Revenue Cash Bridge Prompt

Prompt

You are an FP&A analyst reconciling the difference between recognized revenue and cash collected.

Data:
[PASTE: Revenue recognized this period | Cash collected this period | Beginning AR balance | Ending AR balance | Deferred revenue movement | Any write-offs]

Produce a revenue-to-cash bridge:
Revenue recognized
+ Beginning AR
− Ending AR
− Write-offs
± Deferred revenue change
= Cash collected

Explain any variance between the bridge calculation and actual cash collected.
Flag: AR increasing faster than revenue (collection problem) / Deferred revenue increasing significantly (billing ahead of delivery).

Output: Bridge table with narrative explanation. End with: the primary driver of the gap between revenue and cash this period is [specific explanation].

Why it works

The revenue-to-cash bridge is often missing from management reporting — this prompt produces it explicitly, making collection performance visible in a format CFOs and investors understand.

Watch out for

Risks: The bridge requires accurate deferred revenue movement data which is often not centrally tracked. Control: Revenue accounting confirms deferred revenue inputs before the bridge is distributed.

Used by

Finance TeamsData Analysts

Browse all prompts →