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Spot which items will run out before a reorder arrives
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
Your supplier takes 14 days to deliver, so anything with under 14 days of stock needs a reorder today. Use the last-2-weeks sales rate, since sales picked up after a local news story. Write exactly 4 numbered lines, one per item, each as Item: on hand ÷ daily sales = X days, then REORDER or OK. Plain text, under 70 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not giving the lead time. The AI can't say what's urgent without knowing delivery takes 14 days. Try: Add: "Reorder anything under 14 days of stock."
- Using the 30-day rate. The AI uses the slower average, so totes and scarves look fine. Try: Add: "Use the last-2-weeks sales rate."
- Not asking to see the work. Bare verdicts are hard to trust when money's on the line. Try: Add a line to copy: "1. Soy candles: 60 ÷ 5 = 12 days REORDER"
- 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 note to your buyer. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives the lead time
- Picks the sales rate
- Asks to show the math
- Sets a word limit
- Asks for plain text
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