Operations Prompts to Manage Your Team and Business

You are a process documentation specialist. Write a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for [process name]. Process: [e.g., monthly bank reconciliation, new vendor setup, expense report approval] Performed by: [role] Frequency: [daily, weekly, monthly, as-needed] Systems used: [ERP, banking portal, etc.] Document: 1) Purpose — why does this process exist? 2) Scope — what's included and NOT included 3) Prerequisites — what must be done before starting? 4) Step-by-step instructions (numbered, specific, include system navigation) 5) Decision points — where does the person make a judgment call? 6) Common errors and how to avoid them 7) Escalation — when should you stop and ask your manager? 8) Output — what does the finished work product look like? Tone: Written for a new hire with 1-2 years experience. Clear enough to follow on day one.

You are a Controller. Build a cross-training plan for the finance team to reduce key-person dependency. Team members: [Paste: name/role, primary responsibilities, backup (if any)] Identify: 1) Single points of failure (tasks only one person can do) 2) Critical processes during close (what breaks if someone is out during close?) 3) High-risk knowledge gaps (tribal knowledge not documented) Build a cross-training plan: - Priority processes to cross-train (ranked by risk) - Primary owner and backup trainee for each - Training method (shadow, SOP + practice, formal training) - Timeline (realistic — don't overload people) - Validation (how do we know the backup can actually do it?) - Documentation requirements (SOPs, checklists, video recordings) Also include: - Rotation schedule (if applicable — switch responsibilities periodically) - Emergency runbook (if someone leaves suddenly, what are the first 48 hours?) Format: Cross-training matrix + timeline + emergency runbook.

You are a CRM administrator auditing the CRM field configuration for relevance and data quality. CRM data: [PASTE: Object (Account/Contact/Deal/Lead) | Field name | Field type | % populated (from CRM report) | Last used in a report or automation | Created date | Business purpose (known or unknown)] Audit for: 1. Unused fields — fields with <20% population and no use in reports/automations; candidates for removal 2. Duplicate fields — multiple fields capturing the same data (e.g., three different "industry" fields) 3. Fields without a clear owner — who is responsible for keeping this data accurate? 4. Required fields not being completed — fields critical for reporting but consistently blank 5. Field naming confusion — fields with unclear names that reps interpret differently Output: Field audit report. Remove / consolidate / rename / make required — recommendation for each flagged field. Total field count reduction available. Estimated data quality improvement.

You are a sales operations manager documenting CRM configuration requirements for an implementation or redesign. Business context: [DESCRIBE: Company stage, sales motion (inbound/outbound/PLG), deal types, team size, key processes to support (lead management/pipeline/forecasting/customer success), integration requirements] Document requirements across: 1. Sales process — stages, entry/exit criteria, required fields per stage, opportunity types 2. Lead management — lead sources, routing rules, MQL definition, lead-to-opportunity conversion 3. Account hierarchy — parent/child accounts, territory assignment, account ownership rules 4. Reporting needs — dashboards and reports leadership needs; data they must capture to produce them 5. Integration requirements — systems CRM must connect to (marketing automation / ERP / support / billing) Output: CRM requirements document. Organized by object and process. Ready for CRM admin or implementation partner to configure against.

You are a VP of Revenue Operations building a 12-month AI automation roadmap for the revenue team. Current state: [DESCRIBE: Current manual processes consuming the most time, data quality status, CRM system, team size by function (SDR/AE/CSM/ops), key pain points that automation could address, budget range for tools] Build the roadmap: Quarter 1 — Quick Wins: - AI-assisted deal summaries and pre-call briefs - Automated follow-up email drafting - Pipeline risk alert automation Quarter 2 — Process Automation: - Lead scoring model update with AI signals - Automated activity logging from email/calendar - AI-generated QBR prep for CS team Quarter 3 — Intelligence Layer: - Conversation intelligence and coaching - Forecast AI using pipeline signals - Account health scoring with predictive churn alerts Quarter 4 — Advanced: - AI-assisted territory and quota planning - Next-best-action recommendations for reps - Automated competitive intelligence monitoring For each initiative: business case / expected time saved or revenue impact / tool or CRM-native feature / dependencies / owner. Output: 12-month AI automation roadmap. Expected ROI per quarter. Quick wins to demonstrate value immediately. Total estimated time saved and revenue impact at full execution.

You are a controller managing month-end close. Close checklist: [PASTE: Task | Owner | Status | Due date] Produce: 1) Completion scorecard — % complete, tasks remaining by owner, estimated hours to finish 2) Subledger-to-GL mismatches — show variance $ and which team owns resolution 3) GL accounts with >15% balance swing vs. prior month — plain-English explanation for each 4) Journal entries pending >3 days — list by preparer and days waiting 5) Top 5 blockers — with named owner and specific resolution step Output: CFO-ready status report. End with projected close completion date. Tone: Factual, no filler.

You are an AP manager reviewing the weekly payment run before release. Payment batch data: [PASTE: Vendor | Invoice # | Amount | Due date | Payment method | Bank account on file] Review for: 1) Payments to vendors not in the approved vendor master — flag for confirmation 2) Payments where bank account changed in the last 30 days — high fraud risk, require secondary approval 3) Invoices without a matching approved PO — flag with amount 4) Duplicate payments — same vendor + same amount within 60 days 5) Early payments where no early payment discount applies — potential cash optimization opportunity 6) Payments over $[THRESHOLD] — confirm secondary approval is on file Output: Payment run approval report. Clear section for: Approved / Requires review before release / Do not pay (reason).

You are an AP supervisor reviewing the vendor master for data quality issues. Vendor master export: [PASTE: Vendor ID | Vendor name | Address | Tax ID | Bank account | Payment terms | Last invoice date | Status (active/inactive)] Flag: 1) Duplicate vendors — same name (including variations like "Inc" vs. "Incorporated"), same tax ID, or same bank account number 2) Inactive vendors with open balances — no invoice in 12+ months but balance outstanding 3) Missing critical data — no tax ID, no bank account, no address 4) Vendors with recent bank account changes — flag for fraud review 5) Vendors with unusual payment terms vs. your standard (net 30) Output: Cleanup priority list — High priority (fraud risk or compliance issue) / Medium (data quality) / Low (housekeeping). Include recommended action for each.

You are a procurement manager preparing for vendor payment terms discussions. Vendor data: [PASTE: Vendor | Annual spend | Current payment terms | Industry standard terms | Years as vendor | Any disputes or quality issues] For each vendor: - Assess negotiation leverage: spending volume / length of relationship / alternative suppliers available - Recommend target terms: current terms → proposed terms - Calculate cash flow impact of proposed change (annual $ improvement) - Note any trade-offs: risk of pricing increase if terms extended Prioritize: Vendors where cash flow improvement is largest relative to relationship risk. Output: Negotiation prep table — Vendor | Current Terms | Target Terms | Annual Cash Impact | Leverage Level | Talking Points. End with total cash flow improvement if all proposals succeed.

You are an AP manager preparing for 1099 filing. Vendor payment data: [PASTE: Vendor name | Tax ID | Total payments YTD | Payment type (services/rent/other) | W-9 on file? (yes/no) | Vendor type (individual/corporation/LLC/other)] Identify: 1) Vendors requiring 1099-NEC — US non-corporations paid $600+ for services 2) Vendors requiring 1099-MISC — rent payments $600+, royalties $10+, other applicable payments 3) Missing W-9s — vendors requiring a 1099 but no W-9 on file; flag for immediate follow-up 4) Incorrect tax IDs — format check (should be XX-XXXXXXX) 5) Threshold exceptions — payments close to but under $600 that may have been split across invoices Output: 1099 filing preparation checklist — Vendor | Form Type | Total Payments | W-9 Status | Action Required. Flag: total vendors requiring forms, total missing W-9s, deadline for correction.

You are an AR manager reviewing open customer disputes. Dispute log: [PASTE: Customer | Invoice # | Disputed amount | Dispute reason | Date opened | Owner | Last action | Days open] For each dispute: - Assess status: likely to resolve in customer's favor / likely to collect in full / negotiate partial / escalate - Recommend specific next action with a deadline - Flag: disputes open >30 days without a clear resolution path - Estimate cash impact: expected collection amount vs. dispute amount Also flag: - Recurring dispute reasons (same issue appearing with multiple customers — systemic problem) - Customers with multiple open disputes — relationship risk Output: Dispute resolution action plan — prioritized by dollar amount. Total dispute exposure and expected recovery %.

You are a senior FP&A analyst structuring the annual budget process. Business context: [DESCRIBE: Company size, number of departments, ERP system, key revenue and cost drivers, timeline for board approval] Build an annual budget process plan covering: 1) Budget calendar — key dates from kickoff to board approval (work backward from approval date) 2) Department submission templates — what data each department needs to provide and in what format 3) Assumptions to set centrally — headcount rates, benefits load, inflation factors, FX rates 4) Review milestones — who reviews what and when before final submission 5) Common budget mistakes to avoid — over-optimistic revenue, missing one-time costs, ignoring seasonality Output: Budget process guide + calendar table. Suitable for distributing to all department heads at budget kickoff.

You are a supply chain manager responding to a supply disruption. Disruption details: [DESCRIBE: Supplier name | Affected materials or components | Expected duration of disruption | % of supply affected | Notice received date] Current inventory data: [PASTE: Affected SKU | On-hand inventory | Daily consumption rate | Days of supply remaining] Produce: 1) Days of supply remaining for each affected item at current consumption rate 2) Items that will stock out within 30 days — ranked by criticality 3) Immediate sourcing options — alternative suppliers, spot market, internal substitution 4) Customer impact — which customer orders or production runs are at risk? 5) Communication plan — who needs to be notified (customers, production, sales) and what to say Output: Disruption response action plan. Day 1 / Week 1 / Week 2-4 actions. Clear owner for each action item.

You are a finance business partner reviewing open headcount requests ahead of budget review. Open requisition data: [PASTE: Role | Department | Level | Salary range | Date opened | Requesting manager's justification | Revenue-generating? (yes/no) | Backfill or new role?] Evaluate each open req on: 1) Business impact if not filled — high (revenue at risk or compliance) / medium (productivity loss) / low (nice to have) 2) Urgency — needs to start within 30 days / 60 days / flexible 3) Financial impact — cost of the role vs. value generated or problem solved 4) Alternatives — could this be covered by contractor, automation, or redistribution? Recommend: Approve immediately / Approve with modified scope / Defer to next quarter / Close (no longer needed). Output: Headcount prioritization table for budget review. Total approved headcount cost vs. budget.

You are a senior HR business partner preparing a 12-month workforce plan. Business inputs: [DESCRIBE: Business growth plan for next 12 months, key initiatives requiring new capabilities, budget constraints] Current workforce: [PASTE: Department | Current headcount | Key skills | Attrition risk (high/medium/low) | Retirement eligible in next 12 months] Build a workforce plan covering: 1) Net headcount change needed by department to support business plan 2) Critical capability gaps — skills the business needs that don't currently exist internally 3) Build vs. buy vs. borrow for each gap: hire externally / develop internally / use contractors 4) Attrition risk — roles/departments most at risk; recommended retention actions 5) Timeline: when do we need each role filled to support the business? Output: 12-month workforce plan summary table + top 5 workforce risks with mitigation actions.

You are a data migration lead preparing to migrate from [CURRENT SYSTEM] to a new ERP. Sample data: [PASTE: 20–50 rows from key tables: customers, vendors, items, open POs, GL balances] Assess migration readiness by analyzing: 1) Data quality — missing required fields, inconsistent formats, duplicate records, orphaned references 2) Mapping complexity — for each data entity, rate migration complexity: Simple (direct 1:1 map) / Moderate (requires transformation) / Complex (requires business rules or manual review) 3) Historical data decision — for each entity: migrate in full / migrate summary balances only / archive 4) Risk register — top 10 migration risks ranked by likelihood and impact 5) Cutover checklist — pre-migration, migration day, and post-migration validation tasks Output: Migration readiness assessment. End with a go/no-go recommendation based on data quality findings.

You are a finance manager maintaining the business risk register. Risk data: [PASTE: Risk | Category (financial/operational/compliance/strategic) | Likelihood (1–5) | Impact (1–5) | Current mitigation | Owner | Last reviewed date] Update the risk register by: 1) Calculating risk score = Likelihood × Impact; rank all risks by score 2) Flagging risks where mitigation is "none" or "inadequate" — these need immediate owner assignment 3) Identifying risks not reviewed in the last 90 days — flag for owner confirmation 4) Noting any new risks that should be added based on current business environment 5) Identifying any risks where mitigation has reduced likelihood or impact — update score Output: Updated risk register ranked by score. Top 5 highest-risk items with specific recommended mitigation actions. Suitable for quarterly board risk review.

You are an IT auditor reviewing ERP user access for segregation of duties compliance. User access data: [PASTE: User ID | Name | Role/profile assigned | Modules accessible | Last login date | Department] Check for these SOD conflicts: 1) Same user can create AND approve purchase orders 2) Same user can create AND approve vendor master records 3) Same user can create AND approve journal entries 4) Same user can process AP invoices AND release payments 5) Same user can create customer records AND process cash receipts 6) Users with access to multiple company codes without business justification Also flag: - Users with admin or super-user access who shouldn't have it - Accounts with no login in 90+ days (dormant — should be disabled) - Terminated employees with active access Output: SOD conflict report — user, conflict type, risk level (High/Medium/High), recommended resolution. Total number of conflicts by severity.