Capstone templates ================== Use these templates to keep your capstone deliverables consistent and easy to review. They are intentionally "accountant-friendly": short, structured, and focused on audit trail. If you used the Track D scripts, you can attach their artifacts from ``outputs/track_d`` as supporting evidence. 1) Close & Controls Pack templates ---------------------------------- Bank reconciliation (summary) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text Bank reconciliation — [Bank name] — [Period end] Ending bank statement balance: $__________ Add: deposits in transit: $__________ Less: outstanding cheques: ($_________) Less: bank fees/interest not posted ($_________) Adjusted bank balance: $__________ Ending book cash balance: $__________ Add/Less: corrections posted: $__________ Adjusted book balance: $__________ Difference (should be 0): $__________ AR tie-out checklist ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text AR tie-out checklist [ ] AR subledger total equals AR control account [ ] Aging report dated as-of period end [ ] Credit memos and returns reviewed [ ] Cutoff: last week invoices vs shipments checked [ ] Top 10 balances confirmed or reviewed AP tie-out checklist ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text AP tie-out checklist [ ] AP subledger total equals AP control account [ ] Vendor statements reviewed (top vendors) [ ] Cutoff: receiving reports vs invoices checked [ ] Duplicate payments scan performed [ ] Accruals documented (payroll, taxes, utilities) Corrections log (minimum) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text timestamp,issue_type,source_table,record_id,proposed_fix,posted_fix,reviewer,notes 2026-12-31,duplicate,gl_txns,1234,"remove duplicate row","removed",TA,"duplicate import" Exception report (minimum) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text check_name,status,records_flagged,threshold,who_reviewed,notes duplicate_txn_scan,ok,0,>0,TA, negative_inventory,flag,3,>0,TA,"investigate stocking + COGS timing" unusual_margin_swing,flag,1,>10pp,TA,"promo month likely" 2) Analysis-ready Dataset templates ----------------------------------- Tidy GL table (recommended schema) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text Columns (tidy): * txn_id * txn_date (YYYY-MM-DD) * account_name * account_type (Asset/Liability/Equity/Revenue/Expense) * department (optional) * memo (optional) * debit * credit * amount (signed; optional) * source (bank/qbo/manual) Data dictionary (minimum) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text table_name,column_name,type,definition,allowed_values,source gl_txns,txn_date,date,Transaction date,,qbo export gl_txns,account_name,string,Chart of accounts name,,qbo export gl_txns,debit,float,Debit amount,>=0,qbo export Assumptions log ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text assumption_id,description,value,units,why_it_matters,owner,created_at,expires_at,notes A001,"AR collection lag",28,days,"drives cash receipts timing",Analyst,2026-01-01,2026-06-30,"based on last 6 months" 3) Performance analysis templates --------------------------------- Variance drivers worksheet ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text metric,period_a,period_b,delta,primary_driver,evidence,next_check gross_margin,0.41,0.36,-0.05,"discounting",promo calendar + unit prices,review pricing strategy Regression / driver model write-up (short) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text Model purpose: - What decision or forecast input is this model supporting? Variables: - Outcome: __________________________ - Predictors: ________________________ Interpretation (no causal over-claiming): - "Holding other predictors constant, a 1-unit change in X is associated with..." Diagnostics: - [ ] residual pattern checked - [ ] outliers / one-offs reviewed - [ ] stability across time checked 4) Forecast Pack templates -------------------------- 12-month rolling forecast (structure) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text Forecast pack should include: * A baseline forecast (simple, explainable) * At least 3 scenarios (base / downside / upside) * A backtest summary (recent months) * Assumptions log (what changed, why) * Reconciliation check: P&L, BS, and cash tie-out consistent 13-week cash forecast (direct method) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text scenario,week_start,begin_cash,cash_in,cash_out,net_change,end_cash,buffer_breach,notes base,2026-01-06,25000,18000,21000,-3000,22000,False, Backtest summary (minimum) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text metric,window,mae,mape,notes revenue,6_months,12000,0.08,"baseline seasonal naive" Scenario summary (one page) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text Scenarios - Base: key assumptions... - Downside: what changes (volume, margin, collections, costs)... - Upside: what changes... Stress tests (binary events) - Supplier delay (inventory + sales impact) - Collections slowdown (AR days) - Payroll shock (hiring or overtime) 5) Decision memo template ------------------------- CFO-style recommendation memo (1–2 pages) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text Title: North Shore Outfitters — Recommendation for [Period] Executive summary (5–7 sentences) - What is happening? - What do we recommend? - What impact range do we expect? Situation snapshot (bullets) - Revenue: ________ (trend + key driver) - Margin: ________ (what moved) - Cash: ________ (13-week outlook + buffer risk) Recommendation (actions) 1) Action: ____________________ Expected impact: ____________ (range) Risks: ______________________ Owner: ______________________ First check-in: ______________ Monitoring plan (KPIs) - KPI 1: ________ (thresholds + cadence) - KPI 2: ________ Assumptions and limitations - Top 3 assumptions that could change the conclusion KPI dictionary (minimum) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text kpi_name,definition,formula,source_table,source_columns,owner_role,update_cadence,threshold_green,threshold_yellow,threshold_red,notes Gross margin,"(Revenue-COGS)/Revenue","(rev-cogs)/rev",statements_is_monthly,"Sales Revenue;Cost of Goods Sold",FP&A,Monthly,>0.40,0.35-0.40,<0.35,"promo months expected" Dashboard spec (minimum) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text view_name,kpi_name,chart_type,grain,filters,owner_role,refresh_cadence,notes exec_summary,Gross margin,line,monthly,"scenario",FP&A,Monthly, Red-team checklist ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: text Red-team checklist [ ] Numbers tie out: P&L, BS, and cash are consistent [ ] One-offs identified and labeled [ ] No causal claims without a design [ ] Units and signs checked (cash in vs cash out) [ ] Assumptions log updated and owned [ ] Risk monitoring plan has thresholds + owners