Analytics Explorer
Ask procurement questions in plain language and get answers built from Cothon's analytics data.
Analytics Explorer
Analytics Explorer is a chat assistant on the Analytics page. Ask a question in English or French and it looks up the answer in Cothon's analytics data, then replies with a summary, result cards and charts.
How to ask a question
What you can ask
- "Who are the top vendors by contract value?"
- "What are the largest recent contracts?"
- "Show me market trends in IT services"
- "Compare vendor A and vendor B"
- "Are IT prices going up?" (answered with a price index based on median contract values over time)
- Questions about departments, categories, and Quebec, BC, Ontario or Alberta data
Each answer includes a written reply and the data behind it, shown as cards, tables or charts.
Chat controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Expand to full screen | Opens a larger view with a Chat panel and a Visualizations panel |
| Export PDF | In full screen, builds a PDF report from the conversation |
| Clear conversation | Starts a fresh chat |
What it can and cannot do
The Explorer can only run approved, read-only analytics lookups. These are the same lookups that power the Analytics page. It runs them with your own account, so it sees exactly what you can see.
Note
The Explorer cannot change any data, and it cannot see other organizations' private information.
Tips for better answers
- Use the names the data uses: department names or acronyms (PSPC, DND), vendor legal names, category keywords.
- Say the scope: a sector, a time frame or a jurisdiction.
- If an answer is too broad, ask a narrower follow-up instead of starting over.
Tip
For exact filters and sorting, use the search on the Analytics page instead. See Contracts and Search. The Explorer is best for open questions and comparisons.
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