{"id":"ind-fin-budget-cut-memo","audience":"finance","category":"decisions","technique":"constraints","title":"Pick budget cuts that hit the target without touching protected lines","free":false,"task":"Your director needs to cut $24,000 from next year's operations budget, cutting travel first, then software, then events, and stopping once the target is met. Payroll and safety training are protected. Write exactly 3 numbered cut lines in the form \"Item: $amount - one-line impact\", then one final line with the total and how far over the target it lands, under 90 words, plain text. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"The proposed cuts list (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"PROPOSED CUTS - FY27 Operations Budget ($300,000) - Kessler Logistics (fictional)\nTarget: cut $24,000 (8%)\n\nItem                       | Possible cut | Impact if cut\nTravel                     | $9,000       | Site visits drop from monthly to quarterly\nPayroll (1 open role)      | $52,000      | Leave the dispatcher role unfilled\nSoftware                   | $7,500       | Drop the route-planning add-on; planners do it by hand\nSafety training            | $6,000       | Skip the spring forklift refresher\nEvents                     | $10,000      | Cancel the summer team offsite\nOffice supplies            | $3,000       | Switch to a cheaper vendor\nConsultants                | $15,000      | Delay the warehouse layout study\n\nNotes from Marisa (Ops Director):\n- Order of cuts: travel first, then software, then events. Don't cut further down the list unless we still haven't hit $24,000.\n- Payroll and safety training are off the table no matter what.\n- Someone suggested cutting consultants instead of events. I said no, the layout study is already committed.\n- Supply vendor contract renews in March.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":3},{"type":"maxWords","max":90},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Not fixing the shape","why":"The AI writes a memo with headings, options and a recommendation section.","fix":"Be exact: \"Exactly 3 numbered cut lines, then one total line.\"","checks":["numberedItems","plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 90 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part instead: \"each impact under 9 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Picking its own cuts","why":"The AI optimizes on its own, cutting consultants or supplies to land closer to $24,000.","fix":"Add: \"Cut travel, then software, then events, and stop there.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Skipping the total check","why":"Without a total line, the director has to do the math to see the target is met.","fix":"Add: \"End with: Total $26,500, $2,500 over the $24,000 target.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Dropping the impact","why":"Squeezed for space, the AI lists amounts only, so the director can't see what each cut costs the team.","fix":"Add: \"Give each cut's impact in one short phrase.\"","checks":["r2"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Follows the cut order","patterns":["travel.{0,20}software.{0,20}events","order","first"]},{"label":"Protects the off-limits lines","patterns":["payroll","safety","protected","off the table"]},{"label":"Asks for a total line","patterns":["total","sum","add (up|it)"]},{"label":"Sets the number of cuts","patterns":["\\b(3|three)\\b.{0,20}(cuts|lines|items)"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"The AI likes to optimize on its own. Give it the cut order, the protected lines, and the exact lines you want, including the total.","rubricLabels":["The 3 cuts are exactly Travel $9,000, Software $7,500 and Events $10,000, in that order, and nothing else is cut (no consultants, office supplies, payroll or safety training)","A final line after the 3 cuts gives the total of $26,500 and says it is $2,500 over the $24,000 target","Each cut line gives its impact in one short phrase taken from the list (monthly to quarterly visits, route planning by hand, cancel the summer offsite)"]}