{"id":"fpa-seat-count-renewal-decision","audience":"fpa","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"context","level":"intermediate","title":"Recommend a seat count at renewal that covers planned hires","free":false,"task":"You're advising the COO on a software renewal. Write a prompt for plain text with lines starting \"Seats needed:\", \"Cost today:\", \"Cost at proposed seats:\", \"Saving:\" and \"Recommendation:\". Seats needed counts active users plus approved hires. Propose the lowest seat count the contract allows that still covers seats needed. Show the math. The Recommendation line says to reduce to that number, subject to HR confirming the hiring plan. Under 100 words.","materialLabel":"Source material (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"SOFTWARE RENEWAL - Team collaboration suite (renews Jan 15, 2027)\n\nCurrent contract: 500 seats at $40 per seat per month, billed annually.\nActive users in the last 90 days: 430 (admin report, Oct 31). 25 seats have never been used and 45 have no sign-in for 90 days.\n\nContract terms for renewal: seats can be reduced by at most 10% of the current count (50 seats); there is no limit on increases. Price per seat stays at $40 if the count is 450 or more.\n\nApproved hires from the FY27 plan starting in Q1: 40 people, each needing a seat.\n\nNote from IT: \"We could probably cut straight to 450 and add seats later when people start.\" Mid-term seat additions are billed at $48 per seat per month.\n\nThe renewal decision is due to the vendor by Dec 15. HR will confirm the Q1 hiring dates on Nov 20.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":100}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the five lines","patterns":["seats needed","cost today","saving","recommendation"]},{"label":"Defines seats needed","patterns":["active users","approved hires"]},{"label":"Asks for the math","patterns":["x 12","show the math","annual"]},{"label":"Adds the HR condition","patterns":["hr","confirm"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","under \\d+"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Cutting to the contract minimum","why":"The AI picks 450 because it saves the most.","fix":"Say: \"Choose the lowest count that still covers seats needed.\"","checks":["r0","r2"]},{"title":"Ignoring planned hires","why":"The AI counts only the 430 active users.","fix":"Add: \"Seats needed = active users plus approved hires.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Missing the annual math","why":"The AI shows monthly cost only.","fix":"Add: \"Show seats x price x 12.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"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":"A recommendation is only as good as the need it covers. Define need, then pick the lowest count that meets it.","rubricLabels":["Seats needed shows 430 + 40 = 470 and Cost today shows 500 x $40 x 12 = $240,000","Cost at proposed seats shows 470 x $40 x 12 = $225,600 and Saving shows $240,000 - $225,600 = $14,400","Recommendation says to reduce to 470 seats (not 450 and not keep 500), subject to HR confirming the hiring plan"]}