Artificial intelligence is having a profound impact on the way we work.
At BDO Ukraine, we are proactively incorporating AI tools to automate routine tasks, enhance team productivity, and prioritise core business issues. One of the key areas of this integration is the development of our own artificial intelligence prompts (AI prompts) that consider the specifics of our services and industries. These prompts are pre-prepared instruction templates for tools such as ChatGPT or Copilot, and these templates enable to generate a high-quality first draft of a document or analysis, etc., in a matter of minutes. Consequently, routine processes are accelerated, and our experts’ time is used more efficiently. In this article, we will explain how we prepared these prompts, how we use them in our work, and what role our AI industry group played in this.
Joint project of industrial groups
The development of prompts was a collaborative effort across our industry groups, including the artificial intelligence group. The AI group is responsible for identifying new AI opportunities, testing tools, and assisting colleagues in implementing them in their daily activities. The experts from this group provided crucial assistance to each industry team, helping them to structure their ideas and develop detailed instructions for the AI model. This approach ensured the optimisation of results. The industrial AI group was responsible for the methodology, including the correct formulation of queries, the parameters to be considered, and the configuration of the response format for the model, etc. Following the collaboration, a set of ready-made prompts for each business area was received — a library of AI templates for internal use.
Prompts adapted to different industries and tasks
Industry groups at BDO in Ukraine have developed their own prompts, taking into account its specifics. A detailed analysis was conducted of the types of documents, requests and analyses that our consultants and auditors most often prepare. This analysis resulted in the creation of a structure for them in the form of steps, questions and response formats. Please find below a few examples of such prompts and how we use them in practice:
Natural resources and energy
The Natural Resources & Energy team has developed prompts for the preparation of client materials and analytics within their industry.
- For instance, the prompt “Generate business letters (including follow-ups)” enables to swiftly compose a professional letter to a client. It is enough to specify the recipient, the purpose of the letter (e.g. presentation of services, invitation to a meeting, gratitude, etc.) and a few details about the context of the collaboration. This approach is advantageous, given that Copilot has secure access to data within the tenant. In this scenario, the AI model generates structured text, including a greeting, key messages about value for the client, a specific call-to-action, and a polite closing. We frequently utilise similar prompts when drafting letters, a practice that not only streamlines the process for business development managers but also ensures comprehensive communication.
- Another example is the prompt “Assessing potential risks in a project,” which is used to quickly compile a list of key risks for an investment project (regulatory, financial, ESG, etc.) with descriptions and ideas for minimisation. Utilising this prompt, our consultants can swiftly obtain a risk analysis framework for a new project, subsequently augmenting it with pertinent data.
- This team also has prompts for typical responses to customer enquiries, such as clear answers to frequently asked questions about audit deadlines or service costs. The team even analyses IFRS financial statements to identify industry risks. These templates have become especially useful during peak reporting periods, allowing us to start with a ready-made framework rather than starting each document from scratch.
Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT)
The TMT practice concentrated on prompts related to the latest regulatory changes and common IT business tasks. Following the introduction of a special legal regime for IT companies, Dїia.City, many questions have arisen regarding the choice of the optimal taxation and employment model.
- The prompt “Tax burden (LLC vs. Diia.City vs. sole proprietorship)” automatically compares different business structures (classic LLC, residency in Diia.City, or working through a sole proprietorship) in terms of tax rates. After defining the fundamental parameters of the business, the consultant is provided with an AI-generated table that includes tax rates, contributions, and significant distinctions, thereby serving as an effective starting point for the client’s tax planning.
- Another example is a series of prompts for working with gig contracts (a new format of employment in the IT sector in Ukraine). We have prepared templates to assist in writing an offer for a gig specialist, formulating the structure of the gig contract, and creating an algorithm of actions for terminating such a contract. These AI assistants have the capacity to accelerate the work of lawyers and consultants, with standard documents being prepared at a significantly faster rate. This increased efficiency allows for more time to be allocated to meticulous client consultations and the consideration of individual circumstances.
- The TMT team has two new tools: the tax burden calculator and tax calendar for 2025. These tools enable to quickly obtain draft calculations and a schedule of events without having to manually search for regulations.
Non-profit and public organisations (NGOs)
The team working with NGOs and donor projects has developed its own prompts for the specific needs of this sector.- For instance, the prompt “Preparing narrative reports for grantors” assists in structuring the text of a project report, from describing the goals and target audience to the results and impact. It provides clear guidance on which sections to include and which issues to highlight, ensuring the donor is provided with a comprehensive and clear picture of the grant implementation. When our experts prepare the next report, they can use this template to ensure that nothing is overlooked and that the necessary logic of presentation is maintained.
- Another example is “Implementing artificial intelligence to improve NGO services,” which generates a list of possible AI solutions for typical tasks of a specific non-profit organisation (from automating data collection to chatbots for beneficiary support). The prompt proved to be invaluable during a consulting project on the digital transformation of several municipalities. It enabled us to swiftly generate ideas using AI on how certain tools could assist these organisations, which we then discussed with the client.
- The NGO prompts library also contains templates for assessing the internal needs of an organisation, for financial management and project budgeting, and even a ready-made prompt for writing a motivation letter for a grant application. The latter has become a particularly popular resource among our colleagues. Young consultants use it as a basis for quickly preparing a draft cover letter, which can then be adapted to meet the specific requirements of the competition.
Agricultural sector
In the agricultural and industrial sector, the team also identified ten situations where AI could be useful. Some of them relate to internal communications and information analysis.
- For instance, the prompt “Summarise employee survey results” allows to swiftly generate a structured report based on the outcomes of an internal survey (positive aspects, problem areas, recommendations), which is highly beneficial for HR and managers seeking to understand the sentiment of production staff.
- Another internal case, “Content Generation for Corporate Mailings”, uses AI to create accessible text for a monthly news digest based on several theses about events in the company.
- It is possible to prepare a script for a short video for social media or a Q&A (questions and answers) for an internal portal in a short space of time. The relevant prompts provide a framework and suggestions, and an expert adds accurate data or corporate messages.
- Even for tasks that are exclusively industry-specific, we have identified applications for AI. For instance, the prompt “Summary of key risks for the season” assists agricultural consultants in generating a list of primary challenges for the current season (e.g., the grain market) with explanations, making it valuable for preparing client presentations and strategic sessions.
Public Sector
The team has developed a series of prompts to facilitate the comprehension of complex processes by a wide audience and to enhance analytical work.
- One of the prompts is to explain technical terms in simple language in public reports (e.g. “power system balancing”), which would enable to quickly formulate a clear and accessible explanation with examples for citizens and journalists.
- For the economic unit, a prompt was created “Currency Rate Monitoring”. This generates graphs and CSV data for the last 30 days, thereby helping analysts to track trends and communicate them in a convenient format. An example of a response from Copilot to a task involving the collection of PNL/UAH data. We also received CSV and high-level analytics from it.
- A separate prompt is provided for weekly monitoring of legislative changes in energy and ecology. New regulations are automatically structured in the form of a table with dates, a summary, and the impact on international projects. These tools facilitate work with large data sets, ensure prompt communication, and increase the transparency of interaction between government agencies and the public and donors.
New prompts from the AI team: optimising interaction with AI and training
In addition to industry teams, our industrial AI group is engaged in adapting its own prompts to the needs of the organisation. The objective of this initiative is to improve overall digital literacy and the effective use of AI within the company. One such prompt (currently under development) focuses on optimising communication with AI. Its objective is to assist our employees in formulating queries to models to receive more relevant and accurate responses.Another area is the use of AI for staff training and development. The AI group has already developed a prompt that automatically generates training programmes. For instance, if a manager needs to teach a group of junior colleagues a new complex topic, they can use the “Training Plan for the Team” prompt. All they need to do is specify the topic, the level of training of the audience, and the key aspects to be covered. Using the data provided, the model will generate a comprehensive training plan that methodically covers the key concepts, provides clear explanations, highlights common mistakes, and offers practical examples. The plan will also include recommended exercises to ensure knowledge is fully absorbed and applied. This tool significantly reduces the workload for mentors and internal trainers, enabling them to prioritise communication with the team and address complex queries, while the AI prepares a structured “skeleton” for the training.
Practical application of AI prompts
We have compiled all the developed prompts in an internal catalogue (library) that is accessible to our employees. Each prompt contains clear instructions, including the role to be taken on by the AI (e.g. auditor, consultant, analyst), the goal to be achieved, the expected input and output formats, a step-by-step process, and the desired response format. Our specialists can create the required instruction template and utilise it in the selected AI tool, such as Copilot or ChatGPT. This has greatly simplified adaptation, allowing even colleagues with no previous experience of language models to quickly try them out in their tasks, with a clear scenario in front of them.It should be noted that text or analysis obtained from artificial intelligence is only a draft. We always undertake a thorough review and refinement of the generated material, leveraging our in-house expertise. Prompts have been meticulously designed to ensure that the model adheres to a professional style and structure, eschewing jargon and unnecessary embellishments, while maintaining the requisite level of formality. The final editing stage is overseen by a consultant or auditor, who is responsible for the result. This symbiosis of AI and humans produces optimal results: the machine handles the more straightforward tasks, while humans supervise quality control and the finer points of content.
In practice, the impact of our AI prompts is already being felt. For instance, the energy team has noted that the time taken to prepare a standard letter of inquiry to a new client has been reduced from hours to minutes. Tax consultants use prompts to analyse numerical scenarios more efficiently and can therefore devote more attention to individual client cases. In the NGO sector, project managers utilise AI as a “drafting tool”, leveraging its capabilities to transform their ideas into coherent text. This is particularly advantageous when meeting tight deadlines and producing high-quality material requires urgent attention.
Advantages and next steps
The implementation of our own artificial intelligence prompts has given us several important advantages. Firstly, efficiency: we have reduced the time needed to prepare documents, letters and analyses required for working with clients. Secondly, standardisation of quality: templates establish a consistent structure and tone, ensuring that even preliminary drafts from AI align with our professional standards and communication style. Thirdly, the development of an innovative culture has been achieved by involving employees in the creation of prompts. This has increased the team’s awareness of the capabilities of AI and stimulated the search for new ways to apply it. Consequently, we have become more adventurous in our experimentation with technologies and are discovering new areas where they can be of use.We are committed to ongoing development. The AI industrial group is committed to the continuous enhancement of its prompt offerings, with ongoing efforts to both refine existing solutions and develop new ones. Feedback from users (our employees) is very valuable: we learn what worked well and where the model fails or the response needs clarification. Considering this, we undertake regular updates to the instructions. In addition, we remain at the forefront of developments in the field of AI platform updates, such as the release of new model versions or the introduction of features like Custom GPTs/Copilot Agents (user-specific “personalised” bots). It should be noted that the concept is precisely about creating customised bots for specific tasks. Our experience confirms the effectiveness of this approach: BDO in Ukraine has already developed specialised AI solutions for auditors, analysts, financiers and accountants, and we can see how they simplify routine processes. For instance, one such GPT-based tool can analyse financial statements and, within minutes, provide a detailed list of potential risks and anomalies, explain the reasons for changes in indicators, and even generate a list of audit procedures to check these areas. A year ago, specialists would have dedicated significantly more time to such work, but now AI generates the main drafts, leaving the human role as reviewer and critic.
In conclusion, we can confidently assert that our approach to implementing AI through a system of prompts has proven itself. This has enabled us to rapidly expand the use of artificial intelligence across various areas, with the involvement of the entire team. Rather than engaging in abstract discussions about AI, we have obtained highly specific working tools that save time and improve the quality of our services daily. Moving forward, we intend to expand this initiative by incorporating additional prompts and refining those that are currently in place. Given the rapid pace of technological advancement, what was once a breakthrough yesterday may well become obsolete tomorrow. We are committed to maintaining our position at the forefront of innovation, and to that end we will continue to invest in the professional development of our team and the enhancement of our artificial intelligence capabilities. This will ensure that we continue to exceed the expectations of our customers and partners.
If you have any questions about implementing AI prompts or adapting them to your tasks, contact BDO in Ukraine. We have practical experience in implementing AI, will help you choose the best solutions, teach you how to formulate queries effectively, and advise you on how to integrate AI into your daily work.
Should you require further consultation, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
