Decide which supplies to reorder using days-of-stock math

About this exercise

You run a coffee shop and do ordering every Monday. You want exactly 3 numbered lines, one per item you must reorder today, each showing the math (on hand / daily use = days left vs. lead time), under 60 words, plain text. Reorder only items whose days left are fewer than their supplier lead time, and use the corrected count your barista sent. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Not asking for the math. The AI eyeballs the list and picks items that look low. Try: Add: "Show the math on each line: on hand / daily use = days left vs. lead time."
• Missing the recount. The sheet says 24 oat milk, so the AI decides it's fine. Try: Add: "Use Remy's recount: 12 oat milk cartons."
• Fuzzy on the rule. The AI reorders items that exactly meet the lead time. Try: Add: "Reorder only if days left is less than lead time, not equal."
• Letting the AI pick the layout. The AI builds a table of every item. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 3 numbered lines, only items to reorder. Plain text."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 60 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "each line under 14 words."

What a strong prompt includes

• Says how many lines
• Asks for the math
• Uses the recount
• States the rule
• Sets a word limit

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises

• Alert sales to a competitor's price change, facts only (Research AI · Product managers)
• Announce a new weekend rotation in three clear rules (Productivity AI · Managers and team leads)
• Approve or deny shift swaps using the warehouse rules (Productivity AI · Managers and team leads)
• Approve or return expense claims against the policy (Productivity AI · Finance and accounting)
• Approve part of an overtime request with the math (Writing AI · Managers and team leads)