Library › Operations AI › Procurement
Sort eight small vendors into spend categories as CSV
- For Procurement
- You practice Asking for a format you can use
- Time about 5 minutes
- Level Beginner
About this exercise
Write a prompt for exactly one code block of CSV with the header vendor,category,annual_spend and one row per vendor in the order listed. Use only these categories: Facilities, Safety, Packaging, Office, Uncategorized. If the notes don't make a vendor's category clear, use Uncategorized. Write spend as plain numbers with no commas or dollar signs. After the block add one line: "Total: N" with commas.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Guessing for Orbit Trading. The AI invents a category for 'misc items'. Try: Say: "If unclear, use Uncategorized."
- Money formatting breaks the CSV. The AI writes $1,200 inside the rows. Try: Say: "Plain numbers, no commas or dollar signs."
- Wrong header or extra text. The AI adds notes or a consolidation plan. Try: Quote the header and say one code block plus one line.
- Extra text around the code. The AI adds explanations, extra blocks or comments around the output. Try: Say "exactly one code block, nothing else" and cap the rows.
What a strong prompt includes
- Quotes the header
- Lists allowed categories
- Handles unclear vendors
- Sets number format
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