Excel
Copilot
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Intermediate·30 min
Compare vendor options before an IT purchase
Research and evaluate competing solutions against your actual requirements before committing to a purchase.
Word
ClaudeUpdated Sep 30, 2026
Scenario
Two vendors quoted the same project with a different breakdown of line items.
Mission
Find which quote is actually cheaper once everything is added up.
Start Files
vendor-a-quote.csv
Vendor A's line-item quote.
vendor-b-quote.csv
Vendor B's line-item quote, different breakdown.
| LineItem | Qty | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | 1 | 42000 |
| Installation | 1 | 6000 |
| Year 1 Support | 1 | 8000 |
Preview — first 5 rows of vendor-a-quote.csv
Your task
- Sum every line item in Vendor A's quote.
- Sum every line item in Vendor B's quote.
- Compare the two totals and determine which vendor is actually cheaper, by how much.
Prompt idea:
Here are two vendor quotes with different line-item breakdowns for the same project. Total each one and tell me which vendor is cheaper overall, and by how much.
Check Your Result
Which vendor has the lower total cost once all line items are added up?
Need a hint?
Don't compare line by line — sum every line item for each vendor and compare the totals.
Reveal Solution
The solution files contain the completed challenge. Review the approach to see if you missed any edge cases.
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