Capability template for finance and accounting

Spreadsheet check before sharing

Before a model or schedule goes to a client, a lender or a board, the sender gets one report on it: every error value, short total, buried assumption and hidden row pinned to its cell, each with a fix or a question, and a plain list of what was not checked. Nothing in the workbook is changed.

The outcome

The file leaves without the mistake everyone notices except its author. The total that skips a row, the #REF! on the summary page, the title that names last year, the note to a colleague still sitting in a comment: each is found before the recipient finds it, with the cell, the formula and what it does to the figures they will read.

Not everything odd is wrong, and the report knows the difference. A totals row is supposed to look unlike the rows it adds; an opening figure is supposed to be typed. Those land in a short "flagged but fine" list. The cells only the model's owner can explain arrive as questions, each with the figures it turns on, so a single conversation settles them.

The sender also sees what the recipient can see: hidden sheets and rows, comments, placeholder text, links to other files. Hidden is not private once a file leaves the building.

The capability checks and reports. The model's owner makes the fixes, and the sender decides whether the file goes.

Who starts the work, and when

The person about to send the file runs it: a finance manager sending a projection to the bank, an analyst sending a pricing schedule to a client, an owner sending the board pack, an adviser sending a model to an investor. The usual moment is the day before it goes, with time to fix what turns up. It is equally useful on a workbook inherited from someone who has left.

The sender reads the report and decides what to fix and whether to send. The model's owner, often the same person, answers the questions.

What they supply

The workbook, as a file the assistant can open, or as ranges pasted twice: once showing formulas and once showing values, each labelled with its sheet and cells.
A sending note: who receives it and when, who built it, and the headline figures the recipient will read, by cell.
Known design choices, where there are any: overrides, opening figures and hidden helper rows that are meant.
The sheet list and comments, when working from pasted ranges, so hidden sheets and notes are not missed.

No connection to any system is needed and none is asked for. No linked file is opened and no macro is run.

What comes out

One report in a fixed order:

The header: what was read, the headline figures, and the count of findings in each section.
Coverage: what was read in full, what was not, and what no check of this kind can see.
Fix before sending: the mistakes, each with the cell, the evidence, the effect on headline figures and the exact correction.
Confirm before sending: what may be meant, each with one question for the model's owner.
Tidy if time: fragile habits that are not yet wrong.
Flagged but fine: what looked odd and why it is right.
What the recipient can see: hidden sheets, rows and columns, comments and internal text.
The checklist run: a result for each of twelve items, so nothing is skipped silently.

Good looks like this: every finding names a real cell, every recomputed figure is right, and nobody is told a correct total is wrong.

An invented example

Illustrative example with invented data. The company, the people, the bank and every figure below are invented. Coldwater Joinery is an invented 30-person joinery workshop applying to its bank for an equipment loan. Its finance manager built a three-year projection and is about to send it to the bank's lending officer. People are referred to by role.

The inputs come first, in full, so the template can be run on them. The report follows.

The inputs

1. Sending note

File: Coldwater_Projection_2027-2029_v7.xlsx
Sending to: the bank's lending officer, Friday 13 November 2026, with the
  equipment loan application.
Sender: finance manager, who built the model and is its owner. The
  operations director supplied the cost figures.
Check run: Tuesday 10 November 2026.
Headline figures the bank will read:
  Summary!B5  Revenue 2027
  Summary!B8  Operating profit 2027
  Summary!D8  Operating profit 2029
  Summary!B10 Loan cover 2027
Known design choices: Projection!B5 is a typed opening figure for 2027
  revenue, taken from the 2026 forecast.

2. Workbook structure

Sheets: Projection (visible), Summary (visible), Old_v5 (hidden).
Hidden rows and columns: Projection row 14.
Comments: one, on Projection!B15: "Ops dir says 6% not 5% - update
  before sending".

3. Projection, formulas

Sheet: Projection
Range: A1:D15
Shows: formulas
Row | A | B | C | D
1 | Coldwater Joinery: three-year projection ($000) | | |
2 | | | |
3 | Line | 2027 | 2028 | 2029
4 | Revenue growth | | 0.1 | 0.1
5 | Revenue | 2400 | =B5*(1+C4) | =C5*(1+D4)
6 | Materials | =B5*0.4 | =C5*0.4 | =D5*0.4
7 | Wages | 800 | =B7*(1+$B$15) | =C7*(1+$B$15)
8 | Rent | 96 | 96 | 96
9 | Equipment lease | 60 | 60 | 60
10 | Other overheads | =B5*0.05 | =C5*0.05 | 135
11 | Total costs | =SUM(B6:B10) | =SUM(C6:C10) | =SUM(D6:D9)
12 | Operating profit | =B5-B11 | =C5-C11 | =D5-D11
13 | Loan repayments | 120 | 120 | 120
14 | Director loan repayment | 40 | 40 | 40
15 | Wage increase | 0.05 | |

4. Projection, values

Sheet: Projection
Range: A1:D15
Shows: values
Row | A | B | C | D
1 | Coldwater Joinery: three-year projection ($000) | | |
2 | | | |
3 | Line | 2027 | 2028 | 2029
4 | Revenue growth | | 0.1 | 0.1
5 | Revenue | 2400 | 2640 | 2904
6 | Materials | 960 | 1056 | 1161.6
7 | Wages | 800 | 840 | 882
8 | Rent | 96 | 96 | 96
9 | Equipment lease | 60 | 60 | 60
10 | Other overheads | 120 | 132 | 135
11 | Total costs | 2036 | 2184 | 2199.6
12 | Operating profit | 364 | 456 | 704.4
13 | Loan repayments | 120 | 120 | 120
14 | Director loan repayment | 40 | 40 | 40
15 | Wage increase | 0.05 | |

5. Summary, formulas

Sheet: Summary
Range: A1:D10
Shows: formulas
Row | A | B | C | D
1 | Coldwater Joinery: summary of projection 2026 to 2028 ($000) | | |
2 | Prepared: | =TODAY() | |
3 | | | |
4 | | 2027 | 2028 | 2029
5 | Revenue | =Projection!B5 | =Projection!C5 | =Projection!D5
6 | Total costs | =Projection!B11 | =Projection!C11 | =Projection!D11
7 | | | |
8 | Operating profit | =Projection!B12 | =Projection!C12 | =Projection!D12
9 | | | |
10 | Loan cover (times) | =Projection!B12/(Projection!B13+Projection!B14) | =Projection!C12/(Projection!C13+Projection!C14) | =Projection!D12/#REF!

6. Summary, values

Sheet: Summary
Range: A1:D10
Shows: values
Row | A | B | C | D
1 | Coldwater Joinery: summary of projection 2026 to 2028 ($000) | | |
2 | Prepared: | 10 Nov 2026 | |
3 | | | |
4 | | 2027 | 2028 | 2029
5 | Revenue | 2400 | 2640 | 2904
6 | Total costs | 2036 | 2184 | 2199.6
7 | | | |
8 | Operating profit | 364 | 456 | 704.4
9 | | | |
10 | Loan cover (times) | 2.275 | 2.85 | #REF!

The report

SPREADSHEET CHECK BEFORE SHARING: Coldwater_Projection_2027-2029_v7.xlsx

For: finance manager, sending to the bank's lending officer on Friday 13 November 2026. Model owner: finance manager. Checked on Tuesday 10 November 2026.
Read: pasted ranges Projection!A1:D15 and Summary!A1:D10, formulas and values; the sheet list, hidden row and comment from the workbook structure note.
Headline figures: Summary!B5, Revenue 2027, 2,400; Summary!B8, Operating profit 2027, 364; Summary!D8, Operating profit 2029, 704.4; Summary!B10, Loan cover 2027, 2.275.
Known design choices: Projection!B5 is a typed opening figure for 2027 revenue, from the 2026 forecast.
Found: 3 to fix before sending, 5 to confirm, 1 to tidy, 4 flagged but fine. What the recipient can see: 3 items.

COVERAGE
Read in full: Projection!A1:D15 and Summary!A1:D10, formulas and values.
Not read: the hidden sheet Old_v5, whose contents were not supplied; anything outside the two pasted ranges.
Not checked: values are as supplied and were not recalculated; no macro was run; no linked file was opened; numbers stored as text and stray spaces in labels do not show in pasted text; file properties were not supplied.

FIX BEFORE SENDING
1. Projection!D11: the 2029 total costs stop a row short and leave out other overheads.
Shows: =SUM(D6:D9), 2,199.6.
Evidence: the 2027 and 2028 totals add rows 6 to 10 (=SUM(B6:B10), =SUM(C6:C10)). D11 stops at row 9, so other overheads in D10 (135) are not counted: 1,161.6 + 882 + 96 + 60 = 2,199.6.
Effect: total costs 2029 (Summary!D6) are 2,199.6 now and 2,334.6 after the fix. Operating profit 2029 (Projection!D12, headline Summary!D8) is 704.4 now and 569.4 after the fix.
Fix: =SUM(D6:D10).
Checklist: 3, 4.

2. Summary!D10: loan cover for 2029 shows #REF!, because its divisor points at a deleted reference.
Shows: =Projection!D12/#REF!, #REF!.
Evidence: B10 and C10 divide operating profit by loan repayments plus the director loan repayment, =Projection!B12/(Projection!B13+Projection!B14) and the same for column C, giving 2.275 and 2.85.
Effect: no headline figure; loan cover 2029 shows #REF! on the summary page as it stands, and would be 4.4025 after the fix as the figures stand (704.4 / 160), or 3.55875 after fix 1 as well (569.4 / 160).
Fix: =Projection!D12/(Projection!D13+Projection!D14), if 2029 is meant to be worked out like 2027 and 2028. The finance manager confirms the reference; confirm before sending 3 bears on it.
Checklist: 1, 2.

3. Summary!A1: the title names the wrong years.
Shows: Coldwater Joinery: summary of projection 2026 to 2028 ($000).
Evidence: the columns beneath are headed 2027, 2028 and 2029 (Summary!B4:D4), and the Projection sheet covers 2027 to 2029 (Projection!B3:D3).
Effect: no headline figure; the title heads the Summary sheet, which the bank can see.
Fix: Coldwater Joinery: summary of projection 2027 to 2029 ($000).
Checklist: 11.

CONFIRM BEFORE SENDING
1. Projection!B6:D6: the materials rate is typed inside the formulas.
Shows: =B5*0.4, =C5*0.4, =D5*0.4 (960, 1,056, 1,161.6).
Evidence: materials are taken as 40% of revenue, and the rate sits in no labelled cell. The wage increase, by contrast, has its own cell, B15.
Effect: feeds total costs and operating profit, so the operating profit headlines (Summary!B8, Summary!D8) rest on it.
Question for the finance manager: is 40% the materials rate you mean the bank to rely on? If so, would you put it in a labelled cell beside the wage increase, so the bank can see it?
Checklist: 5.

2. Projection!B10:C10: the overheads rate is typed inside the formulas.
Shows: =B5*0.05, =C5*0.05 (120, 132).
Evidence: other overheads are taken as 5% of revenue, and the rate sits in no labelled cell.
Effect: feeds total costs and operating profit 2027 (headline Summary!B8) and 2028 (Summary!C8).
Question for the finance manager: is 5% the overheads rate you mean the bank to rely on? If so, would you put it in a labelled cell, as for materials?
Checklist: 5.

3. Projection!A14:D14: a hidden row, director loan repayment, 40 a year, feeds the loan cover.
Shows: 40, 40, 40, typed, in the row the structure note lists as hidden.
Evidence: Summary!B10 and C10 divide operating profit by loan repayments (120) plus this row (40).
Effect: loan cover 2027 (headline Summary!B10) is 2.275 with the row and would be 3.033 without it (364 / 120). The row would also feed loan cover 2029 after fix 2.
Question for the finance manager: do you mean the bank's loan cover to include the director loan repayment? If so, should the row be visible? A hidden row is still in the file the bank receives.
Checklist: 6, 12.

4. Projection!B15: the wage increase is 5%, and a comment on the cell says it should be 6%.
Shows: 0.05. Comment: "Ops dir says 6% not 5% - update before sending".
Evidence: C7 and D7 grow wages by B15 (=B7*(1+$B$15), =C7*(1+$B$15)), giving 840 and 882.
Effect: at 6%, wages would be 848 in 2028 and 898.88 in 2029. Operating profit 2028 (Summary!C8) would fall by 8, from 456 to 448. Operating profit 2029 (headline Summary!D8) would fall by 16.88: from 704.4 to 687.52 as the figures stand, or from 569.4 to 552.52 after fix 1.
Question for the finance manager: which rate is right, 5% or 6%? Whichever it is, the comment should come out before the file goes; the bank can read it.
Checklist: 12.

5. Projection!D10: a typed 135 where the row's formula would give 145.2.
Shows: 135.
Evidence: B10 and C10 are =B5*0.05 and =C5*0.05. Following them, D10 would be =D5*0.05, which gives 145.2.
Effect: none as the workbook stands, because D11 leaves D10 out (fix 1). After fix 1, operating profit 2029 (headline Summary!D8) is 569.4 with 135, or 559.2 with 145.2.
Question for the finance manager: is 135 a quoted or agreed figure for 2029 overheads? If so, would you note its source beside it? If not, should D10 be =D5*0.05?
Checklist: 4.

TIDY IF TIME
1. Summary!B2: the prepared date is worked out with TODAY().
Shows: =TODAY(), 10 Nov 2026.
Effect: no headline figure. The cell will show whatever day the bank opens the file.
Fix: type the date the projection was prepared in place of the formula.
Checklist: 9, 11.

FLAGGED BUT FINE
Projection!C4:D4: typed growth rates of 0.1 above the rows of formulas that read them. Fine because: a row of typed inputs, which C5 and D5 use. Checklist: 4.
Projection!B5: a typed 2,400 at the start of a row of formulas. Fine because: it is the opening revenue figure from the 2026 forecast, as the sending note says. Checklist: 4.
Projection!B7: a typed 800 at the start of the wages row. Fine because: it is the opening figure that C7 and D7 grow from. Checklist: 4.
Projection!B8:D8, B9:D9 and B13:D13: typed figures between rows of formulas. Fine because: each is a whole row of typed inputs (rent, equipment lease, loan repayments), not a figure typed among formulas. Checklist: 4.

WHAT THE RECIPIENT CAN SEE
Hidden sheet Old_v5, contents not supplied. Sender to decide.
Hidden row 14 on Projection, director loan repayment. See confirm before sending 3.
Comment on Projection!B15: "Ops dir says 6% not 5% - update before sending". See confirm before sending 4.
Also looked for, nothing found: placeholder or internal text in cells, other organizations' names, links to other files, passwords, account numbers or bank details.
Not checked: the contents of Old_v5, not supplied; file properties, not supplied.

CHECKLIST RUN
1 Error values on show: found: Summary!D10 (fix before sending 2).
2 Broken links: found: Summary!D10 (fix before sending 2). No links to other files.
3 Totals: found: Projection!D11 (fix before sending 1). Projection!B11 and C11 recomputed and agree with their parts. No table carries both row and column totals.
4 Broken patterns: found: Projection!D11 (fix before sending 1), Projection!D10 (confirm before sending 5); Projection!C4:D4, B5, B7 and rows 8, 9 and 13 flagged but fine.
5 Buried assumptions: found: Projection!B6:D6 (confirm before sending 1), Projection!B10:C10 (confirm before sending 2).
6 Hidden structure: found: Projection row 14 (confirm before sending 3). The hidden sheet Old_v5 feeds no formula in the pasted ranges.
7 Figures that will not add: not checked for numbers stored as text and stray spaces, which do not show in pasted text. No lookup and no merged cell in the pasted ranges.
8 Swallowed errors: nothing found.
9 Loops and moving parts: found: Summary!B2 (tidy if time 1). No circular references.
10 Financial sense: nothing found. There is no balance sheet; revenue and costs carry the expected signs; the periods 2027 to 2029 run without a gap; Summary!B5:D5, B6:D6 and B8:D8 equal the Projection cells they report.
11 Labels: found: Summary!A1 (fix before sending 3), Summary!B2 (tidy if time 1).
12 What the recipient can see: found: hidden sheet Old_v5; Projection row 14 (confirm before sending 3); the comment on Projection!B15 (confirm before sending 4).

Prepared for the finance manager's review. The workbook has not been changed and nothing has been sent. It covers the twelve checks above on what was supplied, and vouches for nothing beyond them.

Where it fits

Finance and accounting, which sends the projections, budgets and schedules that outsiders rely on.
Quality management, for any team that wants a repeatable check before work leaves the building.
Professional services, where a schedule sent to a client carries the firm's name.
Finance and investment, where models travel to investment committees and counterparties.
Real estate, where development appraisals and rent rolls go to lenders and partners.
Nonprofits, where budgets go to boards and funders who read every line.
Established businesses, where the models were built years ago by someone else and are still sent out every quarter.

What has to change for your company

Your headline figures. The cells your lenders, clients or board actually read, so the findings that touch them come first.
Your checklist. Add the checks your own reviewers always make, such as cash flow tying to the balance sheet, and drop the ones that never apply.
Your design choices. The overrides and helper sheets your models use on purpose.
Your internal words. The placeholder text, codes and other client names that should never reach a recipient.
Your second pair of eyes. Whether someone besides the model's owner looks at the fixes before the file goes.
Your platform. It runs in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini, from an attached workbook or from pasted ranges. Decide which files the assistant may read.

What has been checked

Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template. It was editorially reviewed on 9 November 2026. It was tried on its invented example in Claude on 9 November 2026 in one run, by a model that had not written it, on the template as it now stands; the record is published with it. It has not yet been tested in a client environment. It has not yet been tested as a packaged version in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini.

Testing in your environment means running it on two or three workbooks your team has already sent, with known mistakes planted in copies and written down in advance: a total one row short, a typed figure among formulas, a hidden row feeding a summary, a title with the wrong year. The model's owner confirms each finding against the workbook before anyone relies on the report. Pilot acceptance-test preparation sets those cases up, and what we test before we call an AI workflow ready describes the record we keep.

The full capability template

Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.

View the full template

Free with an account. Sign in by email: no password and no card.

Next step

Bring a real piece of this work to a call. We’ll walk through what it takes to fit this capability to your rules, prove it on your work and put it in the hands of the roles that own it.

Talk with us Discuss adapting this