan says. “This partnership not only enhances our efficiency with existing tools but also fosters mutual growth and support for both companies.”
“We value this partnership and would recommend them to anyone,” he concludes.
Founded in 1900, Mead & Hunt is a national multidisciplinary firm offering expertise in architecture, engineering, planning, environmental, and construction services. Headquartered in Wisconsin, the firm operates more than 50 offices across the United States. With a legacy of client-focused solutions and innovation, Mead & Hunt supports a wide range of markets—including aviation, transportation, food & beverage, water resources, and cultural preservation. The firm’s collaborative approach and technical excellence continue to shape resilient, people-first infrastructure and communities nationwide.
Founded in 2016 as a solution for architecture and engineering firms to find the information they need faster, AVAIL creates software for the global architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. AVAIL’s content management system (CMS) platform and Revit application tools help designers and engineers take control of their intricate network of files in one visual, streamlined solution. AVAIL’s customers include industry leaders Gensler, Perkins&Will, IMEG, LEO A DALY, and Populous.