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Introduction
Hi, and welcome back. So far we've given Claude one file at a time. Now we give it two files at once. In this episode we learn to compare two documents: two supplier quotes and two versions of a contract, then weigh the options with clear criteria all the way to a recommendation.
Step 1: When you need to compare documents
Comparing two documents by hand is exhausting. We open two windows, flip back and forth looking for matching numbers, and still worry we've missed something. Yet small differences are often the most expensive. One number in a payment clause, or one word in a returns condition, can be worth millions of rupiah. Claude can read two files at once and lay out the differences in a table. Our job is to decide what to compare, then make sure the result is right before using it to make a decision. The first situation: two quotes from different suppliers. The question is, which one is better for us? Second, an old and a new version of a contract. The question is, what has changed, including the small changes? Third, two versions of a text, such as an SOP or a proposal revised by two different people. Fourth, matching a document against the rules, for example whether Mr. Hendra's proposal meets the requirements of a school grant program. The pattern is the same in all four: upload both files, label them clearly, state the criteria, and ask for the result as a table.
Step 2: Two supplier quotes
Dewi has received two paper quotes: A from Nusantara Paper Ltd., and B from Sumber Paper Co. She uploads both, with clear file names, then lists five criteria. Claude reads both files at once. The right panel shows the comparison table. Quote B is two thousand five hundred rupiah cheaper per ream. But its minimum order is three hundred reams, and delivery takes seven working days. Look at the payment terms too. A gives thirty days after the invoice, while B asks for a fifty percent deposit. For Maju Bersama Co.'s cash flow, that's a big difference. And there's a warning sign in the returns row. Quote B doesn't mention a returns policy at all. Without the request to flag what's not mentioned, this row could have been filled with a guess, or dropped from the table entirely. Let's turn Dewi's prompt into a template. The data block: two files with clear labels, A and B. These labels stop Claude from mixing up the documents. The task block holds criteria you set yourself. The criteria come from your business needs, not from Claude. The format block asks for a table with criteria in the rows and documents in the columns, plus a flag for anything not mentioned. The limits block asks Claude to use only the documents and not to pick a winner yet. We want to see the facts first, before anyone's opinion sways us. You can use this template to compare anything: two catering quotes, two course brochures, or two office insurance plans.
Step 3: Old contract vs new
Now the second situation. Dewi uploads this year's contract and next year's draft, then asks for a list of every change: the clause, the old wording, the new wording, and the impact on Maju Bersama Co. as the buyer. Claude reads both contracts. The result is a table of four changes. Prices are now fixed for only six months, and the payment term is cut from forty-five to thirty days. Both are worse for Dewi. On the other hand, the supplier's late delivery penalty rises to five percent, which works in her favor. Dewi knows that a change table often only captures clauses that exist in both versions. So she asks specifically about clauses that were added or removed. It turns out there's one new clause: the supplier may switch paper brands without written approval. It's a small change with big potential impact, because Dewi's customers could receive different paper from what they ordered. Dewi matches all five findings against both original contracts, then notes them down for her negotiation with Ms. Sinta. From that practice, there are five habits so no change slips past. First, ask for a list of changes by clause or by section, not a general summary. Second, ask specifically about clauses that were added or removed, just as Dewi did. Third, watch the small words that change the meaning a lot, such as must becoming may, or no later than becoming no earlier than. Fourth, match two or three changes against the original documents to make sure Claude read them correctly. Fifth, if the documents are in Word or Google Docs, also use that app's built-in compare documents feature as a second check.
Step 4: From comparison to decision
The facts are complete. Now it's time to decide. Dewi uses weighted scores. Price gets a weight of forty percent. Quote B wins here with a score of five, and A gets three. Delivery time is weighted thirty percent, because Maju Bersama Co.'s customers often order at short notice. Here A is far ahead. Payment terms are weighted twenty percent. A gives thirty days, while B asks for a deposit, so A wins again. The returns policy is weighted ten percent. B doesn't mention one, so it gets the lowest score until things are clarified. The final result: A scores four point one, and B scores three point one. Even though B is cheaper, A is a better fit for Maju Bersama Co.'s needs. These weights belong to Dewi. Another business with different priorities, such as one with plenty of cash, could reach a different decision. Claude can help with the math, but we set the weights. Finally, Dewi asks for a short memo for the director: the recommendation, the reasons from the weighted scores, and what needs negotiating. Claude writes a tight memo. The recommendation is clear, the reasons are measurable, and there are three negotiation points taken from the contract comparison. From two quotes and two contracts, Dewi now has a recommendation she can stand behind. Every number can be traced back to the original documents.
Step 5: Limits when comparing
Finally, a few things to watch out for. First, unclear file names, such as scan one and scan two. A and B can get mixed up, and the conclusion ends up reversed. Second, very different formats, for example one quote as a table and the other as a long paragraph. Check more carefully that every criterion was read correctly. Third, a blurry scanned document. A misread number in one document can make the comparison unfair. Fourth, don't let Claude set the criteria and weights. Your business priorities can't be guessed from a document. Fifth, a contract comparison isn't legal advice. For high-value contracts, take these findings to a legal expert. The screens in this video are simulations, so menus may differ slightly. Keep these five points in mind, and document comparison becomes a very powerful tool for making decisions quickly while staying careful.
Done!
We've compared two quotes in a table, found every change between two contract versions including a new clause, weighed the options with weighted scores, and written a recommendation memo. In the next episode, the practice episode that closes this session, we combine all our file skills to build a short report from sales data. See you there!
Practice exercises
Try these on your own after watching to lock in what you learned.
Upload two quotes or two brochures and ask for a comparison table using your criteria
Upload two versions of a document and ask for a list of changes per section, with their impact
Build a weighted criteria table, ask Claude to calculate the scores, then check the math
Ask the class material
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Cerdas Inovasi Digital Team
Software developers, BIM & 3D engineers, and AI practitioners
52 video classes1,277 episodes
We build software, BIM models, games and AI automations for clients every day, and turn that hands-on work into step-by-step classes: every step is shown on screen and comes with a PDF guide you can keep.
