{"id":"fpa-project-margin-table-flags","audience":"fpa","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"format","level":"intermediate","title":"Rank services projects by margin and flag the low ones","free":false,"task":"You're reviewing project margins. Write a prompt for a markdown table with columns Project | Revenue | Cost | Margin % | Flag, sorted by margin from lowest to highest (ties in project order), then a Total row. Cost = hours x $90 cost rate. Margin % = (revenue - cost) / revenue to one decimal. Flag is \"Below 20%\" when margin is under 20%. Don't explain or excuse any project. No commentary. Under 90 words.","materialLabel":"Project revenue and hours (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"SERVICES PROJECT MARGINS - Q3 2026, Delmar Systems\n\nProject | Revenue | Hours worked\nP1 Migration | $60,000 | 400\nP2 Reporting build | $45,000 | 450\nP3 Training | $30,000 | 200\n\nInternal cost rate: $90 per hour for all staff on these projects.\n\nNotes: the project manager for P2 says it 'ran over because the client changed scope three times'. Scope changes aren't recorded in this table; the purpose here is the margin arithmetic. Margin % = (revenue - cost) / revenue.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":90},{"type":"maxBullets","max":0}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the columns","patterns":["project.*revenue.*cost.*margin.*flag","columns"]},{"label":"Gives the cost formula","patterns":["hours x \\$90"]},{"label":"Asks for a total row","patterns":["total row"]},{"label":"Bans excuses","patterns":["(do not|don'?t).*(explain|scope)"]},{"label":"Limits output","patterns":["no commentary","only the table"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Sorting by revenue","why":"The AI keeps projects in the original order.","fix":"Say: \"Sort by margin from lowest to highest.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Explaining P2's overrun","why":"The AI adds the scope change story.","fix":"Add: \"Do not explain or excuse any project.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Missing total row or flag","why":"The AI skips the Total row.","fix":"Say: \"Then a Total row.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Margin on cost","why":"The AI divides profit by cost.","fix":"Add: \"Margin % = (revenue - cost) / revenue.\"","checks":["r0","maxBullets"]},{"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 line short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"A margin table needs a cost formula, a sort, a flag and a total. Give each, and ban excuses.","rubricLabels":["Table has the columns Project | Revenue | Cost | Margin % | Flag with rows sorted P2 (10.0%), P1 (40.0%), P3 (40.0%) and a Total row","Costs are $36,000 (P1), $40,500 (P2) and $18,000 (P3), and the Total row shows revenue $135,000, cost $94,500 and 30.0%","Only P2 is flagged Below 20%, and the output never mentions scope changes or the project manager's explanation"]}