{"id":"acct-sop-vendor-credit-memos","audience":"accounting","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"format","level":"beginner","title":"Turn a Slack thread into a short SOP for credit memos","free":false,"task":"The AP team's credit memo process lives in a Slack thread. Write a prompt for a plain-text SOP with labels Purpose:, Owner:, When: and Steps:, in that order, then exactly 5 numbered steps that reflect the latest approver change. Under 150 words.","materialLabel":"Slack thread (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"#ap-team, Oct 3 to Oct 21\n\nTom (AP lead): ok here's how we do vendor credit memos. When a vendor sends one, save the PDF to AP > Credits, named VENDOR_CMnumber.\nTom: log it in the Credit Memo tracker sheet (date, vendor, amount, original invoice #).\nTom: anything over $1,000 needs my approval before we apply it.\nJess: do we apply it to the next invoice or ask for a refund check?\nTom: apply it against that vendor's open invoices in NetSuite. Only ask for a refund check if they have no open invoices.\nTom: last step, match it to the original invoice in NetSuite so the aging stays clean.\nJess: thx! also the printer on 2 jammed again lol\n\nOct 21, Rina Shah (Controller): Heads up, Tom moves to the FP&A team on Nov 1. Starting now, credit memos over $1,000 come to me for approval.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":5},{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":150}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Gives the labels","patterns":["purpose:","owner:","when:","steps:"]},{"label":"Applies the change","patterns":["rina","oct(ober)? 21","latest","approver"]},{"label":"Sets the step count","patterns":["\\b(5|five)\\b.{0,15}steps?"]},{"label":"Asks for plain text","patterns":["plain","no bold","no markdown","no heading"]},{"label":"Sets length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Using the first approver","why":"The AI follows the early messages and keeps Tom as approver.","fix":"Say: \"Apply Rina's Oct 21 change: she approves credit memos over $1,000.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"A different structure each time","why":"The AI picks its own sections, like Scope or Overview.","fix":"Give the labels in order: Purpose:, Owner:, When:, Steps:.","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Too many or merged steps","why":"The AI splits steps into sub-steps or merges two, so the count drifts.","fix":"Say: \"Exactly 5 numbered steps, one action each, in the thread's order.\"","checks":["numberedItems","r2"]},{"title":"Markdown headings","why":"SOPs come back with # headings and bold, which breaks in the wiki field.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, no bold or # headings.\"","checks":["plainText","r0"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"SOPs grow with notes and tips.","fix":"Say: \"Each step under 18 words. No notes after the steps.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"The thread changes who approves partway through. Tell the AI which message wins, the exact labels, and how many steps.","rubricLabels":["Has the labels Purpose:, Owner:, When: and Steps: in that order as plain lines (not markdown headings)","The approval step says credit memos over $1,000 are approved by Rina Shah (Controller), not Tom","The 5 steps cover, in order: save the PDF to AP > Credits named VENDOR_CMnumber; log it in the tracker; get approval if over $1,000; apply to the vendor's open invoices in NetSuite (refund check only if none are open); match to the original invoice"]}