Product tools · Tender stage
BetaDatasheet comparison: compare technical datasheets field by field, with units normalised
Datasheet Comparison checks a baseline datasheet against one or more other datasheets, field by field. It matches fields first, normalises units where the conversion is exact, applies numeric tolerances and ignores formatting-only changes. You get every material difference with the cell or row it came from, for bid and application engineers to review.
Datasheet Comparison is in beta. Request access and we onboard each team ourselves: we run your first real documents with you and check the results together.
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What goes in and what you get out
What goes in
- Baseline datasheet (required)
- Comparison datasheet(s) (required, several files)
What it checks
- Normalise units before comparing
- Apply numeric tolerance rules
- Ignore formatting-only differences
What you get out
- One line per matched field, for each comparison datasheet
- Every material difference, such as a value, material, class or standard edition change
- Fields present in one datasheet and missing from another
- The cell or row each value came from
- CSV or JSON export
Who uses it: Application engineers, Bid and proposal engineers, Procurement engineers, Project engineers.
20 questions about the Datasheet Comparison
What is a technical datasheet?
A technical datasheet lists the design and performance data for one item of equipment, such as a valve, pump or instrument. Typical fields are size, pressure class, design conditions, materials, end connections and the standards it is built to. Customers issue a datasheet with their requirements, and suppliers return one with what they offer.
What does Datasheet Comparison do?
It compares a baseline datasheet with one or more other datasheets, one at a time. It first matches fields that mean the same thing, even if they are named differently. Then it compares the values, converting units only where the conversion is exact. It reports every material difference with the cell or row each value came from.
Which documents do I upload?
You upload one baseline datasheet and at least one datasheet to compare with it. The baseline is usually the customer's datasheet or your approved version. The others might be your offer, a revised customer issue, or several supplier proposals. It reads Excel and PDF datasheets, as well as Word and CSV files.
How do engineers compare datasheets by hand?
They usually put the datasheets side by side, or copy both into a spreadsheet, and go line by line. They convert units in their head or with a calculator and mark each difference. It is slow and error-prone when the layouts differ, fields are named differently, or one sheet uses psig and the other barg.
What are the most common datasheet comparison mistakes?
Common mistakes are comparing values in different units without converting, missing a field that appears in only one sheet, and treating a formatting change as a real change. Others are missing a change of material grade or pressure class buried in a long sheet, and not noticing that the two sheets call up different editions of a standard.
How does it handle different units?
When you turn on unit normalisation, it converts values to a common unit before comparing, but only where the conversion is exact, such as °F to °C. Gauge and absolute pressures, like psig and barg, need care, and conversions that depend on assumptions aren't guessed. A value it can't convert safely is reported for review instead of being compared.
What is a numeric tolerance rule?
A tolerance rule says how close two numbers must be to count as the same. For example, two flow rates within a set percentage might be treated as equal after rounding. With tolerance rules on, small differences inside the rule aren't reported as changes. Differences outside it are. That keeps the list focused on differences that matter.
What does "ignore formatting-only differences" mean?
It means a change in how a value is written, not what it is, isn't reported. Examples are "6 in" and "6"", extra spaces, or a different number of decimal places for the same value. With this check on, those are treated as the same value. A real change, such as a different material grade, is still reported.
How does it match fields with different names?
It works out which fields mean the same thing before it compares any values. For example, "Body material" on one sheet and "Body" under a materials heading on another. If it can't be sure two fields are the same, it doesn't compare their values. It reports the field as unmatched so a person can decide.
Can it compare several datasheets at once?
Yes. You can upload one baseline and several comparison datasheets. Each one is compared with the baseline on its own, and the results keep track of which datasheet each difference came from. That is useful when you want to see how several supplier proposals or several revisions differ from the same baseline.
What does a customer expect when they send a datasheet?
They expect your offer to meet every field, or to show clearly where it doesn't. A customer will often compare your returned datasheet with theirs, line by line, during their technical bid evaluation. A difference you didn't declare can be treated as a hidden deviation. Declaring it in your deviation list protects you after the order.
How do I check a datasheet against a specification instead?
Datasheet Comparison compares datasheets with each other. To check a datasheet against the written requirements in a specification and the standards it calls up, use Document Review. It checks every requirement in the base document against your datasheet and gives each one a status with a quote. Many teams use both on the same tender.
What counts as a material difference?
A material difference is one that changes what is supplied or how it performs. Examples are a different value, material grade, pressure class or standard edition, or a field filled in on one sheet and missing on the other. Formatting changes and differences inside your tolerance rule are not counted when those checks are on.
What do I get back from Datasheet Comparison?
You get one line per matched field for each comparison datasheet, showing the baseline value, the compared value and whether they differ. Each value cites the cell or row it came from. Fields that appear on only one sheet are listed too. You can export the results as CSV or JSON for your deviation list or review log.
Does it tell me which datasheet is right?
No. It shows where datasheets differ and cites both values. It doesn't decide which value is correct or whether a difference is acceptable. Your engineer decides, using the specification and their judgement. If a difference is a deviation from the customer's requirement, it belongs in your deviation list with a reason.
Can it read datasheets in different layouts?
Yes. It reads Excel, PDF, Word and CSV datasheets, and it matches fields by meaning rather than by position, so the two layouts don't need to match. Very unusual layouts, or values shown only on a drawing, may need a person to check. If a field can't be read or matched with confidence, it is reported for review.
What are the limits of Datasheet Comparison?
It compares only the datasheets you upload. It doesn't read engineering drawings. It doesn't guess conversions that depend on assumptions, and it won't compare fields it can't match with confidence. It is in beta, so we review each team's first runs with them on datasheets your engineers already know well.
Who uses Datasheet Comparison?
Application and bid engineers use it to check their offer against the customer's datasheet, or one revision against the next. Buyers and procurement engineers use it to compare several supplier datasheets with their own. Project engineers use it to check that an approved datasheet still matches the one the factory is building to.
Is Datasheet Comparison available now?
Datasheet Comparison is in beta. You can request access, and we onboard each team ourselves: we agree a real set of datasheets to start with, run it with you, and check the results together. That way you see how it handles your documents before you rely on it. Document Review, our production tool, is generally available.
Which tools come before and after Datasheet Comparison?
Before it, Document Review and the Customer Specification Review show what the customer requires. After it, the Technical Bid Evaluation compares supplier offers against one requirement set, and the Deviation Register tracks each deviation, including datasheet differences you declare, through to the customer's decision.
Where it sits in the order lifecycle
Related standards, guides and templates
Try the Datasheet Comparison on your own documents
Tell us which documents you want to check first. We set up your workspace and run the first package with you.