{"id":"ind-fin-close-checklist-owners","audience":"finance","category":"planning","technique":"format","title":"Turn the controller's email into a month-end close checklist","free":false,"task":"Your controller sent a rambling email about this month's close. Turn it into exactly 6 numbered tasks, sorted by business day, each in the form \"Day N - task - owner\", with each task under 8 words. Use the latest owner for any reassigned task, skip anything that isn't a close task, and use plain text. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"The controller's email (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"FROM: Ruth Calloway, Controller - Westbay Hardware (fictional)\nSUBJECT: October close - who's doing what\n\nTeam, here's the plan for October close. On Day 3 Leo should finish the accruals for utilities and freight. Before that, on Day 1, Ana needs to cut off AP so nothing new sneaks in. Also Day 1, Leo reconciles the two bank accounts.\n\nDay 2 is inventory: Ana counts the adjustment from the warehouse cycle count and posts it. Day 4 I'll review the full trial balance myself. Day 5 Leo drafts the management report for the owners.\n\nWait, change of plan: Leo is out on Day 3 for jury duty, so Priya will do the accruals instead.\n\nUnrelated, but the holiday party committee needs volunteers, see Jasmine. And please don't forget to submit your own expense reports by the 15th.\n\nThanks,\nRuth","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":6},{"type":"maxWords","max":80},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"No fixed shape","why":"The AI writes headings by day with sub-bullets and notes.","fix":"Be exact: \"Exactly 6 numbered lines: Day N - task - owner.\"","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 task under 8 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Keeping the email's order","why":"The email jumps from Day 3 to Day 1; the AI follows it.","fix":"Add: \"Sort by business day.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Missing the reassignment","why":"The AI keeps Leo on accruals because the change comes later in the email.","fix":"Add: \"Use the latest owner; Priya does the Day 3 accruals.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Including non-close items","why":"The AI turns the party and expense reminder into tasks.","fix":"Add: \"Close tasks only.\"","checks":["r2"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Sets the number of tasks","patterns":["\\b(6|six)\\b.{0,20}(tasks|lines|items)"]},{"label":"Sorts by day","patterns":["sort","by day","day order","chronolog"]},{"label":"Uses the latest owner","patterns":["priya","reassign","latest","change of plan"]},{"label":"Skips unrelated items","patterns":["close tasks only","skip","party","not (a )?close"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"Rambling emails hide order and changes. Tell the AI how to sort, who has the task now, and what isn't part of the checklist.","rubricLabels":["The 6 tasks are sorted by day (Day 1, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5) and each line follows 'Day N - task - owner'","The Day 3 accruals task is owned by Priya (not Leo), and the other owners are right: AP cutoff Ana, bank reconciliation Leo, inventory adjustment Ana, trial balance review Ruth, management report Leo","Leaves out the holiday party and the personal expense reports, and each task is under 8 words"]}