{"id":"ind-fin-ap-pay-run-picks","audience":"finance","category":"decisions","technique":"constraints","title":"Choose which bills fit this week's payment run","free":false,"task":"You have $30,000 for this week's vendor payment run. Following the controller's rules (critical vendors first, then oldest due date, and never a partial payment), list the bills you'll pay as exactly 3 numbered lines in the form \"Vendor - $amount - reason\", then a final unnumbered line with the total and the amount left over. Under 80 words, plain text. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"The open bills and rules (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"OPEN BILLS - Sunvale Grocers (fictional) - payment run Nov 7\nBudget for this run: $30,000\n\nVendor                | Amount   | Due date | Critical?\nHarbor Dairy          | $9,500   | Nov 12   | Yes (perishables supplier)\nPinecrest Cleaning    | $2,200   | Oct 28   | No\nMetro Electric        | $11,000  | Nov 15   | Yes (utility)\nOakline Shelving      | $8,000   | Oct 20   | No\nCopper Bay Marketing  | $4,300   | Nov 2    | No\nDelta Pest Control    | $1,900   | Nov 30   | No\n\nController rules (Alma):\n1. Pay critical vendors first.\n2. Then pay non-critical bills by oldest due date first.\n3. Never pay part of a bill. If the next bill doesn't fit, skip to the next one that does.\n4. Don't go over budget.\n\nNotes:\n- Copper Bay called twice asking for payment. Being loud doesn't change the order.\n- Oakline said they'd accept half now, but rule 3 still applies.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":3},{"type":"maxWords","max":80},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"No fixed shape","why":"The AI writes a table and a paragraph of reasoning.","fix":"Be exact: \"Exactly 3 numbered lines: Vendor - $amount - reason, then a total line.\"","checks":["numberedItems","plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 80 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part instead: \"each reason under 8 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Bending the rules","why":"The AI pays Copper Bay because they called, or splits Oakline in half.","fix":"Add: \"Critical first, then oldest due date, never a partial payment.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Skipping the math check","why":"Without a total line, nobody can see whether the run fits the budget.","fix":"Add: \"End with the total and the amount left.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"No reasons","why":"A bare list doesn't show why each bill was picked.","fix":"Add: \"Give a short reason on each line.\"","checks":["r2"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Applies the rules in order","patterns":["critical (first|vendors)","oldest","due date"]},{"label":"Bans partial payments","patterns":["partial","part of","half"]},{"label":"Asks for a total","patterns":["total","left ?over","remaining"]},{"label":"Shows the line shape","patterns":["vendor - ","\\$amount","reason"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"Payment rules only work if the AI follows them in order. Spell out the rules, ban partial payments, and ask for a total line to check the math.","rubricLabels":["Pays exactly these 3 bills: Harbor Dairy $9,500, Metro Electric $11,000 and Oakline Shelving $8,000, with no partial payments and no Copper Bay, Pinecrest or Delta","A final line gives the total of $28,500 and $1,500 left over","Each line follows 'Vendor - $amount - reason' with a short reason (critical vendor, or oldest due date)"]}