{"id":"data2-contribution-margin-card-template","audience":"finance","category":"data","track":"data","technique":"format","level":"intermediate","title":"Fill in a contribution margin card from a finance glossary","free":false,"task":"You're adding contribution margin to the finance data dictionary. Write exactly 6 labeled lines in plain text, in this order: Metric, Formula, Includes, Excludes, Example and Owner. Under 100 words. The Example line must work the numbers from the sample month, and gross margin must not be confused with it.","materialLabel":"Glossary notes and sample month (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Finance glossary notes - Alderwood Retail\n\nGross margin = (revenue - cost of goods sold) / revenue.\n\nContribution margin = (revenue - all variable costs) / revenue.\nVariable costs include: cost of goods sold, payment processing fees, shipping paid by the company, and sales commissions.\nFixed costs (rent, salaries, software subscriptions, insurance) are not in contribution margin.\n\nOwner of this metric: the FP&A team (not accounting).\n\nSample month (October):\n- Revenue: $100,000\n- Cost of goods sold: $40,000\n- Payment processing fees: $3,000\n- Shipping paid by the company: $7,000\n- Sales commissions: $5,000\n- Rent and salaries: $30,000\n\nNote from a previous review: a new analyst reported gross margin of 60.0% as \"contribution margin\".","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":100}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Confusing it with gross margin","why":"The AI describes revenue minus cost of goods only (60.0%).","fix":"Add: \"Subtract all variable costs, not only cost of goods sold.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"A textbook example","why":"The AI invents numbers instead of using October's.","fix":"Add: \"Example: $100,000 - $40,000 - $3,000 - $7,000 - $5,000 = $45,000, 45.0%.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Wrong owner","why":"The AI says accounting or leaves the owner out.","fix":"Add: \"Owner: the FP&A team.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Leaving the format to chance","why":"The AI picks its own length and layout unless told the exact shape.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, no bold or headings.\"","checks":["plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it.","fix":"Cap each part instead, for example \"each line under 15 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Gives the six labels","patterns":["metric:","formula:","excludes:","owner:"]},{"label":"Asks for all variable costs","patterns":["variable costs?"]},{"label":"Uses the October example","patterns":["100,?000","45\\.0%","45,?000"]},{"label":"Names the owner","patterns":["fp&a","owner"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["under \\d+ words","nothing after"]}],"hint":"A definition card is a template. Give the labels in order and make the example do the arithmetic.","mission":"Define contribution margin.","musts":["Six labeled lines","Example does the math","Not gross margin"],"rubricLabels":["The Formula line says (revenue - all variable costs) / revenue, and the Includes line lists cost of goods sold, payment processing fees, shipping and sales commissions","The Excludes line names fixed costs such as rent, salaries, software or insurance, and the Owner line says the FP&A team","The Example line works the numbers: $100,000 - $40,000 - $3,000 - $7,000 - $5,000 = $45,000, so 45.0%, and the output is exactly six lines labeled Metric:, Formula:, Includes:, Excludes:, Example: and Owner:"]}