{"id":"fpa-contract-revenue-schedule-by-period-table","audience":"fpa","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"context","level":"intermediate","title":"Spread a 12-month contract across fiscal years and quarters","free":false,"task":"You're building a revenue schedule for a new contract. Write a prompt for a markdown table with columns Period, Months and Revenue for FY2026, Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q3 2027 and Q4 2027, with the math in the Revenue cell like \"2 x $10,000 = $20,000\". After the table add a last line starting \"Deferred at Dec 31, 2026:\" with the math. Revenue is recognized evenly by month over the service period, starting at the service start date, and nothing is recognized before it. Under 100 words.","materialLabel":"Source material (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"NEW CONTRACT - Coastal Logistics\n\nContract value: $120,000 for 12 months of service, billed in full on Dec 1, 2026.\nSignature date: Nov 15, 2026.\nGo-live and service start: Dec 1, 2026. Service end: Nov 30, 2027.\n\nCompany fiscal year: calendar year (Jan 1 to Dec 31). Quarters: Q1 Jan-Mar, Q2 Apr-Jun, Q3 Jul-Sep, Q4 Oct-Dec.\n\nNotes: the sales team's CRM shows the booking in November because that is the signature month. Bookings and revenue are different measures. Cash of $120,000 is collected on Dec 1. The finance team wants to know how much falls in each period for the FY27 plan and how much is still deferred at the end of this year.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":100}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the columns","patterns":["period","months","revenue"]},{"label":"Uses the service start","patterns":["service start","dec 1","go-live"]},{"label":"Shows the math","patterns":["months x","\\$10,000"]},{"label":"Asks for the deferred line","patterns":["deferred at"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","under \\d+"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Starting at signature","why":"The AI recognizes revenue from November.","fix":"Say: \"Revenue starts at service start, Dec 1, 2026.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Giving Q4 2027 three months","why":"The AI forgets the contract ends Nov 30.","fix":"Add: \"Q4 2027 has Oct and Nov only: 2 months.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Missing the deferred line","why":"The AI leaves out the balance sheet view.","fix":"Add: \"Last line: Deferred at Dec 31, 2026 with the math.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"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":"Revenue follows the service, not the signature. Give the start and end dates and ask for the math in each cell.","rubricLabels":["The table has columns Period, Months, Revenue and rows FY2026 (1 month, $10,000), Q1 2027 (3 months, $30,000), Q2 2027 (3 months, $30,000), Q3 2027 (3 months, $30,000) and Q4 2027 (2 months, $20,000)","Revenue cells show the math (months x $10,000) and nothing is recognized in November 2026 even though the contract was signed then","The last line is \"Deferred at Dec 31, 2026:\" showing $120,000 - $10,000 = $110,000"]}