About This Guide
This user guide covers all features and workflows within the Vendor IQ application. It is designed for procurement professionals, vendor managers, and IT administrators who oversee vendor relationships, risk compliance, and spend analysis across their organisation.
Vendor IQ provides a centralised platform for maintaining a vendor directory, conducting risk assessments, visualising vendor distribution geographically, and gaining analytical insights into your vendor portfolio.
Key Capabilities
Dashboard & KPIs
Real-time overview of your vendor portfolio with stat cards for total vendors, active vendors, under review count, and total contract value.
Vendor Directory
Full CRUD operations for vendors with filtering by category, status, tier, and search. Detailed vendor profiles with contact information.
Risk Assessments
Six-pillar risk assessment matrix covering InfoSec, GDPR, Financial, BCP, ESG, and Regulatory compliance with status tracking per vendor.
Vendor Heat Map
Interactive world map showing geographic distribution of vendors with colour-coded density indicators and country-level drill-down.
Analytics & Charts
Six interactive Chart.js visualisations: category breakdown, tier distribution, country spread, risk completion, spend analysis, and status overview.
Vendor Detail & Mini Map
Comprehensive vendor profiles with all contact fields, per-vendor risk checklists, geographic mini map, and edit/delete controls.
Tiered Classification
Four-tier vendor classification system: Strategic, Preferred, Approved, and Transactional — each with distinct badge styling and risk expectations.
AI Assistant
Built-in AI chat panel for querying vendor data, generating summaries, and receiving intelligent recommendations on your portfolio.
Table of Contents
- 1. Quick-Start: Your First 10 MinutesPage 3
- 2. Navigation & Getting StartedPage 4
- 3. Vendor DashboardPage 4
- 4. All Vendors & Vendor DirectoryPage 5
- 5. Vendor Detail & ProfilesPage 5
- 6. Risk Assessments & CompliancePage 6
- 7. Heat Map & AnalyticsPage 7
- 8. Data Management, Profile & AI AssistantPage 8
- 9. FAQ & TroubleshootingPage 9
How Do I… Quick Reference
Find the answer to common tasks instantly:
| I want to… | Go to |
|---|
| Add a new vendor | Quick-Start, Step 3 (p.3) |
| View a vendor's full profile | Vendor Detail §5.1 (p.5) |
| Edit vendor information | Vendor Detail §5.3 (p.5) |
| Filter vendors by category | All Vendors §4.2 (p.5) |
| Update a risk assessment | Risk §6.2 (p.6) |
| See vendors on a map | Heat Map §7.1 (p.7) |
| View analytics charts | Analytics §7.3 (p.7) |
| Switch to Light Mode | Getting Started §2.2 (p.4) |
| I want to… | Go to |
|---|
| Search for a specific vendor | Getting Started §2.3 (p.4) |
| Check risk compliance rates | Risk Overview §6.1 (p.6) |
| See spend by category | Analytics §7.3 (p.7) |
| Classify vendor tiers | All Vendors §4.3 (p.5) |
| View vendor country location | Vendor Detail §5.2 (p.5) |
| Use the AI Assistant | AI Assistant §8.3 (p.8) |
| Switch organisations | Profile §8.2 (p.8) |
| Delete a vendor | FAQ Q8 (p.9) |
1. Quick-Start: Your First 10 Minutes
This walkthrough takes you from first login to a fully managed vendor profile. Follow these 6 steps and you will have added, explored, and assessed a vendor end-to-end.
- Open Vendor IQ — Launch the app in your browser. If authenticated, your data loads from Supabase automatically. If exploring, Demo Mode loads 18 sample vendors with pre-populated risk data so you can try everything risk-free.
- Orient yourself — The sidebar (left) holds 5 navigation items: Dashboard, All Vendors, Heat Map, Risk Overview, and Analytics, plus the AI Assistant. The topbar (top) has the search bar, notification bell, help button, and your profile avatar. The Dashboard loads by default.
- Add your first vendor — Click All Vendors in the sidebar, then click the + Add Vendor button (top-right). Fill in the vendor name, category, status, tier, country, and contact details. Click Save Vendor. Your vendor now appears in the table.
- Explore the vendor detail — Click the vendor row you just created. The Vendor Detail page opens showing all profile fields, a geographic mini map highlighting the vendor's country, and a risk assessment checklist with all six assessment types pre-set to "Not Started".
- Update risk assessments — On the Vendor Detail page, use the dropdown selectors in the Risk Assessments section to change each assessment type (InfoSec, GDPR, Financial, BCP, ESG, Regulatory) from "Not Started" to the appropriate status. Set completion and expiry dates.
- Explore further — Visit the Heat Map to see your vendor's country highlighted on the world map, Risk Overview to see the compliance matrix, and Analytics to see category, tier, and spend breakdowns reflected in the charts.
Screenshot: Vendor Dashboard Overview
Capture the Dashboard page showing KPI stat cards, Vendors by Category doughnut chart, Vendors by Tier bar chart, and Recent Vendors table.
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Demo Data: When not authenticated, Vendor IQ loads 18 demo vendors (Microsoft, SAP, Salesforce, AWS, etc.) with realistic risk assessment data. This lets you explore every feature without entering real data first. Once you sign in, your organisation's actual data replaces the demo set.
Common Workflows at a Glance
Three workflows you will use most often:
Onboard a New Vendor
All Vendors → + Add Vendor → fill profile form → Save. Then open the detail page and complete all six risk assessments.
Review Risk Compliance
Risk Overview → check the 5 stat cards → scan the Risk Assessment Matrix → identify vendors with "Not Started" or "Expired" assessments.
Analyse Vendor Portfolio
Analytics → review 6 charts covering category, country, tier, risk completion, spend, and status → use insights for strategic planning.
Screenshot: Add Vendor Form
Capture the Add Vendor form showing all fields: Vendor Name, Code, Category, Status, Tier, Country, Contact Name, Email, Phone, Website, Account Manager, Contract Count, Total Value, Notes.
2. Navigation & Getting Started
Vendor 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. 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 & profile, (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 under the key vendor-iq-theme and applied on next visit. All charts re-render automatically when the theme changes.
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, Vendor IQ, etc.). Click any tile to navigate to that application. The currently active app is marked with a dot indicator.
Global Search: The topbar search bar searches across vendor names and vendor codes. Type a query and press Enter to navigate directly to the first matching vendor's detail page.
3. Vendor Dashboard
The Dashboard is the default landing page, providing a real-time overview of your entire vendor portfolio.
3.1 KPI Stat Cards
Four stat cards provide instant portfolio metrics:
| Card | What It Shows | Why It Matters |
|---|
| Total Vendors | Count of all vendors in your portfolio | Know the size of your vendor base at a glance. |
| Active Vendors | Vendors with "Active" status | Understand how many vendors are currently operational. |
| Under Review | Vendors flagged as "Under Review" | Identify vendors requiring evaluation or re-assessment. |
| Total Contract Value | Aggregate value in GBP across all vendors | Understand total financial exposure to your vendor base. |
3.2 Dashboard Charts
Two charts are displayed side by side below the stat cards:
Vendors by Category — A doughnut chart showing vendor distribution across categories (SaaS, Hardware, Consulting, Cloud Infrastructure, Security, Telecoms, Professional Services, Managed Services, Licensing, Data & Analytics, Other).
Vendors by Tier — A bar chart showing vendor counts across the four tiers: Strategic, Preferred, Approved, and Transactional.
3.3 Recent Vendors Table
A table at the bottom lists the 8 most recent vendors with columns for Vendor Name, Category, Status (colour-coded badge), Tier (colour-coded badge), Country, and Total Value. Click any row to open that vendor's detail page.
Screenshot: Dashboard KPI Cards & Charts
Capture the four stat cards, the Vendors by Category doughnut, and the Vendors by Tier bar chart.
4. All Vendors & Vendor Directory
The All Vendors page is your master register of vendor relationships. Use it to search, filter, add, and manage individual vendor profiles.
4.1 Action Button
A single + Add Vendor button (top-right) opens a full-page form where you can create a new vendor record with all profile fields.
4.2 Filter Toolbar
A horizontal filter bar sits above the vendor table with four controls:
| Filter | Options |
|---|
| Search | Free-text search across vendor names and vendor codes. Results update as you type. |
| Category | All Categories, SaaS, Hardware, Consulting, Cloud Infrastructure, Security, Telecoms, Professional Services, Managed Services, Licensing, Data & Analytics, Other. |
| Status | All Statuses, Active, Inactive, Under Review, Blocked. |
| Tier | All Tiers, Strategic, Preferred, Approved, Transactional. |
4.3 Vendors Table
Columns: Vendor Name, Code, Category, Status (colour-coded badge), Tier (colour-coded badge), Country, Contract Value, and Actions (View button). Click any row to open the Vendor Detail page.
Screenshot: All Vendors Page
Capture showing: (1) + Add Vendor button top-right, (2) Filter toolbar with search, category, status, tier dropdowns, (3) Main vendors table with badges.
5. Vendor Detail & Profiles
The Vendor Detail page provides a comprehensive view of a single vendor. It uses a two-panel layout: vendor information on the left, geographic mini map on the right.
5.1 Vendor Information Panel
| Field | Description |
|---|
| Vendor Code | Unique identifier (e.g., VND-0001). |
| Category | Business category: SaaS, Hardware, Consulting, etc. |
| Status | Active, Inactive, Under Review, or Blocked. |
| Tier | Strategic, Preferred, Approved, or Transactional. |
| Country | Vendor's registered country. |
| Contact Details | Contact Name, Email, Phone. |
| Website | Vendor's website URL. |
| Account Manager | Internal account manager responsible for the vendor. |
| Contracts & Value | Total contract count and aggregate contract value in GBP. |
| Notes | Free-text notes field for additional context. |
5.2 Geographic Mini Map
The right panel renders an SVG world map with the vendor's country highlighted in a gradient stroke. The country name is displayed below the map. If no country is set, a "No location data" message appears.
5.3 Edit & Delete Actions
Edit Vendor: Click the Edit Vendor button to open a full-page form pre-populated with all existing vendor data. Make changes and click Save Vendor.
Delete Vendor: Click the Delete Vendor button to open a confirmation modal. Deletion is permanent and removes the vendor plus all associated risk assessment data.
!
Important: Deleting a vendor is permanent and cannot be undone. All associated risk assessment records are also removed. If authenticated, the vendor is deleted from Supabase as well.
6. Risk Assessments & Compliance
Vendor IQ provides a comprehensive risk assessment framework with six assessment pillars, tracked per vendor. The Risk Overview page gives a portfolio-wide compliance view, while individual vendor detail pages allow per-vendor assessment management.
6.1 Risk Overview Page
Five stat cards at the top provide compliance metrics at a glance:
| Card | What It Shows | Why It Matters |
|---|
| Completed | Total assessments with "Completed" status | Measure of compliance readiness across vendors. |
| In Progress | Assessments currently being worked on | Track ongoing compliance activities. |
| Not Started | Assessments that haven't begun | Identify compliance gaps requiring attention. |
| Expired | Assessments that were completed but have since expired | Flag renewals needed for previously compliant vendors. |
| Completion Rate | Percentage of applicable assessments completed | Overall portfolio compliance health metric. |
6.2 Risk Assessment Matrix
Below the stat cards, a full-width matrix table lists every vendor as a row, with columns for each of the six assessment types. Each cell shows a colour-coded status badge:
Completed
In Progress
Not Started
Expired
N/A
Screenshot: Risk Overview & Assessment Matrix
Capture the 5 stat cards (Completed, In Progress, Not Started, Expired, Completion Rate) and the risk matrix table below.
6.3 Six Assessment Pillars
InfoSec
Information security assessment covering data protection controls, encryption standards, access management, and incident response procedures.
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation compliance review including data processing agreements, subject access rights, and data transfer mechanisms.
Financial
Financial stability assessment evaluating credit ratings, annual revenue, solvency ratios, and payment history.
BCP
Business Continuity Planning review covering disaster recovery capabilities, RTO/RPO targets, and failover testing schedules.
ESG
Environmental, Social & Governance assessment evaluating sustainability commitments, diversity policies, and ethical practices.
Regulatory
Regulatory compliance review covering industry-specific requirements, certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2), and audit readiness.
6.4 Per-Vendor Risk Checklist
On each Vendor Detail page, a dedicated Risk Assessments panel shows all six assessment types in a checklist format. Each row contains:
Status Dropdown — Select from Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Expired, or N/A. Changes save immediately.
Completion Date — Date picker for when the assessment was completed.
Expiry Date — Date picker for when the assessment expires and needs renewal.
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Tier-Based Expectations: Strategic vendors are expected to have all six assessments completed. Preferred vendors typically require four. Approved vendors need core assessments (InfoSec, GDPR). Transactional vendors may have most assessments marked as N/A.
7. Heat Map & Analytics
7.1 Vendor Heat Map
The Heat Map page displays an interactive SVG world map visualising the geographic distribution of your vendor portfolio. Countries with vendors are colour-coded based on vendor concentration:
Colour Scale: The map uses a gradient scale from light (fewer vendors) to dark (more vendors). Countries without any vendors are shown in a neutral muted colour. Hover over any country to see a tooltip with the country name and vendor count.
Legend: A legend bar below the map shows the colour gradient scale and the range of vendor counts.
Screenshot: Vendor Heat Map
Capture the full world map SVG with countries colour-coded by vendor count, and the legend bar below.
7.2 Heat Map Interactions
Hover Tooltip: Move your cursor over any country to see a floating tooltip displaying the country name and the number of vendors registered there.
Click Navigation: Clicking a country with vendors navigates you to the All Vendors page, filtered to show only vendors from that country.
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Geographic Concentration Risk: Use the heat map to identify geographic concentration risk. If too many critical vendors are based in a single country, consider diversification strategies for business continuity.
7.3 Analytics & Insights
Six interactive charts powered by Chart.js, arranged in a 2-column grid with 3 rows:
Vendors by Category
Doughnut chart showing the distribution of vendors across all 11 categories. Helps identify category concentration.
Top 10 Countries
Horizontal bar chart ranking the ten countries with the most vendors. Visualises geographic distribution patterns.
Vendors by Tier
Bar chart showing vendor counts across Strategic, Preferred, Approved, and Transactional tiers. Indicates portfolio maturity.
Risk Assessment Completion
Stacked bar chart showing Completed, In Progress, Not Started, and Expired counts across each of the 6 assessment types.
Spend by Category
Bar chart showing aggregate contract value (GBP) per vendor category. Highlights where spend is concentrated.
Vendor Status Distribution
Doughnut chart showing the proportion of Active, Inactive, Under Review, and Blocked vendors across the portfolio.
Screenshot: Analytics Page
Capture the full Analytics page showing all 6 charts in the 2-column grid layout.
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Theme-Aware Charts: All charts automatically adjust their colours, grid lines, tooltip styles, and gradient fills when switching between Dark Mode and Light Mode.
8. Data Management, Profile & AI Assistant
8.1 Cloud Sync (Supabase)
When authenticated, all vendor data and risk assessments sync to Supabase (PostgreSQL) in real time. Row-Level Security (RLS) ensures data isolation between organisations. In Demo Mode (not authenticated), 18 sample vendors with pre-populated risk data are loaded into the browser session only and will not persist.
8.2 User Profile & Multi-Org
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 (vendors, risk assessments) is scoped to the selected organisation.
Invite Code: Share this code with colleagues so they can join your organisation. The code is displayed in the Profile Popover when authenticated.
Screenshot: Profile Popover
Capture the Profile Popover showing Name, Position, Organisation fields, Save Changes button, Invite Code section, and Sign Out button.
8.3 AI Assistant
Click AI Assistant in the sidebar to open a slide-out chat panel. The AI assistant can help you with:
Portfolio Queries
Ask questions about your vendor data: "How many vendors are Strategic tier?" or "Which vendors have expired GDPR assessments?"
Risk Summaries
Request compliance summaries: "Summarise the risk status for Microsoft" or "Show vendors with incomplete InfoSec assessments."
Strategic Recommendations
Get insights and suggestions: "Recommend which vendors should be upgraded to Strategic tier" or "Identify concentration risks."
Data Assistance
Get help with data tasks: "Draft a vendor assessment reminder email" or "Compare spending across SaaS and Cloud categories."
The chat history persists in local storage across sessions. Type your message in the input field at the bottom of the panel and press Enter or click the send button.
8.4 Help & User Guides
Click the ? help icon in the topbar to open a dropdown with a link to the User Guides page. This opens in a new tab and provides access to documentation for all IQ platform applications.
8.5 Vendor Statuses & Tier Classification Reference
Understanding the vendor status and tier classification system:
Vendor Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|
| Active | Vendor is actively engaged with current contracts. |
| Inactive | Vendor has no active contracts; retained for historical record. |
| Under Review | Vendor is being evaluated for approval or re-assessment. |
| Blocked | Vendor is blocked from new contracts due to compliance/risk issues. |
Vendor Tiers
| Tier | Meaning |
|---|
| Strategic | Critical vendors with high spend and deep integration. |
| Preferred | Established vendors with strong performance and preferential terms. |
| Approved | Vetted vendors approved for standard procurement. |
| Transactional | Low-value, ad-hoc vendors with minimal risk controls. |
9. FAQ & Troubleshooting
Quick answers to the most common questions:
Q1: I just logged in and see demo data instead of my organisation's vendors. What happened?
If you see demo vendors (Microsoft, SAP, Salesforce, etc.), it means you are running in Demo Mode — either you are not authenticated, or the Supabase connection could not be established. Click your avatar (top-right) and verify you are signed in. If authenticated, your organisation's data will automatically replace the demo set.
Q2: 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 vendor data and risk assessments will refresh for that organisation.
Q3: A vendor's country is not showing on the mini map. Why?
The mini map requires the vendor to have a country assigned. Edit the vendor profile and select a country from the dropdown. The map uses ISO country codes and supports all major countries. If the country was assigned but still does not display, check that the country code is valid.
Q4: How are the risk assessment statuses determined?
Risk assessment statuses are set manually by the user. Each of the six assessment types (InfoSec, GDPR, Financial, BCP, ESG, Regulatory) can be set to: Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Expired, or N/A. When adding a new vendor, all assessments default to "Not Started".
Q5: 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 under vendor-iq-theme and persists across sessions. All charts re-render with appropriate colours when the theme changes.
Q6: What do the different vendor tiers mean in practice?
Strategic vendors are critical partners requiring all six risk assessments completed. Preferred vendors are established with strong track records. Approved vendors are vetted but lower priority. Transactional vendors are low-value and may have most assessments marked as N/A.
Q7: The heat map shows no coloured countries. What's wrong?
The heat map colours countries based on assigned vendors. If no vendors have a country set, all countries appear in the neutral muted colour. Edit your vendor profiles to assign countries, then navigate back to the Heat Map page to see them highlighted.
Q8: Can I undo a vendor deletion?
No. Deleting a vendor is permanent. The vendor record and all associated risk assessment data are removed from your local session and (if authenticated) from the Supabase database. There is no recycle bin or undo feature.
Q9: 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 see the same vendor data.
Q10: Can my colleague see the vendor I just added?
Yes — if you are both authenticated and belong to the same organisation, all data syncs in real time via Supabase. Your colleague will see the vendor as soon as they refresh or navigate to the relevant page. In Demo Mode, data is local to your browser only.
Q11: The analytics charts look different from what I expect. Are they filtering by date?
No — unlike Renewal IQ, Vendor IQ analytics charts are not date-filtered. They reflect the entire vendor portfolio regardless of when vendors were added. The charts update in real time whenever you add, edit, or delete a vendor.
Q12: How does Vendor IQ relate to other IQ platform apps?
Vendor IQ is part of the IQ platform suite. Use the App Switcher (click the IQ logo in the sidebar) to navigate between applications. Renewal IQ manages contract renewals, Deal IQ handles deal evaluations, and Vendor IQ manages vendor relationships and risk compliance. Data entered in one app (e.g., vendor names in Renewal IQ) may be referenced in Vendor IQ for a unified view.
IQ Platform Applications
Renewal IQ
Contract renewals
Vendor IQ
Vendor management