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Show quarterly actuals plus a Q4 forecast against budget

  • For FP&A and financial analysts
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

You're showing the expected full-year opex landing to the CFO. Write a prompt for a markdown table with columns Quarter | Budget | Actual or forecast | Variance, rows Q1 to Q4 and a Total row, in $M. Variance = actual or forecast minus budget with a sign (positive is over budget). Then one line starting "Full-year variance:" with the percent of full-year budget. Use the Q4 forecast figure, not anything unconfirmed. No commentary. Under 90 words. Never use the words favorable or unfavorable.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Adding the possible hires. The AI adds 0.1 to Q4 and lands at +0.3. Try: Add: "Use only the figures above; do not mention the possible hires."
  • Wrong variance direction. The AI subtracts actual from budget. Try: Say: "Variance = actual or forecast minus budget."
  • No percent line. The AI ends after the table. Try: Add: 'A line starting "Full-year variance:" with the percent.'
  • Wrong table shape. The AI drops the Total row. Try: Say: "Rows Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Total."
  • 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 line short.

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the columns
  • Gives the sign convention
  • Asks for the percent line
  • Bans the unconfirmed hires
  • Limits output

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