Aug1‐Excel‐Shortcut AI Workflows ‐ Visual Documentation - magicplatforms/new-machine-workflows GitHub Wiki

Shortcut AI Workflows - Visual Documentation

Table of Contents

  1. [Overview](#overview)
  2. [Main Workflows](#main-workflows)
  3. [Core Process Workflows](#core-process-workflows)
  4. [End-to-End Master Workflow](#end-to-end-master-workflow)
  5. [Color Legend & Conventions](#color-legend--conventions)

Overview

Shortcut AI transforms traditional spreadsheet work by automating complex financial modeling and analysis tasks. These visual workflows demonstrate how users interact with the AI agent to accomplish tasks that traditionally take hours or days in just minutes.

Color Legend & Conventions

graph LR
    style U fill:#4A90E2,stroke:#2E5C8A,color:#fff
    style S fill:#27AE60,stroke:#1E8449,color:#fff
    style D fill:#F39C12,stroke:#D68910,color:#fff
    style Q fill:#9B59B6,stroke:#7D3C98,color:#fff
    style E fill:#E74C3C,stroke:#C0392B,color:#fff
    
    U[User Actions]
    S[Shortcut AI Agent]
    D[Data/System Operations]
    Q[QA/Review Processes]
    E[External Systems]
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Main Workflows

DCF Model Update Workflow

This workflow demonstrates how Shortcut AI updates a Discounted Cash Flow model with new company data in ~10 minutes instead of a full day.

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    
    participant U as User 🧑‍💼
    participant S as Shortcut AI 🤖
    participant D as Data Sources 📊
    participant M as Model/Excel 📈
    
    rect rgb(66, 135, 245)
        Note over U,M: 🚀 INITIATION PHASE
        U->>S: Upload existing DCF template
        activate U
        U->>S: "Update this DCF for Company X"
        deactivate U
    end
    
    rect rgb(39, 174, 96)
        Note over U,M: 🎯 CLARIFICATION PHASE
        activate S
        S->>U: Which fiscal years to include?
        U->>S: Last 5 years + 2 year forecast
        S->>U: Growth assumptions?
        U->>S: Conservative scenario
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(243, 156, 18)
        Note over U,M: 📥 DATA ACQUISITION PHASE
        activate S
        S->>D: Search SEC EDGAR API
        D-->>S: Return 10-K filing list
        
        par Parallel Data Fetching
            S->>D: Download 2020 10-K PDF
        and
            S->>D: Download 2021 10-K PDF
        and
            S->>D: Download 2022 10-K PDF
        and
            S->>D: Download 2023 10-K PDF
        and
            S->>D: Download 2024 10-K PDF
        end
        
        D-->>S: Return all PDFs
        S->>S: Parse & chunk PDFs
        S->>S: Cache financial data
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(155, 89, 182)
        Note over U,M: 🔧 MODEL UPDATE PHASE
        activate S
        S->>M: Parse template structure
        M-->>S: Return sheets, formulas, layout
        
        S->>M: Update historical financials
        Note right of S: Revenue, EBITDA, Cash Flow
        
        S->>M: Update key drivers
        Note right of S: Growth rates, margins
        
        S->>M: Adjust assumptions
        Note right of S: WACC, terminal value
        
        S->>S: Detect circular references
        S->>M: Resolve with circularity toggle
        
        S->>M: Recalculate all formulas
        S->>M: Update charts & dashboard
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(231, 76, 60)
        Note over U,M: ✅ QA & VALIDATION PHASE
        activate S
        S->>S: Run error checks
        S->>S: Flag any #REF! or #DIV/0!
        S->>M: Apply formula/constant overlay
        S->>M: Add source citations to cells
        
        S->>U: Display task completion log
        Note right of S: ✓ Historical update complete<br/>✓ Formulas verified<br/>✓ No errors found
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(52, 152, 219)
        Note over U,M: 👀 REVIEW & DELIVERY PHASE
        activate U
        U->>M: Toggle color overlay
        U->>M: Click cell for citation
        M-->>U: Show "Source: 2023 10-K p.42"
        U->>S: Approved ✓
        U->>M: Export to Excel
        M-->>U: Download DCF_CompanyX_2024.xlsx
        deactivate U
    end
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P&L Statement Creation Workflow

This workflow shows the "finance-team-in-a-box" capability, creating a complete P&L with projections in ~8 minutes.

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    
    participant U as User 🧑‍💼
    participant S as Shortcut AI 🤖
    participant C as Clarification UI 💬
    participant M as Model Builder 🏗️
    participant O as Output/Excel 📊
    
    rect rgb(66, 135, 245)
        Note over U,O: 🎬 INITIATION
        U->>S: Upload revenue/expense data CSV
        activate U
        U->>S: "Create P&L with 2-year forecast"
        deactivate U
    end
    
    rect rgb(39, 174, 96)
        Note over U,O: 💭 INTELLIGENT CLARIFICATION
        activate S
        S->>C: Generate context-aware questions
        C->>U: 📋 Growth Scenario?<br/>☐ Conservative (3-5%)<br/>☐ Moderate (8-12%)<br/>☐ Aggressive (15-20%)
        activate U
        U->>C: Select "All scenarios"
        deactivate U
        
        C->>U: 📅 Reporting Period?<br/>☐ Monthly<br/>☐ Quarterly<br/>☐ Annual
        activate U
        U->>C: Select "Monthly"
        deactivate U
        
        C->>U: 💰 Include Balance Sheet?
        activate U
        U->>C: "Yes"
        deactivate U
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(243, 156, 18)
        Note over U,O: 🏗️ MODEL CONSTRUCTION
        activate M
        M->>M: Create workbook structure
        Note right of M: Sheet1: Income Statement<br/>Sheet2: Balance Sheet<br/>Sheet3: Cash Flow<br/>Sheet4: KPI Dashboard
        
        M->>M: Build historical year
        Note right of M: Import & validate actuals
        
        par Build Multiple Scenarios
            M->>O: Generate Conservative P&L
            Note right of M: 3-5% growth
        and
            M->>O: Generate Moderate P&L
            Note right of M: 8-12% growth
        and
            M->>O: Generate Aggressive P&L
            Note right of M: 15-20% growth
        end
        
        M->>O: Create comparison sheet
        M->>O: Build KPI charts
        Note right of M: Revenue trend<br/>Margin analysis<br/>Expense breakdown
        deactivate M
    end
    
    rect rgb(155, 89, 182)
        Note over U,O: 📊 VISUALIZATION & FORMATTING
        activate M
        M->>O: Apply professional formatting
        M->>O: Create executive summary
        M->>O: Add conditional formatting
        Note right of M: Green: Above target<br/>Red: Below target
        M->>O: Insert scenario toggle
        deactivate M
    end
    
    rect rgb(231, 76, 60)
        Note over U,O: ✨ DELIVERY
        activate S
        S->>U: Preview complete model
        S->>U: "3 scenarios built in 8 minutes"
        deactivate S
        activate U
        U->>O: Review dashboards
        U->>O: Export all scenarios
        O-->>U: P&L_Scenarios_2024.xlsx
        deactivate U
    end
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Agency Utilization Analysis Workflow

This workflow demonstrates creating a utilization and profitability dashboard for a services agency.

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    
    participant U as User 👔
    participant S as Shortcut AI 🤖
    participant D as Data Processing 🔄
    participant B as Benchmarks 📊
    participant R as Report/Dashboard 📈
    
    rect rgb(66, 135, 245)
        Note over U,R: 💬 NATURAL LANGUAGE REQUEST
        activate U
        U->>S: "Show monthly utilization by staff<br/>with revenue, profit, and<br/>industry benchmarks"
        deactivate U
    end
    
    rect rgb(39, 174, 96)
        Note over U,R: 🔍 CONTEXT GATHERING
        activate S
        S->>U: Which departments to include?
        U->>S: "All billable staff"
        
        S->>U: Target utilization rate?
        U->>S: "85% (industry standard)"
        
        S->>U: Include historical comparison?
        U->>S: "Yes, last 6 months"
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(243, 156, 18)
        Note over U,R: 🔄 DATA TRANSFORMATION
        activate D
        D->>D: Extract staff list
        D->>D: Calculate hours/available
        D->>D: Match revenue to staff
        D->>D: Compute profit margins
        
        D->>B: Fetch industry benchmarks
        B-->>D: Return utilization standards
        Note right of B: Consulting: 85%<br/>Creative: 75%<br/>Technical: 90%
        deactivate D
    end
    
    rect rgb(155, 89, 182)
        Note over U,R: 📊 DASHBOARD CREATION
        activate D
        D->>R: Create utilization matrix
        Note right of D: Rows: Staff members<br/>Columns: Months<br/>Cells: Utilization %
        
        D->>R: Apply conditional formatting
        Note right of D: 🔴 Red: <60%<br/>🟡 Yellow: 60-79%<br/>🟢 Green: 80%+
        
        D->>R: Add profitability overlay
        D->>R: Insert benchmark lines
        D->>R: Create summary KPIs
        Note right of D: • Agency avg: 72%<br/>• Target: 85%<br/>• Gap: -13%
        deactivate D
    end
    
    rect rgb(231, 76, 60)
        Note over U,R: 🚨 ALERTING & ACTIONS
        activate S
        S->>S: Evaluate thresholds
        S->>U: ⚠️ Alert: 3 staff below 60%
        S->>R: Highlight problem areas
        
        Note over S: Future: Auto-post to Slack
        S-->>S: if util < 60% then<br/>webhook → #finance
        deactivate S
        
        activate U
        U->>R: Review & export
        R-->>U: Utilization_Report.xlsx
        deactivate U
    end
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Core Process Workflows

Data Acquisition & Ingestion

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    
    participant U as User 🧑‍💼
    participant S as Shortcut Core 🤖
    participant I as Import Engine 📥
    participant E as External APIs 🌐
    participant C as Cache/Storage 💾
    
    rect rgb(66, 135, 245)
        Note over U,C: 📁 MULTIPLE INGESTION PATHS
    end
    
    rect rgb(39, 174, 96)
        Note over U,C: Path 1: Excel Import
        U->>I: Drop existing .xlsx file
        activate I
        I->>I: Preserve formulas ✓
        I->>I: Maintain structure ✓
        I->>I: Keep all sheets ✓
        I->>C: Store with fidelity
        deactivate I
    end
    
    rect rgb(243, 156, 18)
        Note over U,C: Path 2: Bulk SEC Fetch
        S->>E: Query EDGAR API
        activate E
        E-->>S: Return filing metadata
        
        par Concurrent Downloads
            S->>E: GET /10-K/2020.pdf
        and
            S->>E: GET /10-K/2021.pdf
        and
            S->>E: GET /10-K/2022.pdf
        end
        
        E-->>S: Return PDFs
        deactivate E
        
        activate S
        S->>S: Chunk into sections
        S->>C: Cache for reuse
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(155, 89, 182)
        Note over U,C: Path 3: Manual Upload
        U->>I: Upload QuickBooks.csv
        activate I
        I->>I: Detect structure
        I->>U: "Are values in thousands?"
        U->>I: Confirm format
        I->>C: Store with metadata
        deactivate I
    end
    
    rect rgb(231, 76, 60)
        Note over U,C: Path 4: Parallel Multi-Agent (Beta)
        activate U
        U->>S: Email: "Analyze 10 companies"
        deactivate U
        activate S
        
        loop For each company
            S->>S: Spawn agent[i]
        end
        
        par 10 Concurrent Agents
            S->>E: Agent 1: Fetch data
        and
            S->>E: Agent 2: Fetch data
        and
            S->>E: ...Agent 10: Fetch data
        end
        
        S->>C: Aggregate results
        deactivate S
    end
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Model Construction & Transformation

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    
    participant U as User 🧑‍💼
    participant A as AI Agent 🤖
    participant T as Template Engine 📋
    participant F as Formula Engine 🧮
    participant V as Validation 🔍
    
    rect rgb(66, 135, 245)
        Note over U,V: 🏗️ CONSTRUCTION PATTERNS
    end
    
    rect rgb(39, 174, 96)
        Note over U,V: DCF Model Rebuild
        A->>T: Load DCF template
        activate T
        T-->>A: Return structure map
        deactivate T
        
        activate A
        A->>F: Update historicals
        A->>F: Recalc projections
        A->>F: Fix circular refs
        Note right of A: Insert toggle switch
        A->>V: Validate model
        deactivate A
    end
    
    rect rgb(243, 156, 18)
        Note over U,V: Finance-in-a-Box P&L
        U->>A: Basic revenue/expense
        activate A
        A->>U: Ask growth scenarios
        U->>A: Provide assumptions
        
        A->>T: Generate P&L structure
        A->>F: Build formulas
        A->>F: Create projections
        A->>T: Add KPI dashboard
        deactivate A
    end
    
    rect rgb(155, 89, 182)
        Note over U,V: On-the-Fly Refactor
        activate U
        U->>A: Select cell range
        U->>A: "Exclude refunds"
        deactivate U
        
        activate A
        A->>F: Search workbook context
        A->>F: Find refund references
        A->>F: Modify formulas locally
        A->>V: Test changes
        A->>U: Apply to selection only
        deactivate A
    end
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Quality Assurance & Observability

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    
    participant U as User 👀
    participant Q as QA Engine 🔍
    participant L as Logger 📝
    participant C as Citations 📚
    participant E as Error Handler 🚨
    
    rect rgb(155, 89, 182)
        Note over U,E: 🔍 TRANSPARENCY & TRUST
    end
    
    rect rgb(39, 174, 96)
        Note over U,E: Live Task Tracking
        activate Q
        Q->>L: Log: "Starting DCF update"
        Q->>U: Display task list
        Note right of Q: ☐ Parse template<br/>☑ Fetch data<br/>☐ Update model<br/>☐ Validate
        
        Q->>L: Log each step
        L->>U: Update progress bar
        deactivate Q
    end
    
    rect rgb(243, 156, 18)
        Note over U,E: Formula/Constant Overlay
        activate Q
        Q->>Q: Classify each cell
        Q->>U: Apply color coding
        Note right of Q: 🔵 Blue = Inputs<br/>⚫ Black = Formulas<br/>🟡 Yellow = Links
        deactivate Q
    end
    
    rect rgb(231, 76, 60)
        Note over U,E: Source Citations
        U->>C: Click on cell value
        activate C
        C->>C: Retrieve metadata
        C->>U: Show citation modal
        Note right of C: Source: 2023 10-K<br/>Page: 42<br/>Line: "Total Revenue"<br/>[View PDF excerpt]
        deactivate C
    end
    
    rect rgb(52, 152, 219)
        Note over U,E: Auto Error Detection
        activate E
        E->>E: Scan for #REF!
        E->>E: Check circular refs
        E->>E: Validate balances
        
        alt Error found
            E->>E: Attempt self-repair
            E->>L: Log fix applied
        else No errors
            E->>L: Log validation passed
        end
        deactivate E
    end
    
    rect rgb(155, 89, 182)
        Note over U,E: Change History
        U->>L: View history
        activate L
        L->>U: Show change log
        Note right of L: 10:32 - Added Sheet2<br/>10:33 - Updated B5:B20<br/>10:34 - Fixed circular ref<br/>10:35 - Refreshed charts
        
        U->>L: Compare versions
        L->>U: Show diff view
        deactivate L
    end
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Review & Collaboration

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    
    participant U as Reviewer 🕵️
    participant R as Review Tools 🔍
    participant S as Share Engine 🔗
    participant E as Export Engine 📤
    participant T as Team 👥
    
    rect rgb(155, 89, 182)
        Note over U,T: 👀 HUMAN VALIDATION LOOP
    end
    
    rect rgb(39, 174, 96)
        Note over U,T: Supervisor Review
        activate U
        U->>R: Toggle overlays
        U->>R: Check citations
        U->>R: Verify KPIs
        
        alt Issues found
            U->>R: Select problem area
            U->>R: "Fix this calculation"
            R->>R: Apply targeted fix
        else All good
            U->>R: Approve model ✓
        end
        deactivate U
    end
    
    rect rgb(243, 156, 18)
        Note over U,T: Instant Sharing
        activate U
        U->>S: Generate share link
        deactivate U
        activate S
        S->>S: Create secure URL
        S->>U: Copy link 🔗
        S->>T: Send notification
        deactivate S
        
        T->>S: Access shared model
        S->>T: View-only interface
    end
    
    rect rgb(231, 76, 60)
        Note over U,T: Export to Excel
        activate U
        U->>E: Export workbook
        deactivate U
        activate E
        E->>E: Compile sheets
        E->>E: Preserve formulas
        E->>E: Remove UI layers
        E->>U: Download .xlsx
        deactivate E
        
        U->>T: Email Excel file
        Note right of U: Recipients unaware<br/>of AI generation
    end
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End-to-End Master Workflow

This comprehensive diagram shows how all components work together in a complete Shortcut AI workflow.

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    
    participant U as User 🧑‍💼
    participant S as Shortcut AI 🤖
    participant D as Data Layer 📊
    participant M as Model Engine 🏗️
    participant Q as QA System 🔍
    participant O as Output 📤
    
    rect rgb(66, 135, 245)
        Note over U,O: 1️⃣ INGEST PHASE
        U->>S: Drop Excel + "Update financials"
        activate S
        S->>D: Load template with formulas
        S->>D: Fetch external data (10-Ks)
        S->>D: Cache all sources
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(39, 174, 96)
        Note over U,O: 2️⃣ CLARIFY PHASE
        activate S
        S->>U: "Which scenarios?"
        U->>S: "Conservative + Base case"
        S->>U: "Include balance sheet?"
        U->>S: "Yes"
        S->>S: Build execution plan
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(243, 156, 18)
        Note over U,O: 3️⃣ PLAN & EXECUTE PHASE
        activate S
        S->>U: Show task list (1 of 8)
        
        par Parallel execution
            S->>M: Update historicals
        and
            S->>M: Calculate drivers
        and
            S->>M: Build projections
        end
        
        M->>M: Create scenarios
        M->>M: Generate dashboards
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(155, 89, 182)
        Note over U,O: 4️⃣ SELF-AUDIT PHASE
        activate Q
        Q->>Q: Check for errors
        Q->>Q: Fix circular refs
        Q->>M: Add citations
        Q->>M: Apply overlays
        Q->>S: Log all changes
        deactivate Q
    end
    
    rect rgb(231, 76, 60)
        Note over U,O: 5️⃣ REVIEW PHASE
        activate U
        U->>Q: Inspect model
        U->>Q: Verify sources
        U->>M: Minor adjustments
        U->>S: Approve ✓
        deactivate U
    end
    
    rect rgb(52, 152, 219)
        Note over U,O: 6️⃣ DELIVER PHASE
        activate S
        S->>O: Generate share link
        S->>O: Export to Excel
        O-->>U: Model_Final.xlsx
        deactivate S
    end
    
    rect rgb(46, 204, 113)
        Note over U,O: 7️⃣ AUTOMATE PHASE (Future)
        activate S
        Note right of S: Schedule monthly run<br/>Auto-pull from QuickBooks<br/>Alert if KPI < threshold<br/>Post to Slack
        S-->>D: Scheduled data sync
        S-->>Q: Automated validation
        S-->>O: Push notifications
        deactivate S
    end
    
    Note over U,O: ⏱️ Total time: ~10 minutes<br/>vs. 1-2 days manual
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Key Takeaways

Time Savings

  • DCF Model Update: 1 day → 10 minutes (144x faster)
  • P&L Creation: 2 hours → 8 minutes (15x faster)
  • Utilization Analysis: Hours → Minutes

Best Practices Implemented

  1. Transparency: Every action is logged and traceable
  2. Citations: Every data point links to its source
  3. Validation: Automated error checking and self-repair
  4. Human Oversight: Review tools ensure accuracy
  5. Compatibility: Exports to standard Excel format

Workflow Benefits

  • Parallel Processing: Multiple agents work simultaneously
  • Context Awareness: AI asks intelligent clarifying questions
  • Error Prevention: Automatic detection and correction
  • Audit Trail: Complete history of all changes
  • Seamless Delivery: One-click sharing and export

Future Enhancements

  • Direct API integrations (QuickBooks, Slack)
  • Scheduled automation
  • Industry-specific templates
  • Real-time alerts and monitoring

This documentation demonstrates how Shortcut AI transforms spreadsheet workflows through intelligent automation while maintaining transparency, accuracy, and user control throughout the process.

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