Forecast cash flow and review working capital
A cash flow forecast, runway, and working-capital levers.
The prompt
Role: Act as a finance business partner producing a 13-week cash flow forecast and working-capital review.
Context: Opening cash and facilities: [OPENING_CASH]. Receivables ageing and collection pattern: [AR_DATA]. Payables terms and payment run schedule: [AP_DATA]. Inventory position if relevant: [INVENTORY]. Known large in/outflows and their timing: [KNOWN_FLOWS]. Revenue / billing schedule: [BILLING]. Covenants or minimum-cash requirements: [COVENANTS].
Goal: Give the business a reliable view of the cash position over 13 weeks, the tightest points, and the actions that most improve it.
Task: Produce: (1) a 13-week cash forecast (opening, receipts, payments, closing) with the assumptions per major line; (2) the weeks where cash falls below the comfort / covenant level and by how much; (3) a working-capital diagnosis - DSO, DPO, DIO vs target and the cash tied up in each; (4) prioritised levers (collections focus, terms, payment timing, inventory) with the estimated cash release and any commercial trade-off; (5) what to monitor weekly.
Constraints: Do not assume collections faster than the stated pattern without flagging it as a target. Payment timing changes must respect supplier terms - flag any that do not. Keep every figure traceable to the inputs. Note covenant implications explicitly.
Examples: Lever row: 'Tighten collections on top-10 overdue accounts -> ~[value] within 3 weeks; trade-off: relationship risk on [account].' Tight-week flag: 'Week 6 closing cash [value] vs covenant minimum [value] -> shortfall [value].'
Format: Sections: 13-week forecast (table) | Tight weeks | Working-capital diagnosis | Levers (table) | Weekly monitoring list. ~650 words.
Verification: Recompute closing cash week to week and the DSO/DPO/DIO figures; show the method. Flag assumptions that differ from the stated patterns.
Validation: Pressure-test as a treasurer: if receipts run one week late across the board, does the business still clear its covenant? State the residual risk and the earliest warning sign.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Finance & Accounting prompts
What to fill in
- OPENING_CASH
- AR_DATA
- AP_DATA
- INVENTORY
- KNOWN_FLOWS
- BILLING
- COVENANTS
- value
- account
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RCTFVV structure (Role, Context, Task, Format, Verification, Validation). RCTFVV extends RCTF with two checking steps. Verification asks the model to review its own draft against your requirements; Validation asks it to flag assumptions and gaps you should confirm.
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