datapack-builder

What this skill does

# Financial Data Pack Builder

Build professional, standardized financial data packs for private equity, investment banking, and asset management. Transform financial data from CIMs, offering memorandums, SEC filings, web search, or MCP server access into polished Excel workbooks ready for investment committee review.

**Important:** Use the xlsx skill for all Excel file creation and manipulation throughout this workflow.

## CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

Every data pack must achieve these standards. Failure on any point makes the deliverable unusable.

### 1. Data Accuracy (Zero Tolerance for Errors)
- Trace every number to source document with page reference
- Use formula-based calculations exclusively (no hardcoded values)
- Cross-check subtotals and totals for internal consistency
- Verify balance sheet balances: Assets = Liabilities + Equity
- Confirm cash flow ties to balance sheet changes

### 2. ESSENTIAL RULES

**RULE 1: Financial data (measuring money) → Currency format with $**
Triggers: Revenue, Sales, Income, EBITDA, Profit, Loss, Cost, Expense, Cash, Debt, Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Capex
Format: $#,##0.0 for millions, $#,##0 for thousands
Negatives: $(123.0) NOT -$123

**RULE 2: Operational data (counting things) → Number format, NO $**
Triggers: Units, Stores, Locations, Employees, Customers, Square Feet, Properties, Headcount
Format: #,##0 with commas
Negatives: (123) consistent with rest of table

**RULE 3: Percentages (rates and ratios) → Percentage format**
Triggers: Margin, Growth, Rate, Percentage, Yield, Return, Utilization, Occupancy
Format: 0.0% for one decimal place
Display: 15.0% NOT 0.15

**RULE 4: Years → Text format to prevent comma insertion**
Format: Text or custom to prevent 2,024
Display: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023A, 2024E

**RULE 5: When context is mixed, each metric gets its own appropriate format**
Example:
```
Segment Analysis, 2022, 2023, 2024
Retail Revenue, $50.0, $55.0, $60.0
  Stores, 100, 110, 120
  Revenue per Store, $0.5, $0.5, $0.5
```
Revenue and per-store metrics use $, Store count uses number format.

**RULE 6: Use formulas for all calculations → Never hardcode calculated values**
All subtotals, totals, ratios, and derived metrics must be formula-based, not hardcoded values. This ensures accuracy and allows for dynamic updates.

### 3. Professional Presentation Standards

**Formatting Standards:**

**Color Scheme - Two Layers:**

**Layer 1: Font Colors (MANDATORY from xlsx skill)**
- **Blue text (RGB: 0,0,255)**: ALL hardcoded inputs (historical data, assumptions), NOT normal text
- **Black text (RGB: 0,0,0)**: ALL formulas and calculations
- **Green text (RGB: 0,128,0)**: Links to other sheets

**Layer 2: Fill Colors (Optional for enhanced presentation)**
- Fill colors are optional and should only be applied if requested by the user or if enhancing presentation
- If the user requests colors or professional formatting, use this standard scheme:
  - **Section headers**: Dark blue (RGB: 68,114,196) background with white text
  - **Sub-headers/column headers**: Light blue (RGB: 217,225,242) background with black text
  - **Input cells**: Light green/cream (RGB: 226,239,218) background with blue text
  - **Calculated cells**: White background with black text
- Users can override with custom brand colors if specified

**How the layers work together (if fill colors are used):**
- Input cell: Blue text + light green fill = "User-entered data"
- Formula cell: Black text + white background = "Calculated value"
- Sheet link: Green text + white background = "Reference from another tab"

**Font color tells you WHAT it is. Fill color tells you WHERE it is (if used).**

**IMPORTANT:** Font colors from xlsx skill are mandatory. Fill colors are optional - default is white/no fill unless the user requests enhanced formatting or colors.

**Always apply:**
- Bold headers, left-aligned
- Numbers right-aligned
- 2-space indentation for sub-items
- Single underline above subtotals
- Double underline below final totals
- Freeze panes on row/column headers
- Minimal borders (only where structurally needed)
- Consistent font (typically Calibri or Arial 11pt)

**Never include:**
- Borders around every cell
- Multiple fonts or font sizes
- Charts unless specifically requested
- Excessive formatting or decoration

## Structural Consistency
Use the standard 8-tab structure unless explicitly instructed otherwise:
1. Executive Summary
2. Historical Financials (Income Statement)
3. Balance Sheet
4. Cash Flow Statement
5. Operating Metrics
6. Property/Segment Performance (if applicable)
7. Market Analysis
8. Investment Highlights

### Tab 1: Executive Summary
Purpose: One-page overview for busy executives

Contents:
- Company overview (2-3 sentences on business model)
- Key investment highlights (3-5 bullet points)
- Financial snapshot table (Revenue, EBITDA, Growth for last 3 years + projections)
- Transaction overview if applicable
- Key metrics prominently displayed

Format: Clean, bold headers, minimal decoration, critical numbers emphasized

### Tab 2: Historical Financials (Income Statement)
Purpose: Complete profit and loss history

Contents:
- Revenue breakdown by segment/product line
- Cost of goods sold / Cost of revenue
- Gross profit and gross margin %
- Operating expenses detailed (S&M, R&D, G&A)
- EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
- Below-the-line items (D&A, interest, taxes)
- Net income

Format:
- Years as columns (text format: 2020, 2021, 2022)
- $ millions or $ thousands (specify units clearly at top)
- Accounting format for all financial data
- Single underline above subtotals, double underline below net income
- Right-align all numbers

### Tab 3: Balance Sheet
Purpose: Financial position at period end

Contents:
- Current assets (cash, AR, inventory, prepaid, other)
- Long-term assets (PP&E, intangibles, goodwill, other)
- Current liabilities (AP, accrued expenses, current portion of debt, other)
- Long-term liabilities (long-term debt, deferred taxes, other)
- Shareholders' equity (common stock, retained earnings, other)

Format:
- Verify formula: Assets = Liabilities + Equity
- Consistent date labeling
- Include working capital calculation
- Single underline above major subtotals, double underline for final totals

### Tab 4: Cash Flow Statement
Purpose: Cash generation and use analysis

Contents:
- Operating cash flow (indirect method preferred)
- Investing cash flow (capex, acquisitions, asset sales)
- Financing cash flow (debt issuance/repayment, equity, dividends)
- Net change in cash
- Beginning and ending cash balances

Format:
- Link to income statement and balance sheet where possible
- Show reconciliation of net income to operating cash flow
- Clear labeling of cash uses (outflows) vs sources (inflows)

### Tab 5: Operating Metrics
Purpose: Non-financial KPIs and operational data

Contents (industry-dependent):
- Unit volumes, customer counts, locations
- Productivity metrics (revenue per employee, per store, per unit)
- Capacity utilization
- Market share
- Customer retention/churn rates
- Industry-specific KPIs

**CRITICAL FORMAT NOTE:**
NO dollar signs on operational metrics. These are quantities, not currency.

Format:
- Clear units specified (customers, employees, stores, square feet, etc.)
- Whole numbers with commas: 1,250 NOT $1,250
- Percentages for rates: 95.0%
- Right-align numbers

### Tab 6: Property/Segment Performance (if applicable)
Purpose: Detailed breakdown by business unit, property, or segment

Contents:
- Revenue and profitability by segment
- Key metrics by location/product
- Segment-specific KPIs
- Comparative performance analysis

Format: Consistent with financial tabs for revenue/EBITDA, number format for operational metrics

### Tab 7: Market Analysis
Purpose: Industry context and competitive positioning

Contents:
- Market size and growth trends
- Competitive landscape overview
- Market share analysis
- Industry benchmarks and peer comparisons
- Regulatory environment if relevant

For