Acquisition Financial Model

Use the public guide, How to build an acquisition financial model that can explain and test itself, as the single source of truth for terminology, explanatory guidance, and authorities. This skill is the operational cover note for applying that method with the packaged scripts and assets.

Boundaries

• This is a financial-modeling aid, not legal, tax, accounting, valuation, or investment advice.
• Preserve the distinction between Closing Funds Flow (point-in-time payments) and Operating Cash Flow Forecast (recurring operations).
• Never invent a confirmed fact. Mark estimates and unresolved items clearly.
• Use one stable source identifier per communication or document. Do not collapse several communications into a sender-level citation.
• Do not place bank account or wire instructions in this workbook.

Workflow

1. Copy assets/example-deal.json outside the skill and replace only its synthetic inputs. Read references/input-schema.md before changing the shape.

2. Give each source a stable, non-personal identifier and describe it without unnecessary PII.

3. Build the workbook:

   python3 scripts/build_workbook.py deal.json output.xlsx
   

4. Verify it before delivery:

   python3 scripts/verify_workbook.py output.xlsx --input deal.json --negative-controls
   

   The verifier checks fixed sheet order, required formulas, formula-error caches, human-readable assertions, check classification, all-checks-pass, and the declared negative controls. The controls alter workbook precedents and evaluate the assertions independently from the displayed check cells. Command-line LibreOffice conversion is not treated as proof of recalculation; open and save the result in the spreadsheet engine used for delivery.

5. Review the workbook visually. Confirm that inputs, status, source, formulas, and unresolved items are understandable to someone who did not build it.

Modeling rules

Apply references/workbook-readability.md. It is the packaged implementation checklist for data records, formulas, presentation, topology, checks, sources, and delivery verification.

Packaged assets

• assets/example-deal.json: synthetic, source-aware input data.
• assets/example-workbook.xlsx: generated, PII-free Excel workbook for inspection.
• scripts/build_workbook.py: single-command compatibility entry point.
• scripts/eta_workbook.py: deterministic workbook generator.
• scripts/verify_workbook.py: structural checks and negative controls.
• references/input-schema.md: input contract.
• references/workbook-contract.md: sheet, formula, and check contract.
• references/workbook-readability.md: concise implementation rules adapted from the financial-workbook-readability workflow.

For the workbook contract and check definitions, read references/workbook-contract.md.

License

The skill instructions, scripts, and packaged implementation assets are licensed under Apache 2.0. The linked OpenAgreements article is separately licensed under CC BY 4.0.