Six-Stage Finance Operating System: Claude Skills for Analysts
The six-stage finance operating system structures every deal and capital decision the same way a disciplined finance desk does: Frame the question, Analyse the sector, Value the range, Execute the plan, Control the position, and Communicate the answer. These are the Claude prompts that run each stage.
What the six-stage finance operating system is
Most finance teams use Claude as a calculator or a summariser. They paste in a spreadsheet and ask for a number. The six-stage finance operating system uses Claude differently: it runs Claude through the same six stages a top deal team works, every time, producing consistent, defensible output from the first frame to the final memo.
The backbone is six stages: Frame, Analyse, Value, Execute, Control, and Communicate. Each stage produces a specific deliverable. The deliverable from one stage becomes the input to the next. The system prevents the most common analytical failure in finance: building a precise model against the wrong question.
The stages are not strictly linear in practice. Valuation and analysis often run in parallel. The Frame stage may repeat after new information arrives. But the logical dependencies are fixed: you cannot build a defensible valuation range without a sector map, and you cannot write a credible IC memo without a stress-tested position. For the complete finance skills system covering FP&A, treasury, and reporting, the CFO guide to Claude covers 24 domain skills built on the same architecture.
Frame: Lock the decision before the analysis begins
Most finance work fails before the first spreadsheet opens. The team answers the wrong question with great precision. The Frame stage prevents this. Claude locks the work to a single decision: invest, hold, exit, or restructure. It names the three assumptions the answer rests on and lists the five facts needed to test them. Everything that follows works against this brief.
Use when
Use at the start of any deal, review, or capital allocation decision, before any data is pulled.
Output
A single decision statement, three load-bearing assumptions, five facts to test, and a list of noise to ignore.
Claude prompt
Analyse: Map where value sits and how the cycle could break the thesis
The Analyse stage builds the sector context the valuation must rest on. Claude maps the sector structure, runs comparables, and screens counterparty and credit quality. The output is not a summary of what is known. It is a structured read of where value sits in the sector and which forces could break the thesis before the model gets to prove it.
Use when
Use when entering a new sector, initiating coverage, or stress-testing an existing thesis against sector shifts.
Output
A sector brief covering size, demand drivers, and the cycle, a comparable screen by margin and multiple, and a counterparty and credit risk summary.
Claude prompt
Value: Build the range, not a single point estimate
The Value stage produces three valuation outputs that triangulate to a defensible range: a DCF with explicit sensitivities, an LBO with returns at multiple exit scenarios, and a scenario build that shows the probability-weighted equity value. Claude documents which methodology should carry the most weight in this specific situation and why. The output is a range with a view, not a number without a story.
Use when
Use before any IC presentation, board paper, or public statement that requires a defensible valuation range.
Output
A DCF with WACC and terminal growth sensitivity table, an LBO with IRR and MOIC at three exit multiples, and a scenario-weighted equity value range.
Claude prompt
Execute: Turn the thesis into something a committee can actually run
A thesis without an execution plan is an opinion. The Execute stage turns the investment view into a deal structure with covenants, a 90-day plan with named owners, and a dependency map that shows which single assumption most threatens the plan in the first quarter. Claude writes the plan a committee can vote on, not a slide with intentions.
Use when
Use when moving from investment decision to implementation, or when structuring the terms and first-100-day plan for a new position.
Output
A deal structure with equity and debt split, covenant schedule, and governance terms, plus a 90-day plan with three to five initiatives and named KPIs.
Claude prompt
Control: Pressure-test the position before the market does
The Control stage stress-tests the position with numbers, not narratives. Claude runs a downside stress test, builds a KPI scorecard with red and amber thresholds, and sets exposure limits on the three largest concentration risks. The output is a monitoring framework that tells the team exactly when to act, not a qualitative list of things that could go wrong.
Use when
Use after a position is taken or a plan is approved, to build the monitoring framework before the first reporting period.
Output
A stress test showing covenant headroom by quarter in the downside case, a five-KPI scorecard with green, amber, and red thresholds, and exposure limits on the three largest risks.
Claude prompt
Communicate: Build the answer-first story a sceptical room cannot poke holes in
The Communicate stage produces the investment committee memo, the hostile Q&A preparation, and the board-ready recommendation. Claude writes answer-first throughout: the recommendation on the first line, the supporting argument in the body, the risks addressed before they are raised. The output earns a decision from a sceptical room rather than prompting another round of questions.
Use when
Use when preparing for IC, board, or credit committee, or when writing the formal investment memo or board paper.
Output
A three-page investment committee memo with recommendation on the first line, and a hostile Q&A covering the five hardest questions a sceptical committee would ask.
Claude prompt
Setting up the six-stage finance operating system in Claude
Run the six prompts in order for one deal or company. Customize the bracketed inputs, attach only the source material needed for that stage, and carry the approved output forward as evidence for the next prompt. This keeps the sequence repeatable without relying on a particular Claude workspace feature.
Copy the Frame prompt
Start a new Claude conversation for the deal or company and copy the full Frame prompt from this guide. Replace the bracketed decision and company inputs before you run it. Do not shorten the requested assumptions, evidence, or noise checks.
Add the relevant evidence and constraints
Attach or paste the source data Claude needs for the current stage, such as the investment brief, operating model, comparable-company data, debt terms, or management notes. State the valuation date, units, currency, and any facts Claude must not infer.
Run stages in sequence, referencing by name
The Frame output becomes the brief for the Analyse stage. The Analyse output informs the Value assumptions. Continue in one conversation when the evidence is manageable, or start a new one and paste the approved prior-stage output when you need a cleaner context.
Example prompt chain
- "Run the Frame stage on [company]. We are deciding whether to invest at [terms]."
- "Now run the Analyse stage using the decision brief we just built."
- "Run the Value stage. Use the sector context from the Analyse stage to anchor the DCF assumptions."
- "Run the Communicate stage. Lead the memo with the valuation range we established."
Tip
Always run the Frame stage first, even if it feels redundant. The decision brief it produces changes how Claude interprets every subsequent prompt. It is the difference between Claude building what you asked for and Claude building what you need.
Review each output before it moves forward
Check calculations against the source model, verify every citation, and label assumptions separately from confirmed facts. Only pass an output into the next stage after the accountable analyst has approved it. The final Communicate output remains a draft until the decision owner signs it off.
The quality bar for six-stage finance operating system output
Each stage is designed to hold output to the standard a senior finance professional would apply before it leaves the room. The 12 checks below are the minimum bar for output from the complete six-stage sequence. For a full set of institutional-grade skills covering these same phases, see the 18 institutional-grade Claude skills for finance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the six-stage finance operating system?
It is a repeatable analytical sequence for finance deals and decisions: Frame, Analyse, Value, Execute, Control, and Communicate. Each stage locks a specific output before the next begins. The system prevents the most common analytical failure in finance, which is running a precise model against the wrong question.
Can I run all six stages in one Claude conversation?
Yes. Start with the Frame prompt, then run the remaining stages in sequence so each answer can inform the next. For long or sensitive engagements, save the approved output from each stage in your working file and attach or paste only the evidence needed for the next prompt.
What finance decisions does this system cover?
The system is designed for any capital decision: equity investments, credit decisions, strategic acquisitions, portfolio company reviews, and capital allocation calls. The Frame stage adapts to the specific decision type. The five stages that follow use the same backbone regardless of the asset class.
Why start with Frame before the model?
The most expensive mistake in finance analysis is building a precise model against the wrong question. The Frame stage costs almost no time and produces a decision brief that every subsequent stage works against. Skipping it is the source of most analytical rework.
How should I review Claude's finance outputs?
Treat every output as a working draft. Reconcile calculations to the source model, verify cited evidence, challenge assumptions, and have the accountable finance professional approve the conclusion before it reaches an investment, credit, or board decision.