Expense approval: clear rules

Separate the lenses first: accounting, tax, management. Mix them and the numbers never reconcile.

Task: Expense approvals causing constant friction.

[Before you start, do three things]
1. Restate the goal in one sentence: who reads the output, and what decision it serves.
2. If I have not given you the following, ask me. Do not assume:
   - expense types and amounts
   - current policy
   - approvers
   - common disputes
3. Say how you plan to do it (at most 5 steps) and wait for my go-ahead.

[Go through each of these]
- an approval matrix by amount and type
- define entertainment versus travel
- a discretionary limit for front-line staff
- loopholes to close

[Process]
1. State the lens, scope and period
2. Split into volume, price, mix
3. Compare with last period or budget
4. Show the cash impact, not just profit
5. Label assumptions and estimates

[Output]
Lens, decomposition, comparison, cash, assumptions.

[Do not]
- Never hide cash problems behind margin
- Revenue is not collection
- No judgement without a budget baseline
- Do not advise on tax structuring