{"id":"acct-approval-sop-from-thread","audience":"accounting","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"examples","level":"beginner","title":"Turn a messy Slack thread into a five-step approval SOP","free":false,"task":"You're writing the vendor invoice approval SOP from a thread where the rules changed midway. Write a prompt for exactly 5 numbered steps in plain text, each starting with a verb and under 22 words. Step 3 must state the approval limits using the current figures only. Don't include anything about the old process.","materialLabel":"Slack thread, #accounting (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"#accounting - Oct 2026\n\nMira (Controller), Sep 29: Quick reminder on invoices. Managers approve anything under $2,500. Anything above goes to me.\n\nSam (AP), Sep 29: Got it. I'll route those to you.\n\nMira, Oct 1: Update! New threshold effective today since we're getting more invoices. Managers approve up to $5,000. Controller approves $5,001 to $25,000. CFO approves anything above $25,000. Ignore my message from Sep 29.\n\nSam: What about invoices that don't match a PO?\n\nMira: Those go to the controller no matter the size. Also AP should never approve invoices personally, only enter them.\n\nSam: And timing?\n\nMira: Approvers get 3 business days. If they miss it, AP pings them once, then goes to their manager on day 5.\n\nMira: Invoices are matched to PO and receiving before they go to the approver. The match is done in the AP tool, not by email. Approved invoices are paid on the next Thursday run.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"numberedItems","count":5}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Sets exactly five steps","patterns":["5 (numbered )?steps","exactly 5","1\\."]},{"label":"Starts steps with verbs","patterns":["verb"]},{"label":"Uses current limits only","patterns":["oct(ober)? 1","current","ignore","\\$5,000"]},{"label":"Lists key exceptions","patterns":["no.?po","never approve","escalat"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","under"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Using the old threshold","why":"The AI cites $2,500 from the first message.","fix":"Say: \"Use Mira's Oct 1 figures only; ignore the Sep 29 message.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Dropping the exceptions","why":"The AI covers the happy path and skips no-PO and AP's role.","fix":"List them: \"no-PO to controller, AP enters but never approves, 3-day ping, day-5 escalation.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Wrong step count","why":"The AI writes 8 steps with sub-bullets.","fix":"Say: \"Exactly 5 numbered steps, starting with 1.\"","checks":["numberedItems","r0"]},{"title":"Markdown extras","why":"The AI adds a bold title and intro.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text, no intro, no notes.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"hint":"The thread corrects itself midway. Tell the AI which message wins and which exceptions must appear.","rubricLabels":["Has exactly 5 numbered steps and each starts with a verb","Step 3 states the current limits: managers up to $5,000, controller $5,001 to $25,000, CFO above $25,000, and does not mention the $2,500 limit","Covers the no-PO exception to the controller, AP entering but never approving, and the follow-up (ping at 3 business days, escalate to the approver's manager on day 5)"]}