About This Guide
This user guide covers all features and workflows within the Performance IQ application. It is designed for procurement professionals, vendor managers, and category leads who are responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and improving supplier performance.
Performance IQ provides a centralised dashboard for tracking supplier scorecards, conducting structured performance reviews, monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), and analysing trends to ensure service-level compliance and continuous improvement.
Key Capabilities
Performance Dashboard
Real-time overview of supplier performance with stat cards for average score, tracked suppliers, reviews due, and SLA compliance rate.
Supplier Scorecards
Comprehensive scorecards with category-based scoring across Delivery, Quality, Communication, Cost, and Innovation dimensions.
Performance Reviews
Structured review workflow with scheduling, in-progress tracking, draft saving, and submission with automatic scorecard updates.
KPI Tracking
Defined KPIs with targets, current values, variance tracking, and status indicators (On Track, At Risk, Below Target).
Analytics & Charts
Interactive Chart.js visualisations: score distribution, trend comparisons, category averages, and SLA compliance by tier.
Risk Flagging
Automatic risk classification with colour-coded badges: Good (green), Needs Improvement (amber), and Critical (red).
Alerts & Notifications
Bell icon notifications for overdue reviews, score changes, and upcoming review cycle reminders with priority coding.
AI Assistant
Built-in AI chat panel for querying supplier data, generating insights, and getting performance recommendations on demand.
Table of Contents
- 1. Quick-Start: Your First 10 MinutesPage 3
- 2. Navigation & Getting StartedPage 4
- 3. Performance DashboardPage 4
- 4. Supplier ScorecardsPage 5
- 5. Performance ReviewsPage 6
- 6. KPI Tracking & SLA CompliancePage 7
- 7. Analytics & InsightsPage 8
- 8. Risk Flagging & Comparative AnalysisPage 9
- 9. FAQ & TroubleshootingPage 10
How Do I… Quick Reference
Find the answer to common tasks instantly:
| I want to… | Go to |
|---|
| View supplier scores | Scorecards §4.1 (p.5) |
| Start a performance review | Reviews §5.2 (p.6) |
| Check which reviews are overdue | Reviews §5.1 (p.6) |
| See the performance trend | Dashboard §3.2 (p.4) |
| Filter suppliers alphabetically | Scorecards §4.2 (p.5) |
| Check SLA compliance rates | KPIs §6.2 (p.7) |
| View score distribution | Analytics §7.1 (p.8) |
| Switch to Light Mode | Getting Started §2.2 (p.4) |
| I want to… | Go to |
|---|
| Search for a specific supplier | Getting Started §2.3 (p.4) |
| Submit a completed review | Reviews §5.3 (p.6) |
| Save a review as draft | Reviews §5.4 (p.6) |
| Check KPI variance | KPIs §6.1 (p.7) |
| Compare top 5 suppliers | Analytics §7.2 (p.8) |
| Identify at-risk suppliers | Risk §8.1 (p.9) |
| Use the AI Assistant | Getting Started §2.4 (p.4) |
| Switch organisations | FAQ Q3 (p.10) |
1. Quick-Start: Your First 10 Minutes
This walkthrough takes you from first login to a fully completed supplier performance review. Follow these 6 steps to orient yourself and submit your first evaluation.
- Open Performance IQ — Launch the app in your browser. If authenticated, your data loads from Supabase automatically. If exploring, Demo Mode loads sample supplier data so you can try everything risk-free.
- Orient yourself — The sidebar (left) contains 5 navigation items: Dashboard, Supplier Scorecards, Performance Reviews, KPI Tracking, and Analytics, plus the AI Assistant toggle. The topbar has the search bar, notification bell, help button, and profile avatar.
- Review the Dashboard — The Dashboard loads by default, showing four KPI stat cards (Average Performance Score, Tracked Suppliers, Reviews Due, SLA Compliance Rate), a Performance Trend chart, a Category Breakdown doughnut, and a Recent Activity table.
- Explore Supplier Scorecards — Click Supplier Scorecards in the sidebar. Browse all tracked suppliers with their Overall Score, Delivery, Quality, Communication, Cost ratings, and status badges. Use the A–Z filter to find a specific vendor.
- Start a Performance Review — Click Performance Reviews in the sidebar. Find a supplier with a "Scheduled" or "Overdue" status and click the Review or Start Now button. The Review Detail panel opens below with category score inputs and a comments field.
- Submit the Review — Enter scores for each category (Delivery, Quality, Communication, Cost, Innovation), add comments, then click Submit Review. The supplier's scorecard updates automatically and the review status changes to "Completed".
Screenshot: Performance Dashboard
Capture the Dashboard page showing KPI stat cards, Performance Trend line chart, Category Breakdown doughnut, and Recent Activity table.
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Demo Mode: If you are not authenticated, Performance IQ loads sample supplier data with pre-populated scorecards, reviews, and KPIs. This lets you explore every feature without affecting real data. Sign in with Supabase to switch to live organisational data.
Common Workflows at a Glance
Three workflows you will use most often:
Conduct a Review
Reviews → click Review/Start Now → enter category scores → Submit Review. Scorecard updates automatically with the new ratings.
Monitor KPI Health
KPI Tracking → check On-Time Delivery, Quality Score, and Response Time stat cards → review the KPI Definitions table for variance details.
Identify At-Risk Suppliers
Scorecards → look for "Critical" or "Needs Improvement" badges → click through to review history → schedule a corrective review.
Screenshot: Supplier Scorecards Table
Capture the Supplier Scorecards page showing the A–Z filter bar, scorecard table with category columns, and status badges.
2. Navigation & Getting Started
Performance IQ is accessed via your web browser. No installation is required. The application supports both authenticated (Supabase) and demo modes.
2.1 Layout Overview
The application uses a fixed sidebar (left, 280px) + topbar (top, 85px) layout. The sidebar holds 5 navigation items plus the AI Assistant toggle and a theme toggle at the bottom. The topbar holds the global search bar, notification bell, help button, and user profile avatar.
Screenshot: Full Application Layout
Annotated capture showing: (1) Sidebar with nav items, (2) Topbar with search, bell & help, (3) Main content area, (4) Theme toggle, (5) App Switcher logo.
2.2 Theme Toggle (Dark / Light Mode)
Click the moon/sun icon at the bottom of the sidebar to switch between Dark Mode and Light Mode. Your preference is persisted in local storage and applied on next visit. All charts automatically adjust their colours, grid lines, and tooltips to match the active theme.
2.3 App Switcher & Global Search
App Switcher: Click the IQ logo in the sidebar header to open a dropdown listing all IQ platform apps (Renewal IQ, Deal IQ, Performance IQ, Admin IQ, and more). Click any tile to navigate to that application.
Global Search: The topbar search bar searches across supplier names, KPI names, and review data. Results appear in a dropdown with type badges. Click any result to navigate directly to the matching item.
2.4 AI Assistant
Click AI Assistant in the sidebar to open a slide-out chat panel. Ask questions about your supplier data, request performance summaries, or get recommendations. The AI panel supports multi-turn conversation and persists chat history in local storage.
3. Performance Dashboard
The Dashboard is the default landing page, providing a real-time overview of your supplier performance portfolio.
3.1 KPI Stat Cards
Four stat cards provide instant portfolio metrics:
| Card | What It Shows | Why It Matters |
|---|
| Avg. Performance Score | Weighted average score across all tracked suppliers | Know the overall health of your supplier base at a glance. |
| Tracked Suppliers | Total count of suppliers being monitored | Understand the scope of your vendor management programme. |
| Reviews Due | Number of reviews currently scheduled or overdue | Identify upcoming workload and overdue evaluations. |
| SLA Compliance Rate | Percentage of suppliers meeting SLA targets | Track contractual compliance across your portfolio. |
3.2 Performance Trend & Category Breakdown
Two charts sit below the stat cards in a 2-column grid:
Performance Trend — A line chart showing average score over 12 months with a gradient fill area. Hover over data points to see exact values. Useful for identifying upward or downward trends.
Category Breakdown — A doughnut chart showing relative scores across the 5 scoring categories (Delivery, Quality, Communication, Cost, Innovation). The legend on the right shows each category with its percentage contribution.
3.3 Recent Activity
A table at the bottom lists the most recent supplier score changes with columns for Supplier, Category, Score Change (colour-coded: green for increases, red for decreases), Date, and Updated By.
Screenshot: Dashboard Charts & Recent Activity
Capture the Performance Trend line chart, Category Breakdown doughnut, and Recent Activity table below them.
4. Supplier Scorecards
The Supplier Scorecards page is your master register of supplier performance ratings. It provides a comprehensive table view of all tracked suppliers with their individual category scores and overall performance status.
4.1 Scorecards Table
The table displays the following columns for each supplier:
| Column | What It Shows |
|---|
| Supplier Name | The vendor name, displayed with bold styling for quick scanning. |
| Overall Score | Weighted average of all category scores (0–100). Colour-coded by performance tier. |
| Delivery | Score for on-time delivery and fulfilment reliability (0–100). |
| Quality | Score for product/service quality and defect rates (0–100). |
| Communication | Score for responsiveness, clarity, and proactive engagement (0–100). |
| Cost | Score for cost competitiveness and value for money (0–100). |
| Last Reviewed | Date of the most recent performance review for this supplier. |
| Status | Colour-coded badge: Good, Needs Improvement, or Critical. |
4.2 A–Z Alphabetical Filter
A horizontal filter bar at the top of the Scorecards page provides an ALL button plus 26 letter buttons (A–Z). Click any letter to filter the table to suppliers whose name starts with that letter. Click "ALL" to reset and show every supplier. The active filter button is highlighted with a blue accent.
Screenshot: Supplier Scorecards Page
Capture showing: (1) A–Z filter bar at top, (2) Scorecards table with all category columns, (3) Colour-coded score values and status badges.
4.3 Score Colour Coding
Individual category scores and overall scores are colour-coded to provide instant visual feedback:
4.4 Category-Based Scoring Model
Performance IQ evaluates suppliers across five equally weighted categories. Each category is scored from 0 to 100, and the Overall Score is the arithmetic mean of all five:
| Category | What It Measures | Example Criteria |
|---|
| Delivery | Timeliness and reliability of deliverables | On-time delivery rate, milestone adherence, lead time accuracy |
| Quality | Standard of goods or services provided | Defect rates, rework frequency, specification conformance |
| Communication | Responsiveness and stakeholder engagement | Response time, escalation handling, reporting quality |
| Cost | Financial competitiveness and value | Price benchmarking, cost avoidance, invoice accuracy |
| Innovation | Proactive improvement and forward thinking | Improvement suggestions, technology adoption, process optimisation |
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Overall Score Calculation: The Overall Score is calculated as: (Delivery + Quality + Communication + Cost + Innovation) / 5. When a review is submitted, the supplier's scorecard is automatically updated with the new category values and recalculated overall score.
5. Performance Reviews
The Performance Reviews page manages the full review lifecycle — from scheduling through to completion. It combines summary statistics, a review table, and a detailed review form in a single workflow.
5.1 Review Summary Cards
Three stat cards at the top of the page provide a quick overview of review activity:
| Card | What It Shows | Why It Matters |
|---|
| Completed This Quarter | Count of reviews completed in the current quarter | Track progress against your quarterly review schedule. |
| Currently In Progress | Reviews that have been started but not yet submitted | Identify open work items that need attention. |
| Overdue Reviews | Reviews past their scheduled date without completion | Highlight urgent reviews requiring immediate action. |
5.2 Reviews Table
The All Reviews table displays every review record with the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|
| Review ID | Unique identifier (e.g., REV-001) displayed in monospace font. |
| Supplier | Name of the supplier being reviewed. |
| Reviewer | Person conducting the review. |
| Scheduled Date | Date the review was scheduled for. |
| Status | Colour-coded badge: Completed, In Progress, Scheduled, or Overdue. |
| Score | Final overall score if completed; dash if pending. |
| Actions | Context-sensitive button: "Review" for scheduled, "Start Now" for overdue, "View" for completed. |
Screenshot: Performance Reviews Page
Capture showing the 3 stat cards, All Reviews table with status badges, and action buttons for each row.
5.3 Conducting a Review
When you click Review or Start Now, the Review Detail panel expands below the table. Follow these steps:
- Select the Supplier — The supplier dropdown is pre-populated from your tracked suppliers list. It auto-selects the supplier you clicked from the table.
- Enter the Review Period — Specify the period being evaluated (e.g., "Q1 2026").
- Confirm the Reviewer — Enter or verify the reviewer's name.
- Score Each Category — Enter a score from 0 to 100 for each of the five categories: Delivery, Quality, Communication, Cost, and Innovation. Default values start at 80.
- Add Comments — Use the comments textarea for qualitative feedback, improvement actions, or escalation notes.
- Submit or Save Draft — Click Submit Review to finalise (status becomes "Completed" and the scorecard updates), or click Save Draft to save progress (status becomes "In Progress").
5.4 Draft Saving
Clicking Save Draft changes the review status from "Scheduled" or "Overdue" to "In Progress" and saves the reviewer name. You can return to complete it later by clicking the "Review" button again. The Review Detail panel will reappear with the supplier pre-selected.
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Automatic Scorecard Update: When you submit a review, the supplier's scorecard is automatically updated with the new category scores and overall rating. The activity log also records the submission, which appears in the Dashboard's Recent Activity table.
!
Important: Once submitted, a review cannot be edited. Ensure all scores and comments are accurate before clicking Submit Review. If you need to correct a score after submission, you must create a new review for that supplier.
6. KPI Tracking & SLA Compliance
The KPI Tracking page provides a structured view of key performance indicators across your supplier base, with targets, current values, variance tracking, and compliance status indicators.
6.1 KPI Summary Cards
Three stat cards at the top highlight the most critical KPI metrics:
On-Time Delivery Rate
96.1%
6.2 KPI Definitions Table
The KPI Definitions table lists all defined indicators with the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|
| KPI Name | Descriptive name of the indicator (e.g., "On-Time Delivery Rate"). |
| Category | Which scoring dimension the KPI relates to (Delivery, Quality, Cost, etc.). |
| Target | The agreed threshold or benchmark value. |
| Current | The actual measured value, displayed in bold. |
| Variance | Difference between target and current. Colour-coded: green if positive, amber if marginal, red if below target. |
| Status | Badge indicating: On Track, At Risk, or Below Target. |
Screenshot: KPI Tracking Page
Capture showing the 3 KPI stat cards and the full KPI Definitions table with variance colours and status badges.
6.3 SLA Compliance Monitoring
SLA compliance is monitored through the KPI framework. The SLA Compliance Rate on the Dashboard (94.2%) represents the percentage of suppliers meeting their contractual service-level agreements. The KPI Tracking page breaks this down into specific indicators:
On-Time Delivery SLA
Measures whether deliverables arrive within the agreed timeframe. Target is typically 95%+. Tracked monthly and reported in the KPI table.
Response Time SLA
Average time for suppliers to respond to requests or issues. Measured in hours. Lower is better. Critical suppliers have tighter SLA windows.
Quality Threshold SLA
Product/service quality must meet minimum score. Below-threshold deliveries trigger corrective action workflows and impact the overall score.
Cost Variance SLA
Measures deviation from agreed pricing. Invoice accuracy and cost overruns are tracked against contractual terms and budget allocations.
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KPI Status Logic: "On Track" means the current value meets or exceeds the target. "At Risk" means the current value is within 5% of the target threshold. "Below Target" means the KPI has failed to meet its defined target. These statuses are automatically calculated based on the variance.
7. Analytics & Insights
The Analytics page provides four interactive charts powered by Chart.js. All charts are theme-aware, automatically adjusting colours, grid lines, and tooltip styles when switching between Dark Mode and Light Mode.
7.1 Score Distribution
A bar chart showing how many suppliers fall into each score range: 90–100, 80–89, 70–79, 60–69, and below 60. Each bar uses a gradient colour from the blue–purple palette. This chart helps identify the distribution of supplier quality across your portfolio.
Screenshot: Score Distribution Chart
Capture the bar chart showing supplier count per score range with gradient-coloured bars.
7.2 Trend Comparison — Top 5 Suppliers
A line chart comparing the performance trends of your five highest-scoring suppliers over 12 months. Each supplier is represented by a distinct coloured line with smooth tension curves. Hover over data points to see exact scores. Useful for benchmarking top performers against each other.
7.3 Category Averages
A horizontal bar chart showing the portfolio-wide average score for each of the five scoring categories (Delivery, Quality, Communication, Cost, Innovation). Bars use horizontal gradient fills progressing from blue to purple. This reveals which categories are strongest and where improvement efforts should focus.
Score Distribution
Bar chart grouping suppliers by score range (90–100, 80–89, etc.). Reveals the shape of your supplier quality curve.
Trend Comparison
Multi-line chart tracking top 5 suppliers over 12 months. Shows convergence, divergence, or seasonal patterns.
Category Averages
Horizontal bar chart comparing Delivery, Quality, Communication, Cost, and Innovation averages across all suppliers.
SLA Compliance by Tier
Grouped bar chart showing SLA compliance rates broken down by supplier tier (Strategic, Preferred, Transactional).
7.4 SLA Compliance by Tier
A grouped bar chart breaking down SLA compliance rates by supplier tier. Strategic suppliers (highest value/criticality) are compared against Preferred and Transactional tiers. This visualisation helps procurement teams ensure that the most critical supplier relationships maintain the highest compliance standards.
Screenshot: Analytics Page — All Four Charts
Capture the full Analytics page showing all four charts: Score Distribution, Trend Comparison, Category Averages, and SLA Compliance by Tier.
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Chart Interactivity: All charts support hover tooltips with exact values, and the charts use the blue–purple gradient palette from the IQ design system. Charts automatically rebuild when the theme is toggled to ensure optimal contrast and readability.
8. Risk Flagging & Comparative Analysis
Performance IQ automatically classifies suppliers into risk tiers based on their overall performance scores, enabling proactive vendor management and timely intervention.
8.1 Automatic Risk Classification
Every supplier is assigned a status badge based on their overall score. These badges appear in the Scorecards table and are updated automatically whenever a review is submitted:
Good
Score 80–100
Supplier is performing well. Maintain current engagement and continue standard review cycle.
Needs Improvement
Score 60–79
Performance gaps detected. Schedule a focused review and discuss corrective action plans.
Critical
Score Below 60
Serious performance failure. Escalate immediately. Consider alternative suppliers or contract remediation.
8.2 Notification-Based Alerting
The notification bell in the topbar displays alerts for key events. Click the bell to see a dropdown with recent notifications:
| Alert Type | Trigger | Example |
|---|
| Overdue Review | A scheduled review has passed its due date | "Kyndryl review overdue — Performance review was due 3 days ago" |
| Score Update | A supplier's score has changed after a review | "Cloudflare score updated — Overall score increased to 94" |
| Review Cycle Reminder | Multiple reviews are scheduled within the current week | "5 reviews due this week — Quarterly review cycle reminder" |
Screenshot: Notification Dropdown
Capture the bell icon with badge count and the expanded notification dropdown showing overdue review, score update, and cycle reminder alerts.
8.3 Comparative Analysis Techniques
Performance IQ provides several tools for comparing suppliers against each other and against benchmarks:
Side-by-Side Scorecards
Use the Scorecards table to compare any two or more suppliers by scrolling through category scores. The colour coding provides instant visual comparison across all five dimensions.
Trend Comparison Chart
The Analytics page overlays top 5 supplier trends on a single chart, making it easy to spot which suppliers are improving, plateauing, or declining over time.
Category Benchmarking
The Category Averages chart shows the portfolio mean for each dimension. Compare individual supplier scores against these averages to identify outliers.
Score Distribution Curve
The Score Distribution chart reveals whether your supplier base is top-heavy (most above 80) or has a long tail of underperformers requiring intervention.
8.4 Profile & Multi-Organisation
Click the user avatar in the topbar to open the Profile Popover. Edit your name, position, and organisation. If you belong to multiple organisations, a dropdown lets you switch context — all data (suppliers, reviews, KPIs) is scoped to the selected organisation.
Invite Code: Share this code with colleagues so they can join your organisation and access the same supplier performance data.
9. FAQ & Troubleshooting
Quick answers to the most common questions:
Q1: I just logged in and see no supplier data. Where are my scorecards?
If you are logging in for the first time, your organisation's database is empty. Supplier data is created through performance reviews. Start by having your administrator seed initial supplier records, or use Demo Mode to explore the interface with sample data. Check that you are signed into the correct organisation via the Profile Popover.
Q2: How is the Overall Score calculated?
The Overall Score is the arithmetic mean of five equally weighted categories: Delivery, Quality, Communication, Cost, and Innovation. Each category is scored 0–100. The formula is: (D + Q + C + Co + I) / 5. When a review is submitted, the scorecard recalculates automatically.
Q3: How do I switch between organisations?
Click your avatar (top-right) to open the Profile Popover. If you belong to multiple organisations, the Organisation field becomes a dropdown. Select a different organisation and click Save. All data will refresh to show that organisation's supplier data, reviews, and KPIs.
Q4: Can I edit a review after submitting it?
No. Once a review is submitted, it is finalised and the scorecard is updated. If you need to correct scores, create a new review for the same supplier. The new review will overwrite the previous category scores on the scorecard.
Q5: What triggers a "Critical" status on a supplier?
A supplier is flagged as "Critical" when their Overall Score falls below 60. This is calculated automatically after each review submission. Suppliers scoring 60–79 receive "Needs Improvement" status, and those at 80+ are classified as "Good".
Q6: How do I know when reviews are overdue?
Overdue reviews are flagged in three places: (1) The Reviews Due stat card on the Dashboard, (2) The "Overdue" badge in the Performance Reviews table, and (3) A notification in the bell icon dropdown. Overdue reviews show a red "Start Now" action button for immediate attention.
Q7: What is the difference between the Dashboard charts and the Analytics charts?
The Dashboard shows two charts: a 12-month Performance Trend (line chart of average score over time) and a Category Breakdown (doughnut showing relative category weights). The Analytics page has four deeper-dive charts: Score Distribution, Trend Comparison (top 5 suppliers), Category Averages, and SLA Compliance by Tier.
Q8: What is the difference between Dark Mode and Light Mode functionally?
There is no functional difference — both modes offer identical features. The choice is purely visual preference. Your theme selection is saved in local storage and persists across sessions. All charts automatically adjust their colour palette for optimal readability in each mode.
Q9: How does the A–Z filter work on the Scorecards page?
Click any letter button to filter the table to show only suppliers whose name starts with that letter. Click "ALL" to reset and display every supplier. The active filter is highlighted in blue. The filter works in combination with the global search bar — if you type in the search bar while a letter filter is active, both constraints apply.
Q10: Can I use the AI Assistant for supplier analysis?
Yes. Click AI Assistant in the sidebar to open the chat panel. You can ask questions like "Which suppliers are at risk?", "Summarise Cloudflare's performance", or "What are the weakest categories across all suppliers?". The AI uses your live data context to generate insights.
Q11: How do I invite a colleague to my organisation?
Open the Profile Popover (click your avatar). Copy the Invite Code shown there and share it with your colleague. They can enter this code during sign-up or in their own Profile Popover to join your organisation and access the same supplier performance data.
Q12: Does data sync across devices?
Yes, when authenticated via Supabase. All supplier data, reviews, KPIs, and scorecards sync to the cloud database in real time. Row-Level Security (RLS) ensures data isolation between organisations. In Demo Mode, data is local to your browser session only and will not persist.
IQ Platform Applications
Renewal IQ
Contract renewals
Performance IQ
Supplier performance