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Sum open invoices into aging buckets after a late payment
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
Your controller wants the AR aging summary as of Nov 30. Halvorsen paid INV-1042 yesterday, after this export ran. Write exactly 4 numbered lines (0-30, 31-60, 61-90, 90+ days), each showing the invoice amounts added up, then one unnumbered last line: Total open: $X. Plain text, under 70 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not mentioning the payment. The export ran before Halvorsen paid, so the AI keeps $3,000 open. Try: Add: "INV-1042 was paid yesterday. Leave it out."
- Not asking to see the work. Your controller can't tie bare bucket totals to invoices. Try: Add a line to copy: "1. 0-30 days: 2,400 + 600 = $3,000"
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 12 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in a controller's email. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Mentions the payment
- Names the buckets
- Asks to show the math
- Sets a word limit
- Asks for plain text
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