{"id":"acct-vendor-statement-three-source-walk-lines","audience":"accounting","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"verification","level":"advanced","title":"Walk from the AP ledger to the vendor statement balance in two steps","free":false,"task":"You're reconciling a vendor statement to the AP ledger. Write a prompt for plain text with lines starting \"AP ledger:\", \"Add INV-91:\", \"Adjusted AP:\", \"Add INV-88:\", \"Vendor statement:\" and \"Open item:\". Show each step as an equation. Add only an invoice the receiving log supports in the first step; the second step is the vendor's invoice we cannot support. The Open item line names the question for the vendor and the owner of the decision, and does not say whether to pay. Under 110 words.","materialLabel":"Source material (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"VENDOR RECONCILIATION - Northfield Supply, Oct 31, 2026\n\nVendor statement balance: $14,200, listing INV-85 $5,000; INV-88 $1,500; INV-90 $3,200; INV-91 $800; INV-92 $3,700.\n\nAP ledger balance for Northfield: $11,900, made up of INV-85, INV-90 and INV-92.\n\nReceiving log:\n- INV-91 ($800 of supplies): received and signed for Oct 29. The invoice arrived Nov 2 and has not been entered.\n- INV-88 ($1,500): no receipt in the log. The vendor's shipping note says it left their warehouse Oct 30 on FOB destination terms; the carrier has not confirmed delivery.\n\nThe AP supervisor, Hector Lim, decides whether to pay disputed items. The vendor's credit contact is Wendy Park. Neither difference is a price dispute. The vendor wants payment of the full statement balance by Nov 20 and says unpaid items will put the account on hold.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":110}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the six lines","patterns":["ap ledger","add inv-91","adjusted ap","add inv-88","vendor statement","open item"]},{"label":"Orders the two steps","patterns":["first","then","separately"]},{"label":"Asks for equations","patterns":["equation","show"]},{"label":"Leaves the decision to a person","patterns":["do not say","decision owner","hector"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","under \\d+"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Adding both invoices at once","why":"The AI jumps from $11,900 to $14,200.","fix":"Say: \"Add INV-91 first (receiving supports it), then INV-88 separately.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Recommending payment","why":"The AI tells AP to pay or hold INV-88.","fix":"Add: \"Do not say whether to pay; name the decision owner.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Missing the vendor question","why":"The AI leaves out the proof of delivery request.","fix":"Add: \"Open item: the question for the vendor.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Missing labels","why":"The AI writes a table or paragraph.","fix":"Add: \"Six lines with these exact labels in order.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Markdown extras","why":"The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for.\"","checks":["plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits.","fix":"Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each part short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"Walk from your number to theirs one supported step at a time, and leave the pay-or-hold call to the owner.","rubricLabels":["The six lines start AP ledger:, Add INV-91:, Adjusted AP:, Add INV-88:, Vendor statement: and Open item: in that order, and AP ledger shows $11,900","Add INV-91 and Adjusted AP show $11,900 + $800 = $12,700, and Add INV-88 with Vendor statement shows $12,700 + $1,500 = $14,200","Open item asks the vendor for proof of delivery of INV-88 (carrier confirmation), names Hector Lim as the decision owner, and does not say to pay or not to pay"]}