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Total a downtime log by cause and show each cause's share

  • For Operations and supply chain
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

Write a prompt for a markdown table with columns Cause, Minutes and Share, sorted from largest to smallest, followed by one line: "Top two causes: X + Y = N%". Treat conveyor jam, belt jam and transfer jam as one cause called Jam. Add up the minutes yourself and show each total as a sum in the Minutes column. Shares are whole percents of the total. Under 100 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Keeping three jam rows. The AI lists conveyor, belt and transfer jams separately. Try: Say: "Count conveyor, belt and transfer jams as one cause named Jam."
  • Totals with no sums. The AI shows totals only, so mistakes hide. Try: Say: "Show the sum in the Minutes column."
  • Wrong shares or last line. The AI computes shares of the wrong total or skips the final line. Try: Say: "Share = cause minutes / total minutes; end with Top two causes: X + Y = N%."
  • No table. The AI writes bullets. Try: Name the three columns and the sort order.
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and usually runs long, so a vague "keep it short" lands over the limit. Try: Cap each part instead of the total, for example "each line under 15 words".

What a strong prompt includes

  • Merges the jam entries
  • Names the columns
  • Shows the sums
  • Gives the last line
  • Sets a length limit

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