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IntermediateProductivity· about 30 min

Monthly board report: let Claude Code read the whole folder, compare to budget, and catch numbers that don't match

A finance lead puts this month's management accounts, the budget, the CEO's notes and last month's report in one folder, writes the rules first (every number needs a source, no guessing), then saves the routine as a single command. In the author's demo it caught, unprompted, that last month's report had EBITDA that didn't match the accounts.

Start step 1 ↓

The problem

Every month there's a board report or variance commentary: compare actuals to budget and last month line by line, explain why, and put it in the usual format. A chat AI only sees what you paste, starts from zero each time, and often sounds confident without backing it up.

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What to prepare

  • A folder for just this piece of work

How to do it

  1. 1

    One folder, one piece of work

    For example "This month's board pack". The more unrelated material it can see, the more likely it pulls the wrong document.

    Prompt
  2. 2

    Type /init and write your rules

    It drafts a CLAUDE.md file; rewrite it in your own words: who you are, who the work is for, how you want it presented, and what it must never do. The author recommends two lines for every finance leader: "Show the source file for every number" and "Never guess a figure; if something is missing, say so."

  3. 3

    Save the routine as one command (a skill)

    Write the report steps in plain English, ending with "list anything you couldn't verify." The author saved it as /board-report, so next month it's the same command.

  4. 4

    Try it on real work, but not your hardest problem

    The author's three prompts each run on their own. On the first one, it also pointed out that the notes didn't say whether a customer worth 18% of revenue was monthly or annual.

    Prompt

    Replace the 1 ✎ dashed part with your own details, then copy.

    Read everything in this folder and give me the five hardest questions the board will ask, with suggested answers.

Compare this month's management accounts to budget, flag anything more than 10% off, and draft the commentary in our usual format.

Research company name (sample, replace with yours): recent results, competitors and key risks. Write a two-page brief and list your sources.
  5. 5

    You check and sign off

    Treat it like a capable new analyst: it reads and drafts freely, but doesn't send anything or change the source files. Trace every number back to its source, and if the first draft isn't right, explain why and let it try again.

Done?

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