Comparing bids
Side-by-side vendor comparison using analysis results and criterion scores.
When you have multiple bids analyzed for the same procurement, you can compare them side by side.
The comparison tab
Open your procurement and click the Comparison tab. You'll see all analyzed bids in a table with:
- Vendor name and overall recommendation
- Concern counts (Critical/Major/Minor per vendor)
- Criterion scores (if you configured evaluation criteria)
This gives you a quick overview of which vendors have the fewest issues and the highest scores.
Comparing criterion values
This is where evaluation criteria really pay off. If you set up criteria before running analysis, the comparison shows each vendor's extracted value side by side:
| Criterion | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | Pass | Fail | Pass |
| Experience (years) | 85/100 | 60/100 | 92/100 |
| Team size | 70/100 | 80/100 | 75/100 |
At a glance, you can see where each vendor excels and where they fall short.
If you didn't set up criteria before analysis, you won't see scoring data. You can still compare concern counts and recommendations, but the comparison is less detailed. Consider setting up criteria and re-running analysis if you need scoring.
Comparing concern counts
Even without criteria, the number and severity of findings tells you something:
- Vendor A: 0 Critical, 2 Major, 5 Minor
- Vendor B: 3 Critical, 8 Major, 12 Minor
- Vendor C: 1 Critical, 1 Major, 3 Minor
Vendor C looks strongest here, but dig into the actual findings before drawing conclusions. One vendor might have a "Critical" finding for a technicality while another is missing fundamental requirements categorized as "Major".
Best practices for comparison
Analyze all bids before comparing. Running all analyses first ensures each was evaluated under the same conditions. If you configured criteria after analyzing the first bid, re-run that one so all bids are measured the same way.
Use consistent document quality. If Vendor A submitted a detailed 200-page proposal and Vendor B sent a 10-page summary, the analysis will naturally find more in Vendor A's submission. This doesn't necessarily mean Vendor B is worse - they might have just been less verbose.
Export for team review. Click Export to get an Excel file with all comparison data. This makes it easy to share with colleagues and discuss offline.
What comparison doesn't do
The comparison shows you the data. It doesn't pick a winner for you - and it shouldn't. Procurement decisions involve context that the AI doesn't have: vendor relationships, strategic priorities, budget constraints, past performance.
Use the comparison to organize the data and spot patterns. Use your expertise to make the final call.