# Stretch Demo: Turn a Messy Email into Order Rows ### For advanced users, or a 5-minute live demo · NECA Accounting Peer Group · October 27, 2026 **The idea:** People don't write orders. They write emails: "about 40," "same as last time," "whatever Mike mentioned." AI is very good at turning that into clean rows for a spreadsheet or a purchase order. The skill that matters is making it **flag** what it can't know instead of quietly filling the gaps. **The rule that makes this safe:** every unclear detail becomes the word **REVIEW**, with the reason in the notes. A row with REVIEW in it doesn't get ordered until a human answers the question. All companies, people, jobs, and part numbers below are fictional, except that the circuit breaker part numbers follow a common real-world naming pattern so the typo is realistic. --- ## Messy Email A: the GC superintendent > **From:** Rick Haldane, Superintendent, Kestrel Construction Group > **To:** Ridgeline Electric office > **Date:** Monday, October 26, 2026 > **Subject:** STEM lab adds > > Hey guys, > > Need you to add some stuff in the new STEM lab (rm 114) at Maple St. Can you get about 40 of the 3/4 EMT, same as last time, plus whatever Mike mentioned on the phone. Also 6 more of the 20 amp GFCI's, the white ones, and 4 of those floor boxes like we did in 112. > > District wants it all done by Tuesday the 24th since that's the last day before Thanksgiving break, building's closed the rest of that week. A couple of the quad boxes too. > > Mike says the panel in 114 has room, need 3 single pole 20 amp breakers, part QO210. > > Thanks > Rick ## Messy Email B: the service customer > **From:** Tom Becker, Facilities, Cedar Hollow Properties > **To:** Ridgeline Electric service > **Date:** Tuesday, October 27, 2026 > **Subject:** lot lights again > > Hi Ridgeline, > > Lot lights are out again at Ridgeview Plaza, 3 poles on the north end by the bank drive-thru and one back by the dumpsters. Can you replace them with the same LED heads as last time? I think the part # on your last invoice was LED-AL150-5OK. > > The tenants' holiday market sets up in the lot on Saturday Nov 7 so they need to be working by that Friday afternoon at the latest. Also the timer on our monument sign seems off, it's coming on around 3pm. Can someone look at that while they're out? > > And can you quote me on adding 2 more poles near the new coffee shop pad, no rush on that one. PO to follow. > > Tom --- ## The weak prompt > Turn this email into an order. *What usually happens:* a tidy table that says "40 EMT," "QO210 breaker x3," "4 LED heads," and a delivery date, with no warnings. Every one of those has a problem. The table looks finished, which is exactly what makes it dangerous. ## The strong prompt Copy everything inside the box. Replace the date and paste the email at the bottom. ```text You turn customer and general contractor emails into clean order rows for the purchasing and service team at an electrical contractor. A person reviews every row before anything is ordered or scheduled. OUTPUT 1. A CSV block with exactly these columns, in this order: item,description,qty,unit,needed by,job,notes 2. A list titled QUESTIONS TO SEND BACK: one plain question for each REVIEW, written so I can paste it into a reply. 3. A list titled OTHER ITEMS: anything in the email that is not an order (a quote request, a complaint, a question). RULES FOR EACH FIELD - item: the part number exactly as written in the email. If none is given, write NO PART #. For labor or a service call, write SERVICE. For a quote request, write QUOTE. Never correct a part number. If a part number looks mistyped, or doesn't match the description, write REVIEW and explain why in notes. - description: plain words for what it is, using only what the email says. - qty and unit: only if the email states them exactly. Words like "about," "a couple," "some," "more of," or "same as last time," or a number with no unit, mean REVIEW. Quote the original words in notes. - needed by: YYYY-MM-DD. Today is [TODAY'S DATE]. Fill it only if the email gives a date you can pin to one calendar day. Otherwise REVIEW. - job: our job number, from the job list below, only if the email clearly names the job. Otherwise REVIEW. - notes: the reason for every REVIEW, plus anything a buyer or dispatcher must know. ALWAYS - One row per distinct item or task. Don't merge items, and don't drop any. - Never fill a field from "last time," a phone call, or anything that is not written in this email. Those are REVIEW. - If something looks like extra work outside the contract, say so in notes (it may need a change order or T&M authorization). - If the email says a PO is coming, note that on every row. - Don't guess. When unsure, REVIEW. - Put double quotes around any field that contains a comma. JOB LIST 1042 Riverside Medical Office Building (Summit Builders) 1047 Maple Street Elementary Modernization (Kestrel Construction Group) 1051 Northpoint Distribution Center (Ironwood General Contractors) 1055 Hillcrest Apartments Phase 2 (Prairie Hawk Builders) 1060 Larkspur County Water Treatment Upgrade (Granite Peak Contractors) 1063 Valley Fire Station 9 (Northgate Construction) 1066 Downtown Parking Garage LED Retrofit (Summit Builders) Service customers without a job number: write REVIEW in job and "open a service work order" in notes. EMAIL: [paste the email here] ``` --- ## Expected output: Email A (today = 2026-10-26) ```csv item,description,qty,unit,needed by,job,notes NO PART #,3/4 in. EMT conduit,REVIEW,REVIEW,2026-11-24,1047,"Email says ""about 40 of the 3/4 EMT, same as last time."" Confirm exact qty and unit (10 ft sticks or feet) and which prior order is ""last time."" Possible extra work: confirm change order or T&M." NO PART #,Items Mike mentioned on the phone,REVIEW,REVIEW,2026-11-24,1047,"Not described in the email. Get the list from Mike." NO PART #,"GFCI receptacle, 20A, white",6,EA,2026-11-24,1047,"""6 more of the 20 amp GFCI's."" No part number: confirm it matches the spec already used on this job." NO PART #,"Floor box, same as room 112",4,EA,2026-11-24,1047,"""Like we did in 112."" Pull the model from the room 112 order or submittal." NO PART #,Quad box,REVIEW,REVIEW,2026-11-24,1047,"Email says ""a couple of the quad boxes."" Confirm qty and box type." REVIEW,"Circuit breaker, single pole, 20A",3,EA,2026-11-24,1047,"Part written as QO210, which reads as a 2-pole 10A breaker, but the email says single pole 20A (possibly QO120). Confirm before ordering." SERVICE,"Install added devices, floor boxes, and 3 new circuits, STEM lab room 114",REVIEW,REVIEW,2026-11-24,1047,"Looks like added scope. Confirm change order or T&M authorization before scheduling. Building closed Nov 25 to 27." ``` **QUESTIONS TO SEND BACK** 1. For the 3/4" EMT, is that 40 ten-foot sticks? And which earlier order should we match? 2. Can you send the list of items Mike mentioned on the phone? 3. How many quad boxes do you need, and which type? 4. The breaker part number QO210 is a 2-pole 10 amp. Did you mean single pole 20 amp (QO120)? 5. Which floor box did we use in room 112? We'll match it if you can confirm. 6. Is this work covered by a change order or a T&M ticket? Who will sign it? **OTHER ITEMS:** none. **Why the date is NOT a REVIEW:** "Tuesday the 24th" plus "the last day before Thanksgiving break" pins it to Tuesday, November 24, 2026. (October 24 is a Saturday.) This is the one date in the email buried in the middle of a paragraph, which is why it's a good test. --- ## Expected output: Email B (today = 2026-10-27) ```csv item,description,qty,unit,needed by,job,notes REVIEW,"LED lot light head, same as last time",REVIEW,EA,2026-11-06,REVIEW,"Part # written as LED-AL150-5OK (a letter O, not a zero). Probably LED-AL150-50K: confirm on the last invoice. 4 poles named (3 north end, 1 by dumpsters); heads per pole not stated. PO to follow." SERVICE,"Replace lot light heads at Ridgeview Plaza: 3 poles north end by bank drive-thru, 1 by dumpsters",1,TRIP,2026-11-06,REVIEW,"Must be working by Friday afternoon, before the Saturday Nov 7 market. No job number: open a service work order. PO to follow; confirm whether to start before it arrives." SERVICE,"Check monument sign timer (turns on around 3 pm)",1,TRIP,REVIEW,REVIEW,"No date given. Customer asked for it ""while they're out,"" so suggest the same trip. Open a service work order. PO to follow." QUOTE,"Add 2 light poles near the new coffee shop pad",2,EA,REVIEW,REVIEW,"Quote request, not an order. ""No rush."" Route to estimating." ``` **QUESTIONS TO SEND BACK** 1. Can you confirm the LED head part number? Your email shows LED-AL150-5OK; we think it's LED-AL150-50K. 2. How many heads are on each of the 4 poles? 3. What's the PO number, and is it OK to schedule the work before the PO arrives? 4. Is it OK to look at the sign timer on the same trip? **OTHER ITEMS:** quote request for 2 new poles near the coffee shop pad (route to estimating). **Why the date is NOT a REVIEW:** "Saturday Nov 7" and "by that Friday afternoon" pin it to Friday, November 6, 2026. --- ## How to check the AI's output (30 seconds) * **Count the asks.** Email A has 7 (EMT, Mike's items, GFCIs, floor boxes, quad boxes, breakers, the install). Email B has 4. Fewer rows means something got merged or dropped. * **Find every vague word** in the email ("about," "same as last time," "a couple," "whatever," "I think"). Each one should produce a REVIEW. * **Check the part numbers character by character.** Did the AI "fix" QO210 or 5OK on its own? A silent correction is a guess, even when it's probably right. * **Check the date against a calendar.** * **Paste the CSV into Excel** (Data > From Text/CSV, or paste and use Text to Columns). Every row should have exactly 7 columns. Commas inside unquoted fields break that. ---