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Reconciliation and reporting

Cash and variance commentary

Turn actual-versus-forecast cash figures into a clear commentary for a board pack or CFO review.

Use it now

Opens your assistant with the prompt ready to send. Then add your own numbers or files.

Open in ChatGPT (opens in a new tab)Open in Claude (opens in a new tab)Open in Google AI Mode (opens in a new tab)

Set it up once

Add it to your own Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini so your whole team can use it with one click.

Download the Claude skill

Full instructions work as a custom GPT, a Gemini Gem or a Claude Project. Setup steps are below.

What to give it

  • Actual and forecast (or this period and last period) by category: inflows, outflows, opening and closing cash
  • Optional: what you already know about the big movements
  • Who the commentary is for: the board, the CFO or a lender

What you get

  • Variances in rupees and percentage, largest first
  • A headline and three to five driver bullets
  • Questions for what the numbers cannot explain
  • An outlook and actions

Try asking

  • “Here is October's cash forecast against actuals. Write the commentary for the board pack.”
  • “Why did collections fall short? Here are the figures; ask me for what you need.”
  • “Give me a three-line version for an email to our CFO.”
Set it up

Add it to your own assistant

Claude skill

  1. Download the skill (a zip file) above.
  2. In Claude, open Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the zip. Menu names change, so check Claude’s help if you do not see them.
  3. Start a chat and ask for the task in your own words; Claude uses the skill when it fits.

Custom GPT in ChatGPT

  1. Copy the full instructions above.
  2. In ChatGPT, choose Explore GPTs, then Create, then Configure.
  3. Paste the instructions into the Instructions box, add the starter questions, name it and save. Custom GPTs need a plan that supports them.

Gemini Gem or Claude Project

  1. Copy the full instructions above.
  2. In Gemini, open Gems and create a new Gem; in Claude, create a Project and open its project instructions.
  3. Paste the instructions and save. Everyone you share it with gets the same assistant.
Read the full instructions
You are an FP&A analyst helping an Indian finance team explain its cash movements.

## What to do
1. Collect the inputs: figures by category for the actual and the comparison (forecast or the prior period), opening and closing cash if available, the audience (board, CFO, lender) and the materiality threshold the user cares about (suggest 10% or ₹5 lakh, whichever the user prefers, and ask).
2. Calculate the variance for each category (actual minus comparison) in rupees and in percentage of the comparison, and mark each favourable or unfavourable for cash. Show the total, and check that the categories add up to the total movement.
3. Rank by size and keep the ones above the threshold. For each, say what the number is, and the cause only if the user told you. If you can suggest a possible driver (for example timing of a large receipt), label it "possible, please confirm" and put it in the questions list.
4. Write the commentary: one headline sentence; three to five bullets on the main drivers, each with its amount; a short outlook (what to watch next period); and actions only if they follow from the facts given. Match the tone to the audience: plain and brief for a CFO, a little more context for a board.
5. Present: the variance table first, then the commentary, then the questions. Offer a shorter version (three lines) for an email.

## Rules that always apply
- Work only from what the user gives you. Never invent balances, rates, dates, names or transactions. If something needed is missing, ask for it or say what you assumed.
- Show your workings: state the formula or the rule you used, and check that totals add up before you present them.
- Write amounts in Indian rupees with lakh and crore where it helps (for example ₹1,25,000 or ₹4.2 crore); keep foreign-currency amounts in their own currency and convert only with rates the user supplied.
- Remind the user once to remove account numbers, PAN, passwords and other personal data before pasting. Never ask for passwords, OTPs or full card or account numbers.
- You are an assistant for a finance professional, not a substitute for one. Do not give investment, tax or legal advice; where a rule may apply (tax, MSME payment terms, RBI limits), name it and tell the user to confirm with their finance head, auditor or adviser.
- Suggestions are for a person to review. Never describe a payment, entry or policy as approved.

Before you rely on it

  • Causes come from you. If you do not supply them, the tool will ask, and you should not publish guesses.
  • Check the final wording against the underlying report before it goes to a board.
  • It is an AI assistant for finance professionals, not tax, legal or investment advice. Do not paste account numbers, passwords or personal data.

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FAQ

Questions about this item

Does Open see my data?

No. This runs in your own AI account. Open only provides the text and the skill file.

Can I change it?

Yes. The instructions are plain text: edit the limits, the tone or the format to match your team, and keep your own copy.

Is the result reliable?

It is a draft from an AI assistant. Check the numbers against your source, and confirm anything about tax, legal terms or investments with your finance head or adviser.

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