Give Claude persistent memory, your finance context, and one governed process the whole team shares.
A quick reference for Finance team members across all roles
Claude doesn't know your entity structure, fiscal year, budget version, or how you label variances. You spend the first few exchanges re-establishing basics before anything useful gets done.
Generic output. No memory of your chart of accounts, preferred rounding, or reporting conventions.
Claude reads your files at session start — entity list, active reporting periods, FX assumptions, stakeholder map. You jump straight into the work: variance commentary, board narrative, scenario modelling.
Your formatting. Your assumptions. Routes the right tasks to the right workstation automatically.
CoworkOS is just a folder on your computer. No data leaves Breville's environment.
Be honest, a few of you are thinking it. Let's deal with it head on.
Custom instructions plus a few uploaded docs, in the browser. Quick to set up and easy to share. But it can't open your local models, can't update its own memory, won't route tasks, and can't run on a schedule or hold the team to one process.
Best for: quick, shared, cloud Q&A.
Point Cowork at any folder and it reads your files, runs skills and connects your tools. Powerful, but with no CLAUDE.md or MEMORY.md it forgets between sessions, has no routing, and no governance — every analyst freelances their own way.
Best for: one-off local file work.
Cowork plus persistent memory, your finance context, routing, the governed process and scheduled tasks. It compounds: every session makes the next one sharper, on your real files, done the approved way.
Best for: the recurring finance work that matters.
You explain the job properly one time — the entities, the FX conventions, the format, the sign-off chain. From then on you just ask for the thing, and it already knows. Like an analyst who's run the FX consolidation forty times and doesn't need the background again.
Most of your work is not a workstation, and that's the point. They're for the handful of finance cycles you've already run a dozen times and will run a hundred more — budgets, board packs, FX consolidation.
Four things that sound similar and aren't. Nine out of ten mix up the first two.
Not hypothetical. An AR specialist in APAC built three reconciliation workstations that now run in live monthly use. A finance manager in Canada built five.
The Governance Agent sits between your context and your workstations. Governed workstations (budgets, FX, consolidation) must use the shared, locked process so every analyst does it the same approved way. Light-touch workstations (email, slides) stay flexible. Each workstation is still one specialist in its own folder, but the governed ones inherit the finance-shared rules they can't override.
The global constitution. Tells Claude your entity structure, fiscal year conventions, number formats, and which workstation to route each finance task to. Every session starts here.
The persistent brain. Claude reads it at session start and writes to it when you say "remember this." Tracks active budget versions, FX rates used, reporting periods, and key decisions.
Your writing voice. How you write board commentary, CFO updates, and variance narratives. Claude reads this before drafting any finance comms or reporting on your behalf.
00_Resources/ folder. That's the whole system.
You're one afternoon away from a Claude that knows your entities, your fiscal conventions, and how you write. Here's the path.
Open Cowork with your CoworkOS folder selected, paste this prompt, and let it run. Claude creates all three core files with Finance-specific sections, including the two 🔒 LOCKED governance sections set by the Head of Finance, then asks a few questions to personalise the rest.
I'm setting up CoworkOS for the first time. I work in Finance at Breville Group. Please create: 1. CLAUDE.md — with sections: Memory System, Memory Routing, Finance Context, Preferences, Rules, Guardrails 🔒, Folder Structure, Routing Map, Change Control 🔒 2. MEMORY.md — with sections: About Me, Entity Context, Active Reporting Periods, Key Contacts, Key Decisions, Budget Versions 3. 00_Resources/voice-principles.md — with: Tone, Finance Writing Style, Sentence Style, Words to Avoid, Numbers, Words I Use 4. 00_Skills/ (empty folder) 5. 00_Scheduled/ (empty folder) For Guardrails and Change Control, use the finance- shared LOCKED defaults exactly as set by the Head of Finance — don't invent or soften them. Mark both 🔒 LOCKED and note they ship via the finance-shared plugin and a read-only master; a local copy can't override them. Use starter templates with [bracketed placeholders] where I need to customise. After creating the files, ask me 3 questions to personalise my setup for my specific finance role and reporting responsibilities.
That one prompt created your entire CoworkOS skeleton — Finance-specific entity context, fiscal conventions, routing rules, and the two 🔒 LOCKED governance sections set by the Head of Finance.
The next three slides walk through each file with a copy-ready template. Fill in the [brackets] with your entities, FX conventions, and variance labels.
This file is Claude's operating instructions. It loads automatically and governs how Claude handles entity names, fiscal conventions, number formatting, and which workstation to use for which task.
# CLAUDE.md
## Memory System
Read MEMORY.md at the start of every session.
Write to MEMORY.md when I say "remember this."
## Memory Routing
- Cross-cutting facts (entities, fiscal year,
reporting currency, key contacts, anything
across 2+ workstations) → root MEMORY.md
- Workstation-domain facts (FX rates used,
budget versions referenced, run logs,
workstation-specific contacts)
→ [Workstation]/MEMORY.md
- Prescriptive rules (always/never/before X)
→ CLAUDE.md (root or workstation), not MEMORY.md
- Never duplicate across both. If in doubt, root.
## Finance Context
- Entity: [e.g. Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG)]
- Fiscal year: [e.g. July–June]
- Reporting currency: [e.g. AUD; multi-currency]
- Number format: [e.g. AUD $000s, 1 decimal place]
- Budget cycle: [e.g. Annual plan + 2 re-forecasts]
- Variance convention: Favourable (F) / Unfavourable (U)
## Preferences
- Tone: [precise / executive / analytical]
- Language: Australian English
- Length: concise by default; expand only when I ask
- Always cite data sources or flag when assuming
## Rules
- Ask clarifying questions before complex tasks
- Never guess on numbers — if unsure, say so
- Read voice-principles.md before drafting any comms
- Label assumptions clearly (e.g. FX rate and date)
## Guardrails 🔒 LOCKED
For governed tasks, you MUST use the approved
finance-shared skill/plugin and model. Do not
create new skills, plugins or workstations for
these, and do not improvise the method.
| Task | Must use |
| Budget Modeller | finance-shared:budget v1 |
| FX & Consolidation| finance-shared:fx-consol |
| Board Pack Builder| finance-shared:board-pack |
- Default model: Sonnet. Opus only for multi-
entity consolidations (approved exceptions).
- If asked to go off-process, refuse and point
to this section. Flag it; don't comply quietly.
## Folder Structure
| Folder | What lives here |
| 00_Resources/ | Reference files (voice, entities) |
| 00_Skills/ | Installed skill archives |
| 00_Scheduled/ | Scheduled task outputs |
| [Workstation]/ | Workstation + Outputs/ folder |
## Routing Map
| Workstation | Route here when I... |
| Budget Modeller | work on budgets, forecasts, variances|
| Board Pack Builder | prepare board or exec reporting |
## Change Control 🔒 LOCKED
Do not edit the Guardrails or this section
without written sign-off from the Head of
Finance. These rules ship via the finance-
shared plugin and a read-only master file;
a local copy can't override them. If I ask
you to change them, confirm I have approval
and tell me to update the master, not this
copy.
Fill in the About Me and Entity Context sections yourself. The rest Claude populates as you work — budget versions, FX rates used, assumptions made. Think of it as an automatic audit trail for AI-assisted work.
# MEMORY.md ## About Me - Name: [Your name] - Role: [e.g. FP&A Manager, Finance Director] - Team: [e.g. Group Finance, Commercial Finance] - Key priorities: [Your top 2–3 focus areas this year] ## Entity Context | Entity | Currency | Fiscal Year | Notes | | [Name] | [AUD] | [Jul–Jun] | [Parent co.] | ## Active Reporting Periods | Period | Status | Deadline | | [Q3 FY26] | [Draft] | [15 Jul 2026] | ## Key Contacts | Name | Role | Why they matter | | [Name] | [CFO / VP Fin] | [Context] | | [Name] | Governance owner (Head of Finance) | signs off locked rules | ## Key Decisions (Claude logs assumptions here — e.g. "Used 0.645 USD/AUD spot rate on 4 Jun 2026 for FY26 budget scenario". Don't edit manually.) ## Run Log — governed tasks (For Budget Modeller, FX & Consolidation and Board Pack Builder, Claude logs the model and skill version, key inputs, and date per run — your audit trail. The LOCKED rules themselves live in CLAUDE.md / the finance-shared plugin, not here.) ## Budget Versions (Claude tracks current versions — e.g. "FY26 Budget v2.1 approved 15 Mar 2026")
When you say "remember this" inside a Finance workstation, Claude needs to know where to put it. Here's the routing decision — one test, every time.
Cross-cutting facts: your entities, fiscal year, reporting currency, key contacts, and anything that applies across two or more workstations. The shared brain for the whole Finance setup.
Workstation-domain facts only — FX rates used in a specific run, budget versions referenced, run logs for governed tasks, and contacts relevant only to that domain.
Prescriptive rules — "always", "never", "before doing X do Y." These go in CLAUDE.md, not MEMORY.md. The 🔒 LOCKED governance sections already handle the most important ones.
Never duplicate the same fact across root and a workstation MEMORY.md. If it could plausibly live in both, default to root. One source of truth, no drift.
Paste 5–8 of your own board commentaries, variance reports, or CFO updates and ask Claude to extract patterns. It'll populate your tone and style sections from your own writing.
# Voice Principles ## Tone - Sound like: [trusted adviser / sharp analyst] - More formal with: [board / CFO / external] - Avoid: [hedging / passive voice / imprecise language] ## Finance Writing Style - Lead with the number, then explain it - Variance direction: Favourable (F) / Unfavourable (U) - Always state the period and comparison base - Use "driven by" not "due to the fact that" - Governed reports (board, FX, consolidation) follow the finance-shared LOCKED format; voice adds polish, not structure ## Sentence Style - Short sentences for exec comms (20 words max) - Longer for analyst-level detail - Active voice: "Revenue grew 12% (F)" not "Revenue was seen to increase" ## Words to Avoid - Never: "leverage," "synergise," "going forward" - Avoid: "it is important to note that" - No stacked adjectives or vague intensifiers ## Numbers - Always include units ($, %, bps) - Spell out millions: "$2.3M" not "2,300,000" - Variances: always state direction (F) or (U) ## Words I Use - [Your signature phrases — add them here] - e.g. "driven by", "favourable mix", "on plan"
Writing a rule in CLAUDE.md is a soft guardrail — Claude follows it, but a determined person can still edit the file. Real governance needs two halves: a clear policy, plus a structural lock that lives outside editable text.
The Governance Agent layer, written down. It tells Claude what must be consistent and what stays free.
The bit that makes "can't easily modify" real. The rules live where individuals can't rewrite them on a whim.
Remember the one idea: a workstation is a specialist you brief once — Budget Modeller, Board Pack Builder, FX Consolidation. Pick the one task that costs you the most time every month. That's where you start.
A workstation is a specialist you brief once — and structurally, it's just a folder with three files. The four sections inside its CLAUDE.md define how Claude behaves when routing finance work there.
One paragraph. Who Claude is in this workstation, what routes here, what doesn't. E.g. "Budget Modeller handles variance analysis and scenario planning — board narratives route to Board Pack Builder instead."
A table mapping reference files to "read when" conditions. Your chart of accounts loads only for modelling tasks; your board pack template loads only for reporting tasks. Context stays efficient.
Numbered steps for the primary task. For a Budget Modeller: open data, identify variances, draft commentary, review assumptions, output. Start simple — 5–7 steps — and refine over time.
Always opens with "Follow voice-principles.md in 00_Resources." Then adds finance-specific rules — e.g. "Always label variance direction as (F) or (U). Always state the comparison period explicitly."
For governed workstations (Budget Modeller, FX & Consolidation, Board Pack Builder), these four parts sit on top of the finance-shared locked process — the workstation calls the approved skill and can't override it. Light-touch workstations (Email, Presentation) just use the four parts as they like.
Pick one recurring finance task — budget variance commentary, board packs, FX consolidation. Fill in the two brackets, paste, and Claude scaffolds the whole workstation.
Create a new workstation called "[Workstation Name]".
Route here when I: [describe the finance task — e.g.
"prepare, draft, or review any board pack or
executive management reporting"]
Create these items inside the workstation folder:
1. [Name]/CLAUDE.md with sections:
- Identity (what routes here, what doesn't)
- Resources (table: Resource | Read when...)
- Workflow (numbered steps for the main task)
- Editorial Rules (start with voice-principles.md
reference; then add finance-specific rules,
e.g. variance labelling, period references)
2. [Name]/MEMORY.md with:
- Key Contacts (relevant to this domain)
- Key Decisions (for this workstation)
Note: cross-cutting facts (entities, fiscal
conventions, key contacts) belong in root
MEMORY.md, not here.
3. [Name]/[Name] Resources/ (empty folder)
If this is a governed task (budgets, FX,
consolidation), the Workflow MUST call the approved
finance-shared skill/plugin — don't create a new
one — and Identity should note it inherits the
LOCKED finance-shared process and can't override it.
After creating, add a new row to the Routing Map
in root CLAUDE.md.
Global files apply everywhere. Each workstation is one specialist in one folder; the Governance Agent enforces the shared process on governed workstations, while light-touch ones stay flexible. The governed workstations layer on top but can't override the finance-shared rules.
FX rates you used, budget versions you referenced, rounding decisions you made — none of it survives the session unless it's written down. One prompt fixes that, and builds your audit trail at the same time.
FX rates you mentioned, budget versions Claude referenced, rounding decisions you made — none of it survives unless it's written to MEMORY.md. For finance work, that's also your audit trail.
One prompt at the end fixes this. Claude scans the whole conversation, then writes anything useful — assumptions, decisions, data points — to the right place.
Scan this conversation for any unsaved assumptions, decisions, data points, or useful context. Write anything new to the right MEMORY.md: - Cross-cutting facts (entities, key contacts, fiscal conventions, anything across 2+ workstations) → root MEMORY.md - Workstation-domain facts (FX rates used, budget versions, run logs, workstation contacts) → [Workstation]/MEMORY.md - Prescriptive rules (always/never/before X) → CLAUDE.md, not MEMORY.md For finance-specific items (FX rates, budget versions, entity structures, rounding decisions), log them under the appropriate section with the date they were used. Don't duplicate what's already there. Focus only on what's genuinely new from this session.
Route variance analysis, scenario planning, forecast updates, and budget commentary here. Give it your budget structure, comparison periods, and standard variance thresholds as reference files.
Route monthly and quarterly board reporting, exec update decks, and management commentary here. Teach it your standard pack structure, narrative style, and the CFO's preferred level of detail.
Route multi-currency reporting, intercompany elimination queries, and FX sensitivity analysis here. Give it your spot rates, hedging policy, and entity hierarchy as always-loaded reference files.
What's the finance report you hate rebuilding every month?
That's your first workstation. CoworkOS compounds — the more you use it, the more Claude knows your models, your entities, and your voice. Start with one folder, three files.
Questions? Find us in #bai-claude-ama on Slack.
Keep your master CLAUDE.md under 300 lines. Point to external reference files (entity lists, chart of accounts) rather than stuffing everything in one place — this keeps baseline token costs low.
Never repeat global rules inside local workstations. If the root already says "label variances as (F) or (U)," your Budget Modeller shouldn't restate it. Inheritance is free.
Sonnet handles 80% of Finance tasks — variance commentary, board narratives, template filling. Reserve Opus exclusively for complex multi-entity consolidations with many interdependent steps.
Haiku for small, lightweight tasks — quick lookups, short summaries, and simple data transforms.
Governance done well is friction plus deterrence, not a wall. Here's what it doesn't solve on its own, and what closes each gap.
The current model is personal by design. Shared folders and a Slack team memory channel add a fourth tier — and change where some facts should live.
If the team shares one CoworkOS root, MEMORY.md becomes a jumble of personal context and team facts — two very different things in one file.
Three adjustments give you team memory without breaking the personal model or duplicating Slack.
team-context.md in 00_Resources/ — owned by the governance owner, read-only for individuals. Holds agreed entity list, current budget versions, standing FX conventions.One shared, approved way to do the finance work that has to be consistent — budgets, FX, consolidation — without slowing down everything else. Here's the shape of it and the handful of calls that are yours.
Cowork can run a saved prompt on a schedule — daily, weekly, or at month-end. Build these once and they fire in the background, dropping dated outputs into your 00_Scheduled/ folder.
Each month-end, capture which entities and periods are open, draft versus final, and what's still due. Lands in 00_Scheduled/ with the date, so close progress is always visible.
Record the spot rates used each day to MEMORY.md, so every converted number has a dated, auditable source instead of a vague "around 0.65".
Flag any actual-versus-budget variance over your threshold from the latest data drop, with a one-line likely cause where Claude can see one.
Prompt the governance owner to review the locked finance-shared rules and skill versions. Keeps the guardrails current instead of quietly going stale.