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Route expense requests to the right approver by threshold

  • For Executive assistants
  • You practice Setting limits and rules
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

Route each request to the approver in a table with the header Request | Amount | Approver, one row per request in the listed order. Rules: up to and including $1,000 goes to the department manager; over $1,000 up to and including $10,000 goes to the director; over $10,000 goes to the CFO; any capital purchase (equipment lasting more than a year) goes to the CFO regardless of amount. Use the latest amounts. Plain text, under 100 words. Last line exactly: Approvers confirm before payment.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using the old quote. The AI routes the subscription to the director. Try: Say: "Use the latest amounts."
  • Missing the capital rule. The AI routes the forklift battery by amount. Try: Say: "Capital purchases go to the CFO regardless of amount."
  • Boundary errors. The AI sends $1,000 to the director. Try: Say: "Up to and including $1,000 goes to the manager."
  • Following the director's comment. The AI sends items under $12,000 to her. Try: Say: "Apply only the stated rules."
  • Wrong table. The AI adds columns. Try: Say: "Exactly this header and six rows."
  • Markdown. The AI bolds approvers. Try: Say: "Plain text."
  • 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 part instead, for example: "each line under 15 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Gives the header
  • States thresholds
  • Capital rule
  • Latest amounts
  • Closing line

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