Bid Comparison Tool - User Guide

• AI-generated executive summary with vendor rankings

• Detailed requirement-by-requirement scoring for each vendor

• Compliance and quality metrics for every proposal

• Comprehensive Excel export with color-coded scores, insights, and recommendations

• Key strengths, weaknesses, and risk factors for each vendor

Prerequisites

Step 0: Create an RFP Analysis (Required First Step)

1. Navigate to Opportunities
• Go to your dashboard and click on Opportunities in the sidebar
• Browse or search for the RFP/opportunity you want to analyze

2. Start RFP Analysis
• Open the opportunity details page
• Click the "RFP Analysis" or "Create RFP Project" button

3. Upload RFP Documents
• The system will create an RFP project for you
• Upload all RFP documents (solicitation, specifications, attachments, etc.)
• Supported formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX
 

4. Wait for Analysis to Complete
• The system will analyze your RFP documents (typically 3-5 minutes)
• It extracts requirements, evaluation criteria, compliance items, scope of work, and other key sections
• You'll see a status indicator showing "Processing" → "Completed"
• Once completed, you should see a completed analysis/.

5. Review Extracted Requirements (Optional)
• Once analysis is complete, review the extracted requirements
• The system identifies key requirements like evaluation criteria, compliance mandates, technical specifications, etc.
• Note: Make sure the analysis is complete before proceeding to bid comparison

Important: The Bid Comparison Tool requires a completed RFP Analysis because it compares vendor proposals against the requirements extracted from your RFP. Without this foundation, the tool cannot perform meaningful comparisons.

End-to-End Bid Comparison Workflow

Step 1: Create a New Bid Comparison

1. Navigate to Bid Comparison Tool
• From your dashboard, click "Bid Comparison Tool" in the left sidebar
• You'll see a list of all your existing bid comparisons

2. Start a New Comparison
• Click the "New Bid Comparison" button

3. Fill in Comparison Details
• Name: Give your comparison a descriptive name (e.g., "IT Services RFP Q4 2025")
• Description: (Optional) Add context about this comparison
• Select RFP Project: Choose the RFP project you analyzed in Step 0
• This links your comparison to the extracted requirements
• Only completed RFP analyses will appear in the dropdown
• Click "Create Bid Comparison"

Step 2: Upload Vendor Proposals

1. Prepare Your Proposal Files
• Gather all vendor proposal documents
• Supported formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX
• Each file represents one vendor's complete proposal response

2. Upload Proposal Files
• In the "Upload Vendor Proposals" section:
• Vendor Name: Enter the vendor's name (e.g., "Acme Corporation")
• Proposal File: Click to select the vendor's proposal document
• Click "Upload Proposal"
• Repeat for each vendor (typically 3-10 vendors)

3. Verify Uploaded Files
• Uploaded proposals appear in the "Proposal Files" section
• Each file shows:
• Vendor name
• File name
• Upload status ("pending" initially)

Tip: Upload all proposals before starting the comparison to get a complete analysis in one run.

Step 3: Start the Comparison Analysis

1. Review Your Setup
• Ensure all vendor proposals are uploaded
• Confirm the linked RFP project is correct

2. Start the Analysis
• Click the "Start Comparison" button.
• The system will begin processing (this may take 5-30 minutes depending on the number of requirements and proposals)

3. Monitor Progress
• The status will change from "Pending" to "Processing" in about 1 min. Don’t repress the “Start Comparison” button. Instead refresh the page if you don’t see the latest processing status.
• A progress indicator appears at the top of the page
• The page automatically refreshes every 5 seconds to show updated status
• You can safely navigate away and return later - the analysis continues in the background.

• The system parses each proposal document

• Extracts relevant sections from each vendor's response

• Scores each vendor against each RFP requirement on 4 dimensions:
• Compliance: Does the response meet the requirement?
• Quality: How well is the requirement addressed?
• Evidence: Is there proof/documentation supporting the response?
• Clarity: How clear and complete is the response?

• Calculates weighted scores based on requirement importance

• Generates an AI-powered executive summary with recommendations

• Compiles everything into a comprehensive comparison report

Step 4: Review Results

4.1 Executive Summary

• Overview: 2-3 sentence summary of the comparison

• Top Vendor Rankings: Ranked recommendations with:
• Vendor name and overall score (out of 100)
• Rationale for the ranking
• Key differentiators
• Potential risks to consider

4.2 Comparison Summary Table

• Overall Score: Weighted average across all requirements (0-100)

• Compliance Rate: Percentage of requirements scoring ≥7/10

• Concern Count: Number of requirements with identified red flags or gaps

4.3 Understanding the Scores

• 9-10 (Excellent): Exceeds requirements, strong evidence, clear documentation

• 7-8 (Good): Meets requirements, adequate evidence, compliant

• 4-6 (Fair): Partially meets requirements, missing some elements or clarity

• 0-3 (Poor): Does not meet requirements, major gaps or non-compliance

• 🟢 Green (≥7): Compliant and acceptable

• 🟡 Yellow (4-6): Needs attention or clarification

• 🔴 Red (<4): Significant gaps or non-compliance

Step 5: Export to Excel

1. Download the Report
• Click the "Export to Excel" button
• The file will download automatically
• File name format: bid-comparison-[ID].xlsx

2. Excel File Contents

Sheet 1: Summary

• Executive summary text

• Vendor rankings table with overall scores, compliance rates, and concern counts

Sheet 2: Detailed Scores

• Complete requirement-by-requirement breakdown

• Columns for each vendor showing:
• Score (0-10) with color coding
• Reasoning (AI-generated explanation)

• Requirement details:
• Full requirement text
• Content type (evaluation_criteria, compliance, scope_of_work, etc.)
• Weight (importance multiplier)

• Sort by requirement type to focus on specific areas

• Filter by vendor scores to identify gaps

• Use color coding for quick visual assessment

• Review reasoning to understand scoring rationale

Sheet 3: Recommendations

• Detailed vendor recommendations including:
• Rank (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.)
• Vendor name and overall score
• Rationale for ranking
• Key differentiators that set this vendor apart
• Potential risks or concerns

Sheet 4: Insights

• AI-generated key insights across all vendors

• Decision factors to consider

• Common patterns, strengths, and gaps identified

• Recommended next steps

Key Features Explained

Intelligent Requirement Weighting

• Evaluation Criteria (2.0x) - Highest priority

• Compliance Requirements (1.5x) - Critical for eligibility

• Technical Requirements (1.5x) - Core capabilities

• Scope of Work (1.2x) - Important context

• Other Requirements (1.0x) - Standard priority

• Words like "must," "shall," "required" → +0.3 boost

• Words like "optional," "preferred" → 0.2 reduction

Multi-Dimensional Scoring

1. Compliance (0-10): Does it meet the requirement?

2. Quality (0-10): How well is it addressed?

3. Evidence (0-10): Is there supporting documentation?

4. Clarity (0-10): How clear and complete is the response?

AI-Powered Insights

• Extract relevant proposal sections using semantic search

• Score proposals with contextual understanding

• Generate executive summaries and recommendations

• Identify concerns, red flags, and strengths

• Provide actionable decision factors

Best Practices

For Best Results:

1. Complete RFP Analysis First
• Always analyze your RFP before creating a bid comparison
• Ensure all RFP documents are uploaded for comprehensive requirement extraction

2. Upload Complete Proposals
• Include the full proposal document, not just excerpts
• If a vendor submitted multiple files, consider combining them into one PDF

3. Use Descriptive Vendor Names
• Use official vendor names for clarity (e.g., "Acme Corporation" not "Vendor 1")
• Consistency helps when reviewing and exporting results

4. Review in Context
• Use the AI insights as a starting point, not the final decision
• Review the detailed scores and reasoning for critical requirements
• Consider factors outside the RFP (pricing, past performance, etc.)

5. Export Early and Often
• Download the Excel file after each analysis
• Share with stakeholders for collaborative review
• Keep records for procurement documentation

Collaboration Tips:

• Share the Excel Export: The file is designed for easy sharing and collaborative review

• Focus Stakeholder Attention: Direct evaluators to specific sheets (Summary for executives, Detailed Scores for technical reviewers)

• Document Decisions: Add notes in the Excel file to capture team discussions and decisions

Frequently Asked Questions

• Number of vendors (3-10 typical)

• Number of requirements (30-80 typical)

• Size of proposal documents

Troubleshooting

• The requirement wasn't clearly addressed in any proposal

• The RFP requirement was ambiguous or broad

• Vendors may need to provide clarifications

Getting Help

• Email Support: fred@narwin.ai

• Include in your request:
• Comparison ID (found in the URL)
• Description of the issue
• Screenshots if applicable

Summary: Quick Reference Workflow

1. ✅ Analyze RFP → Upload RFP documents and wait for requirement extraction

2. ✅ Create Bid Comparison → Link to your analyzed RFP project

3. ✅ Upload Proposals → Add each vendor's proposal file

4. ✅ Start Comparison → Let the AI analyze and score everything

5. ✅ Review Results → Read executive summary and comparison table

6. ✅ Export to Excel → Download detailed report for team review