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Explain capex vs opex to your team using the new threshold

  • For Managers and team leads
  • You practice Saying who it's for
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

You manage facilities and have 60 seconds at the team huddle to explain which planned purchases finance treats as capex. Write a talk track under 130 words in plain text that classifies all 5 items using the current per-item threshold. Don't use the words "depreciation" or "amortization", and end with exactly: "Finance makes the final call, so flag anything you're unsure about."

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Judging by order totals. The AI sees $5,400 and $28,000 and calls chairs and laptops capex. Try: Add: "Apply the $5,000 threshold per single unit, not per order."
  • Accounting jargon. The AI explains capex with depreciation, which loses a facilities team in seconds. Try: Say: "Explain it without the words depreciation or amortization."
  • No clear close. The AI ends with a generic summary instead of the line you need the team to remember. Try: Give the exact closing line in your prompt.
  • Forgetting where it goes. AI adds bold and headings, which show up as ** and # clutter in email and chat. Try: Add: "Plain text only, no bold, no headings."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and usually runs long on finance write-ups. Try: Cap each part instead: "each line under 15 words" so the total stays well under 130.

What a strong prompt includes

  • Says who's listening
  • Uses the per-unit rule
  • Bans jargon
  • Gives the closing line
  • Sets a length limit

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