Free workout 2
AI move: CheckMake AI audit the number before you trust it.
Match every receipt to its bill and every shipment to its invoice around month end. Then see what the lines in the wrong month did to September.
Linwood Valve & Fitting is a $14M distributor of valves, fittings and hose. You are the finance manager. September is closed, the stock system and the books are $14,479 apart, and the controller wants to post one adjustment and move on.
2 prompts find all of it. Below is how.
The workout files
4 CSV files each, built for this workout.
Step 1
The stock system counts a move the day the goods move. The books count it the day the paper is posted. These files show both, from 23 Sep to 7 Oct.
| source | line | amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stock system | Inventory at cost, 30 Sep 2026 | $1,743,347.21 |
| Books | 1300 Inventory, 30 Sep 2026 | $1,728,868.27 |
| Books | 2000 Accounts payable, 30 Sep 2026 | $605,793.33 |
| Books | 4000 Sales, September 2026 | $1,143,120.46 |
| Books | 5000 Cost of sales, September 2026 | $830,297.98 |
| sales_order | cost_value | ship_date | invoice_no | invoice_date | posted_to | invoice_amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO-40201 | 1566.68 | 2026-09-23 | INV-91501 | 2026-09-23 | Sep 2026 | 2296.48 |
| SO-40202 | 6635.66 | 2026-09-23 | INV-91502 | 2026-09-24 | Sep 2026 | 8941.02 |
| SO-40203 | 1327.35 | 2026-09-23 | INV-91503 | 2026-09-23 | Sep 2026 | 1749.51 |
| SO-40204 | 9376.18 | 2026-09-23 | INV-91504 | 2026-09-24 | Sep 2026 | 13935.99 |
| SO-40205 | 3331.00 | 2026-09-23 | INV-91505 | 2026-09-23 | Sep 2026 | 4959.63 |
| SO-40206 | 8584.20 | 2026-09-24 | INV-91506 | 2026-09-24 | Sep 2026 | 11575.98 |
Step 2
Open Claude or ChatGPT, attach the 4 files and paste this.
I am the finance manager at an industrial distributor, closing September 2026. I have 4 files: the September close figures, warehouse receipts, supplier bills, and shipments with their invoices, all from 23 Sep to 7 Oct. The stock system counts a receipt the day it arrives and a shipment the day it leaves. The books count a receipt when the supplier bill is posted, and a shipment when the invoice is posted. 1. Match every receipt to its supplier bill by PO, and every shipment to its invoice by sales order. 2. List every pair where the 2 dates fall in different months, and every receipt with no bill. 3. Put each line in one of 4 groups: received in Sep, billed in Oct or not yet / billed in Sep, received in Oct / shipped in Sep, invoiced in Oct / invoiced in Sep, shipped in Oct. 4. For each group: the value at cost, and whether it makes the books higher or lower than the stock system. 5. Add the 4 groups. Compare with the difference between the stock system and the books at 30 Sep. Do not round. Show your working.
| Group | Lines | At cost | Books | Stock minus books |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AReceived in Sep, billed in Oct or not billed yet | 4 | $40,365.38 | Books lower | +$40,365.38 |
| BBilled in Sep, received in Oct | 2 | $66,483.66 | Books higher | -$66,483.66 |
| CShipped in Sep, invoiced in Oct | 3 | $19,937.08 | Books higher | -$19,937.08 |
| DInvoiced in Sep, shipped in Oct | 2 | $60,534.30 | Books lower | +$60,534.30 |
| Total | 11 | $187,320.42 | +$14,478.94 |
| Group | Line | Goods | Paper | At cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | RC-0011 / PO-6319Apex Flow Products | 29 Sep | 1 Oct | $14,451.36 |
| A | RC-0009 / PO-6318Summit Hydraulics | 28 Sep | 1 Oct | $8,939.14 |
| A | RC-0015 / PO-6321Midwest Valve Co. | 30 Sep | no bill yet | $8,531.20 |
| A | RC-0014 / PO-6320Apex Flow Products | 30 Sep | 5 Oct | $8,443.68 |
| B | RC-0018 / PO-6322Apex Flow Products | 2 Oct | 29 Sep | $37,125.51 |
| B | RC-0022 / PO-6323Midwest Valve Co. | 6 Oct | 30 Sep | $29,358.15 |
| C | SO-40266 / INV-91566Allied Food Processing | 30 Sep | 1 Oct | $7,928.78 |
| C | SO-40265 / INV-91565Clearwater Utilities | 29 Sep | 1 Oct | $6,731.00 |
| C | SO-40267 / INV-91567Granite Paper Mill | 30 Sep | 1 Oct | $5,277.30 |
| D | SO-40268 / INV-91568Clearwater Utilities | 1 Oct | 30 Sep | $30,759.30 |
| D | SO-40269 / INV-91569Granite Paper Mill | 2 Oct | 30 Sep | $29,775.00 |
11 lines and $187,320 of stock sit in the wrong month. They push the books both ways, so the difference is only $14,479.
The 4 groups must add up exactly to the difference: $40,365.38 minus $66,483.66 minus $19,937.08 plus $60,534.30 = $14,478.94. If they do not, the AI missed a line. Ask it to list every receipt with no bill, and every shipment and invoice dated in different months.
Step 3
Same chat. Paste this next.
Now show what these lines did to September. Ownership passes when the goods arrive, and a sale counts when the goods ship. 1. For each group: is September's inventory, accounts payable, sales and cost of sales too high or too low, and by how much? 2. Write the entries that put each line in the right month. 3. Show September as posted and as it should be: inventory, accounts payable, sales, cost of sales, gross profit. 4. Rank the lines by their effect on gross profit. Next to each, write the one question to ask and who to ask.
| Line | As posted | As it should be | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory | $1,728,868.27 | $1,743,347.21 | -$14,478.94 |
| Accounts payable | $605,793.33 | $579,675.05 | +$26,118.28 |
| Sales | $1,143,120.46 | $1,087,122.16 | +$55,998.30 |
| Cost of sales | $830,297.98 | $789,700.76 | +$40,597.22 |
| Gross profit | $312,822.48 | $297,421.40 | +$15,401.08 |
| Group | Entry in September |
|---|---|
| A | Dr Inventory $40,365.38 / Cr Accounts payable $40,365.38 |
| B | Dr Accounts payable $66,483.66 / Cr Inventory $66,483.66 |
| C | Dr Accounts receivable $28,479.57 / Cr Sales $28,479.57; Dr Cost of sales $19,937.08 / Cr Inventory $19,937.08 |
| D | Dr Sales $84,477.87 / Cr Accounts receivable $84,477.87; Dr Inventory $60,534.30 / Cr Cost of sales $60,534.30 |
After the entries, the books equal the stock system: $1,743,347.21.
| # | Line | Gross profit | The question, and who to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SO-40269 / INV-91569D: Invoiced in Sep, shipped in Oct | +$14,589.57 | Who asked to invoice before the goods left?Ask: Sales manager |
| 2 | SO-40268 / INV-91568D: Invoiced in Sep, shipped in Oct | +$9,354.00 | Who asked to invoice before the goods left?Ask: Sales manager |
| 3 | SO-40266 / INV-91566C: Shipped in Sep, invoiced in Oct | -$3,370.03 | Why did the invoice wait for the next morning?Ask: Billing |
| 4 | SO-40265 / INV-91565C: Shipped in Sep, invoiced in Oct | -$3,009.14 | Why did the invoice wait for the next morning?Ask: Billing |
| 5 | SO-40267 / INV-91567C: Shipped in Sep, invoiced in Oct | -$2,163.32 | Why did the invoice wait for the next morning?Ask: Billing |
| A | 4 receipts, $40,365.38Received in Sep, billed in Oct or not billed yet. No effect on profit; inventory and payables move together. | $0.00 | Is the bill in someone's inbox? Book it as received, not billed.Ask: AP |
| B | 2 receipts, $66,483.66Billed in Sep, received in Oct. No effect on profit; inventory and payables move together. | $0.00 | Do the supplier terms pass ownership on dispatch or on delivery?Ask: Purchasing |
The controller posts one adjustment for the $14,479 so the books match the stock system. Is September right now?
The books match the stock. September is still wrong. The plug goes to cost of sales, so gross profit goes up another $14,479. September profit is now $29,880 too high, and $55,998 of sales still belong to October.
September gross profit. Scale starts at $270,000.
Same chat. There is no right answer here. Some people ask:
Which of these lines would an auditor test first, and why?
Draft a 3-line month-end cutoff rule for the warehouse and billing.
Draft a short note to the sales manager about the orders invoiced before they shipped.
The 2 invoices dated 30 Sep for goods that left in October go first. $84,478 of sales sit in September that belong to October. Ask the sales manager who asked for it. The rule: no invoice before the goods leave.
The 4 receipts with no September bill are the bank's question: $40,365 of stock counts at 30 Sep with nothing owed against it. Book them as received, not billed.
The 2 bills for goods still on the road: check the supplier terms before you take them out.
The 3 shipments invoiced the next morning are the habit to stop. On the last day of the month, invoice on the ship date.
And never plug the difference. Find the lines.
Step 4
Fairmont Industrial Supply is a $14M industrial supply distributor with the same kinds of line and different amounts. Run the same 2 prompts, find what one adjustment would hide, ask your own question. Then post your difference in the comments.
4 CSV files, built for this workout.
The 4 groups must add up exactly to the difference between the stock system and the books. If they do not, the AI missed a line: ask it to list every receipt with no bill.
Here are the column names from my [SYSTEM NAME] exports. Receipts: [PASTE THE HEADER ROW]. Supplier bills: [PASTE]. Shipments and invoices: [PASTE]. Match each one to: date received, PO, bill date, period posted, sales order, ship date, invoice date, cost value, invoice amount. Tell me which ones are missing and what I would need to export to get them. Do not guess a match. If unsure, ask.
Watch for: receipts in the last 3 days of the month, invoices dated the last day for orders still in the warehouse, and supplier bills that arrive before the goods.
The 30-Day Numbers That Hold Challenge
Do the stock report and the books disagree item by item? Has the cost moved? Which stock will not sell? 30 workouts in 5 stages, each ending on a number that must match.
US$497See the challenge
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