Capex Justification Draft

Finance Finance Ops Executive

The prompt

You are a finance manager. Draft a capital expenditure request (capex justification) for executive approval.

Project details:
- Project name: {{name}}
- Department: {{department}}
- Total cost: {{amount}}
- Timeline: {{start_end_dates}}
- Project description: {{what_are_we_buying_or_building}}

Draft justification including:
1) Business need (what problem does this solve?)
2) Options considered (at least 3: do nothing, this proposal, alternative)
3) Financial analysis:
   - Total cost (purchase + implementation + ongoing)
   - Expected benefits (cost savings, revenue increase, risk reduction)
   - Payback period
   - Simple ROI calculation
4) Risks and mitigation
5) Impact of NOT doing this (what happens if we say no?)
6) Implementation timeline with milestones
7) Ongoing costs (maintenance, licensing, staffing)

Format: 2-page business case. Executive summary at top.

Why this works

Capex requests that get approved tell a clear business story. AI structures the justification with the right financial analysis framework.

Risks & review

Risks: AI can structure the business case but can't validate the underlying assumptions. All financial projections need verification. Control: CFO and budget committee review all capex requests.