Draft a wrong-period expense correction memo for the controller

About this exercise

You're writing a short correction memo for the controller. Write a prompt for plain text with lines starting "What happened:", "Amount:", "Fix:", "Policy test:", "Approval:" and "Not decided:". Fix gives the reversing entry lines. Policy test applies the rule in the material and shows the comparison. The Not decided line names anything outside accounting's authority, such as who tells the lender. Facts only, no blame. Under 130 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Correcting in November. The AI posts the fix in the current period. Try: Say: "Period is open and the error is at least $5,000, so correct it in October."
• Deciding the lender question. The AI says the lender should be told. Try: Add: "Not decided: name the lender update as the CFO's call."
• Assigning blame. The AI names the clerk. Try: Add: "Facts only, no blame."
• Missing the approval. The AI omits who approves. Try: Add: "Approval: controller for corrections of $10,000 or more."
• Markdown extras. The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits. Try: Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each part short.

What a strong prompt includes

• Names the six lines
• Applies the policy
• Names accounts
• Leaves out blame and the lender call
• Caps length

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