{"id":"fpa-sensitivity-table-explained-ops-vp","audience":"fpa","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","level":"beginner","technique":"audience","title":"Explain a price and volume sensitivity table to the VP of Operations","free":false,"task":"Marco, VP of Operations, asked: \"What matters more for next year, price or volume?\" Answer him in at most 4 sentences of plain text, with no bullets. Your first sentence answers his question with numbers from the current table. His team says \"operating profit\", so use that term and never write \"EBITDA\", \"sensitivity\" or \"matrix\".","materialLabel":"Source material (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"FY27 EBITDA SENSITIVITY v2 (Nov 1) - $ thousands\nRows: price change. Columns: volume change.\n\nPrice | Vol -10% | Vol 0% | Vol +10%\n-5% | 1,600 | 2,200 | 2,800\n0% | 2,200 | 2,800 | 3,400\n+5% | 2,800 | 3,400 | 4,000\n\nPlan case (0% / 0%): $2,800k\n\nModel notes: costs held at plan; volume changes move revenue and variable cost together; no change to headcount.\n\nv1 (Sept 15) - superseded, built on FY26 cost base:\nPlan case was $3,100k; a 5% price move was worth $550k.\n\nMarco's team is debating whether to push for a price increase or a volume push with the two largest distributors.","rules":[{"type":"maxSentences","max":4},{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxBullets","max":0}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Walking through the table","why":"The AI describes the grid row by row instead of answering Marco's question.","fix":"Say: \"First sentence answers: what matters more, price or volume, with numbers.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Mixing in old numbers","why":"The AI pulls the superseded v1 figures because they appear in the notes.","fix":"Add: \"Use only v2. Ignore v1.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Using finance terms","why":"The AI says EBITDA and sensitivity, which Marco's team doesn't use.","fix":"Say: \"Call it operating profit. Don't write EBITDA, sensitivity or matrix.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Writing a report","why":"The AI writes paragraphs and bullet lists for a one-line question.","fix":"Say: \"At most 4 sentences, plain text, no bullets.\"","checks":["maxSentences","plainText","maxBullets"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Answers the question first","patterns":["first sentence","answer (his|the) question","lead with"]},{"label":"Uses the current table","patterns":["v2","current","ignore v1","superseded"]},{"label":"Uses his team's words","patterns":["operating profit","ebitda","jargon"]},{"label":"Limits sentences","patterns":["\\d+ sentences","(three|four) sentences"]},{"label":"Asks for plain text","patterns":["plain","no bold","no markdown","no formatting","no headings"]}],"hint":"Marco asked a one-line question. Tell the AI to answer it first, in his words, from the current table.","rubricLabels":["The first sentence answers Marco directly: a 5% price change moves operating profit about as much as a 10% volume change (about $600k each)","Uses the current v2 figures (plan case $2,800k), not the superseded v1 numbers ($3,100k or $550k)","Uses \"operating profit\" and never uses the words \"EBITDA\", \"sensitivity\" or \"matrix\""]}