How BrennSys Delivers 10x the 508-Compliant Document Volume with Allyant’s CommonLook 

Summary 

BrennSys Technology LLC is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that delivers marketing, public relations, and creative services primarily to U.S. federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Every deliverable it produces for these clients, from annual reports to multi-year strategic plans, must conform to the accessibility requirements of Section 508. 

Federal clients often send long, graphics-heavy documents, and the built-in PDF accessibility tools BrennSys first used broke complex layouts and couldn’t keep pace. Procuring Allyant’s CommonLook PDF gave the team purpose-built remediation software along with training and support. 

Today with CommonLook, BrennSys designers remediate roughly 10 times more documents than before, deliver compliant files to customers with confidence, and position accessibility expertise as a strategic differentiator in new-business proposals. 

Highlights

• Objective: Reliably deliver Section 508-conformant reports, plans, and presentations to federal clients, including documents of 100 to 200+ pages. 
• Solution: Procure easy-to-use remediation software to accelerate progress while supporting legal compliance requirements.  
• Products used: Allyant’s CommonLook PDF remediation software, backed by training, Knowledge Base guides, and personalized support. 
• Results:
  • Roughly 10 times more documents remediated than with native PDF tools. 
  • Confidence in delivering compliant documents. 
  • Accessibility built into design at the source file, saving time and money. 
• Impact: Faster, more reliable Section 508-compliant document delivery, making accessibility a competitive advantage in both federal and commercial proposals. 

Objective

Founded in 2016, BrennSys Technology LLC has built its business on marketing and communications work for Veterans Affairs and has since expanded across the federal government. Its creative team designs documents for its clients that include annual reports, congressional budget justifications, agency fiscal reports, and strategic plans. All of them ultimately publish on public-facing government websites, which brings with it strict compliance requirements. 

“Any public-facing information on a government website for the public has to be Section 508 compliant,” says Michelle Parker, Senior Graphic Designer at BrennSys. “And the documents we create or receive aren’t always simple files. We’re often working on 100- or 200-page documents with intricate charts, graphs, and tables that must be fully accessible.” 

The native accessibility features in the team’s PDF software couldn’t handle that complexity. Layers shifted unpredictably, reading order became unmanageable, and some files were damaged badly enough that designers had to re-export from the source and start over. “For anything beyond the simplest document, accessibility remediation was nearly impossible,” Parker says. 

With every contract dependent on conformant deliverables, BrennSys needed a document accessibility solution that could handle complex documents at volume, and a partner to help its designers learn the most from it. 

Solution

Purpose-built Remediation Software for Complex Documents 

After evaluating options, Larry Aldrich, President and CEO at BrennSys, selected Allyant’s CommonLook PDF for its consistency against federal standards. “Other tools would pass sometimes and fail other times,” Aldrich says. “CommonLook equips us to consistently meet Section 508 requirements, and that’s the confidence we need when we deliver completed work to our clients.” 

CommonLook PDF gives BrennSys designers precise control over accessibility elements like tags, reading order, and structure, even within long, graphics-heavy files filled with tables and charts. 

Training and Support that Build Expertise 

For support, Allyant’s open training sessions and Knowledge Base became a go-to resource as the team took on its most complex projects. When a question fell outside the documentation, Allyant’s team was a quick email away. 

“The support from Allyant has been exceptional and accelerated our internal understanding,” Parker adds. “The team responds quickly, and webinars and Knowledge Base support make it easy to double down on our internal expertise.” 

Accessible by Design 

Remediating hundreds of pages delivered from clients taught the team where accessibility barriers originate, impacting the way in which they design new pieces. BrennSys designers now build accessibility into source files, requiring less remediation at the end of the creation lifecycle, reducing cost and accelerating delivery. 

“So much of accessibility comes down to how you build the initial file,” Thom Hart, BrennSys’ Creative Director, adds. “When designers build a file with accessibility in mind, everything downstream gets easier—and faster. No getting to the end only to discover elements that have been approved must be reworked.” 

Results 

10x the Document Volume 

With CommonLook PDF, BrennSys designers remediate roughly 10 times as many documents as they could with native PDF tools. Files that once stalled projects are now routine deliverables. “There’s no comparison,” Parker says. “I can handle exponentially more work than I could before, enabling us to serve more clients.” 

Confident Delivery to U.S. Federal Clients 

Clients from federal agencies test every deliverable, and differences in testing tools and reviewer preferences can produce different results. CommonLook gives BrennSys the consistency and confidence to deliver compliant files, as well as resolve any client feedback quickly.  

Accessibility as an RFP Advantage 

Every federal solicitation BrennSys pursues requires Section 508 compliance, and the team can now speak to that requirement with authority. Aldrich adds, “Accessibility is where we differentiate. Because of CommonLook, we bring proven expertise and a track record of delivery that federal agencies can count on.” 

And that advantage extends beyond federal work. Through BrennSys-owned Aqua Marketing and Communications, the team also serves state, local, and tourism clients, where accessibility expertise now sets them apart. “Not every client demands accessibility, but we consider it an advantage,” Hart says. “It’s at the forefront of all of our communication.” 

For BrennSys, Section 508 conformance used to be the price of entry for federal work. With CommonLook PDF, it’s now a competitive edge: 10 times the output, documents delivered with compliance confidence, and a stronger business case to win more new business proposals.