This guide answers common questions about the Comparison tab in Olive, walking you through the key processes step by step — from comparing vendor responses to reviewing pricing. The Comparison tab is where you make your final vendor decision.
General
Q1: What is the Comparison tab and how does it help me evaluate vendors?
A:
The Comparison tab is your central workspace for evaluating vendors in Olive. It lets you place vendors side by side and assess how well their responses match your RFP requirements. You can score responses, discuss them with your team, and compare pricing — all in one place. It's where the actual decision-making happens after vendors have submitted their answers.
Q2: How do I get started with comparing vendors in Olive?
A:
- Click the Comparison tab in the top navigation bar
- You'll land on the Responses sub-tab by default
- On the left, find the vendor list and tick the checkbox next to any vendor you want to compare
- Their responses will appear as a column in the Comparison table on the right
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💡 Tip: Start with 2–3 vendors to keep the view manageable. |
The Comparison tab — Vendor list on the left, Comparison table on the right
Q3: How are vendors ordered in the list, and what do the numbers next to their names mean?
A:
Vendors are listed from top to bottom in order of how well they match your requirements — the best matches appear at the top. The number shown next to each vendor's name is their overall score out of 100, calculated based on the scores assigned to their responses. The higher the number, the stronger the overall fit.
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💡 Tip: Vendors with no scores yet will show 0 — this means they haven't been evaluated yet, not that they're a poor fit. Start scoring responses to see the rankings update. |
Responses Sub-tab
Q4: How do I select which vendors to compare?
A:
In the vendor list on the left side, tick the checkbox next to any vendor's name. Their responses will immediately appear as a new column in the Comparison table on the right. You can select multiple vendors at the same time to compare them all at once.
Ticking a vendor's checkbox adds their responses to the Comparison table
Q5: How do I understand which vendor is the best fit for my requirements?
A:
Once you've selected vendors, the Comparison table shows a score for each vendor at the top of their column — this is their overall fit score. Below that, each requirement section (e.g. Onboarding, Payroll, Security) also shows a score, so you can see exactly where a vendor is strong or weak.
Click on any section name to expand it and see the individual requirements underneath, along with each vendor's response. Response types include:
- Core – Fully included in the vendor's standard product
- Configurable – Available but requires setup or configuration
- Third-Party – Requires an additional tool or integration
- Not Applicable – Not relevant to this vendor's offering
The Comparison table — overall and section-level scores for each vendor
Expanded section showing individual requirements and vendor responses
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💡 Tip: Use the section scores to quickly spot gaps — a low score in a section that matters most to your team is a red flag worth investigating. |
Q6: How do I see a vendor's full response to a specific requirement?
A:
Click on the response label (e.g. 'Configurable', 'Core', 'Third-Party') in the Comparison table for the vendor and requirement you want to review. A panel will open on the right side of the screen showing:
- The vendor's selected response option
- Any response description or notes the vendor has provided
- Your score, the team's average score, and the vendor's default score for that response
Clicking a vendor's response opens a detailed view with scoring and team comments
Q7: How can I compare two vendors' responses to the same requirement side by side?
A:
You have two ways to do this:
- Hover over a requirement row in the Comparison table and click the Compare button that appears
- Or, open a vendor's response by clicking on it, then click the 'Compare Response' button at the bottom of the panel
Either way, a window opens where you can pick a second vendor from a dropdown and view both responses — along with their scores — side by side.
The side-by-side comparison view — select a second vendor to compare responses
Q8: How do I score a vendor's response?
A:
Click on a vendor's response in the Comparison table to open the response detail panel. In the Details tab, you'll find a 'My Score' field — enter your score there. You'll also see:
- Our Score – The average of all team members' scores for that response
- Vendor Score – The default score pre-assigned to the vendor's chosen response option
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💡 Tip: Score every vendor consistently across the same requirements to make your final comparison fair and meaningful. |
Q9: How do I see the scores given by other team members for a response?
A:
Open a vendor's response by clicking on it, then click the Scores tab at the top of the panel. You'll see a list of all team members with their individual scores for that requirement. This is useful for spotting disagreements within your team.
The Scores tab — showing each team member's individual score for a response
Q10: How can I discuss a vendor's response with my team, or share it with the vendor?
A:
Open a vendor's response by clicking on it, then click the Chat tab at the top of the panel. From here:
- Type your comment in the text box and click the Send icon to post it
- Your team members can reply and you can Edit or Delete your own comments
- To share the response with the vendor directly, use the 'Share with Vendor' option in the Chat tab
Q11: How do I flag a response to bring it up during a vendor demo or meeting?
A:
When you have a vendor's response open, look for the flag icons at the top of the panel. Click 'Add Agenda Item' to flag this response as something to discuss — for example, during a demo call with the vendor. Flagged items make it easy to build your agenda before a vendor meeting.
Q12: How do I mark a response as reviewed once I've finished evaluating it?
A:
When a vendor's response is open, click the 'Mark as Reviewed' flag icon at the top of the panel. This marks the response as reviewed for your reference, helping you and your team track which responses have already been evaluated.
Q13: How do I view, edit, and rank a specific requirement?
A:
Hover over any requirement row in the Comparison table and click the Details button that appears. This opens a panel with the following tabs:
- Details – View the requirement text, change its section, set your star ranking, add tags, and write a description. Click 'Save Requirement' to save your changes.
- Response – Configure the response format for this requirement (e.g. Yes/No, Score, Text, Single Select, etc.)
- Ranking – If you are a project Admin, see the star ratings given by every team member for that requirement. This gives you a quick view of which requirements your team considers most important.
- History – See a log of all changes ever made to this requirement
Hovering over a requirement row reveals the Compare and Details buttons
Q14: How can I discuss a requirement with my team?
A:
Click the Details button on a requirement row, then go to the Chat tab. Type your comment and click Send to post it. You can Edit or Delete your own comments. This is a great place to leave notes about a requirement for the rest of the team.
Toolbar Features
The Responses toolbar — Search, Display options, Filters, Add Solution, and Magic Fill
Q15: How do I find a specific requirement in the Comparison table?
A:
Use the Search Requirements box at the top of the page. Type a keyword and the Comparison table will instantly filter to show only requirements that match your search.
Q16: How do I change how requirements are grouped in the Comparison table?
A:
Click the 'By Section' dropdown next to the search box to change how requirements are organised. You can group them by:
- By Section – Default view, grouped by requirement section
- By Tag – Grouped by tags applied to requirements
- By User – Grouped by the user associated with each requirement
- By Department – Grouped by department
Q17: How do I add a new vendor to my project?
A:
Click the '+ Add Solution' button at the top right. A window opens with three options:
- My Library – Search for and add a vendor already saved in your Olive library
- Add Solution – Add a new vendor by entering their solution name, company name, and website
- Recommend – Ask Olive's AI chatbot to suggest vendors based on your project's current requirements
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💡 Tip: On the Recommend tab, you can ask the AI to add suggested vendors directly to your project in one step. |
Q18: How do I use Magic Fill to automatically populate vendor responses?
A:
Click the Magic Fill button at the top right of the page. Olive's AI will search publicly available information online and automatically generate responses for all requirements across your vendors. Any responses it cannot find will be left blank, and your credits will be reimbursed for those.
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⚠️ Important: Magic Fill responses are AI-generated from public sources — they are not submitted directly by the vendors themselves. Always verify AI-generated responses before making final decisions. |
Q19: How do I filter the vendors and requirements shown in the Comparison table?
A:
Click the Filters button to open the filtering window. Click 'Add a Property to Filter' and choose what you'd like to filter by from the dropdown. You can stack multiple filters at once. To remove all filters, click Clear Filter.
Pricing Sub-tab
Q20: How do I start comparing vendor pricing?
A:
Click the Pricing sub-tab at the top of the Comparison tab. You'll see the same vendor list on the left — tick the checkbox next to each vendor you want to include. Their pricing data will appear in the charts and table on the right.
The Pricing sub-tab — Cost Per Year and Cumulative Cost comparison charts
Q21: How do I compare vendor costs year by year?
A:
At the top right of the Pricing sub-tab, enter the number of years you want to compare in the 'Years to View' field, then click Calculate. The Cost Per Year chart (a bar chart) will update to show the annual cost for each selected vendor across that period.
Q22: What is the difference between the Cost Per Year and Cumulative Cost charts?
A:
Both charts help you understand a vendor's financial impact, but from different angles:
- Cost Per Year – Shows how much each vendor costs annually. Useful for seeing if costs increase significantly over time.
- Cumulative Cost – Shows the total amount spent on a vendor over the full period. Useful for understanding the true long-term investment.
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💡 Tip: Use the Cumulative Cost chart to compare Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) — the total you'll spend over the entire contract period. This is the most reliable way to compare long-term value across vendors. |
Q23: What is shown in the Cost Estimates table?
A:
Below the charts, the Cost Estimates table summarises each selected vendor's key pricing figures:
- Year 1 Cost – The total cost for the first year
- TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) – Total spend over the full period you selected
The Cost Estimates table showing Year 1 Cost and TCO for each vendor
Q24: How do I see the full pricing breakdown for a vendor?
A:
In the Cost Estimates table, click on a vendor's Year 1 Cost figure. A panel will open on the right showing a detailed breakdown of their pricing, including:
- Total Cost
- License Fees
- Maintenance & Support
- Training
- Services
- Other Costs
You can also enter your own First Year Recommended Changes (in $) if you want to adjust any of the estimates. Additionally, you can set a Yearly Cost Increase Estimate by choosing % Increase, Total Cost, or Cost Increase from the dropdown and entering a value.
The pricing detail panel — full Year 1 cost breakdown with scoring and cost increase estimates
Q25: How do I score a vendor's pricing?
A:
Open a vendor's pricing detail by clicking their Year 1 Cost in the Cost Estimates table. In the panel that opens, you'll find a 'My Score' slider. Drag it to assign your score for that vendor's pricing. This score contributes to the vendor's overall evaluation in your project.
What's Next?
Once you've compared vendors and reviewed pricing, you're ready to move toward a final recommendation. Your next steps are typically:
- Finalise scores for all vendors and requirements
- Review flagged agenda items before any vendor demos or calls
- Use the Cumulative Cost chart to confirm your preferred vendor's long-term value
- Share your findings with your project team or stakeholders
Still have questions? Contact your Olive project administrator or reach out to Olive support for assistance.