Investor-services inbox triage (transfer agency)

You are helping a transfer agency team lead triage today's investor-services inbox for [fund range]. A human reviewer checks everything you produce. You do not act on any instruction and you do not send replies.

I attach:
- Inbox export: [messages with sender, date, subject, body and attachment names]
- Register: [investor accounts and authorised signatories]
- Queues and SLAs: [request types, owners, response times]

Work through the six steps below. Show the result of each step before you move on.

STEP 1. MAP THE SOURCES
For each file, record: who produced it; the as-at date it states (not the date it was sent); the currency; what one row or section represents; the fields that identify a message; the value fields and how each is labelled; and any subtotals, hidden rows, merged cells or footnotes that change how it should be read. Where the files differ in as-at date, period or currency, list each difference and say how you will handle it: convert at an FX rate from the Inputs tab with its source, or compare like periods only. Stop and ask me only if a difference means two figures cannot validly be compared.

STEP 2. TRACE THE PREPARATION
For each message, say whether it is new or part of a chain, which attachments carry the request, and whether it arrived from an address on the register.
Label each statement "stated in the file" or "my inference".

STEP 3. MATCH AND RECONCILE
3a. Keys. List account numbers and investor IDs in the messages and the register.
3b. Names. Describe how senders name the investor compared with the register.
3c. Standardise. Apply numbered rules in new columns.
3d. Map. Link each message to an account, with match method and reason. An unmatched sender is flagged.

STEP 4. BUILD THE LINKED WORKBOOK
Build an .xlsx file with these tabs, in this order:
- Index: a link to each tab, one line on what it holds, the as-at date, and the steps to refresh the workbook next period.
- Inputs: date and time of the triage run, SLA by request type, list of request types (including complaint); plus the as-at date of each source file, with any differences between them and how each is handled; any FX rates needed, with their source and date, and the tolerance for agreement with documents (0.00 wherever exact agreement is required). Each value carries its source beside it, and every formula that needs one points here.
- _Source tabs: each file exactly as received, one tab per file. Never edit these tabs.
- Map: one row per request in each message (message ID and request), linked to the account that request concerns, with the sender address, the account, the match method ("shared ID", "standardised name" or "suggested, needs review"), the reason, an "unmatched sender" flag, and for each suggested match who confirmed it and when.
- Log: one row per request in each message (a message with several requests has one row per request, each carrying the same message ID), with the message ID, the sender address, whether that address is on the register (TRUE or FALSE, by formula), request type, the quoted line from the message that supports it, account, queue, received time and an SLA due time computed by formula, and a flag column by formula that names every reason that applies ("unregistered sender", "complaint" or "past SLA", where the due time is before the triage run time on the Inputs tab) and is blank when none applies. Each row carries its source document and the page, cell or row reference for each figure.
- Flags: a formula-driven list, one row per Log row whose flag column is filled: instructions from unregistered addresses, complaints and requests past SLA, with the reason from the Log.
- Exceptions: one row per failed control, untraced or disagreeing figure, unconfirmed match and open query. Each row carries its type ("failed control", "untraced or disagrees", "unconfirmed match", "query" or "timing difference"), a short name for the item, its owner, status ("open" or "closed"), expected clearing date and the approver's sign-off (name and date).
- Checks: the controls in step 5.
- KPIs: the measures in step 6.
- _Log: the audit trail in step 6.
Every derived number is a formula that leads back to a _Source tab or the Inputs tab. Nothing is typed in as a value. Use Excel tables and XLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH. Wrap lookups in IFERROR and show "Not found", never zero. Dates as yyyy-mmm-dd, negatives in brackets, units in every value header, header rows frozen, no decorative formatting.

STEP 5. CONTROLS (EVERY ONE MUST PASS BEFORE SIGN-OFF)
On the Checks tab, write each control as a formula that returns TRUE or FALSE, with the count or difference beside it. A FALSE is not a score to improve: it blocks sign-off until it is resolved, by correcting the entry with a note or by getting the source corrected. An explanation alone does not clear it. The only item that may stay open at sign-off is a timing difference with an expected clearing date: it is listed by name on the Exceptions tab as a reconciling item and re-checked next period. A document tie-out failure is never a timing difference and can never be carried. Show every FALSE at the top of the Index tab under "Checks failing".
a. Complete: every message in the export has at least one Log row, and every request it contains has its own row. Target: 0 unexplained rows.
b. Flags agree: the count of Flags rows equals the count of flagged rows on the Log. Target: a difference of 0.
c. Formula-linked: every calculated cell is a formula (test with ISFORMULA), and there are no #N/A or #REF errors. Target: 100%.
d. Tied to documents: on the Log tab, every request type is supported by a quoted line from the message. Every quote and figure must be traced (it cites its document and page) and must agree: a quote matches the document word for word, and a figure equals the document within the tolerance on the Inputs tab and no wider. Any item that is untraced or disagrees goes to the Exceptions tab at once. If the document itself looks wrong, for example a message that quotes an account number not on the register, raise it as a query; never change the workbook to make it agree. Target: 100%.
e. Matches confirmed: count the rows matched by shared ID, by standardised name and by suggestion. Target: 0 suggested matches left unconfirmed at sign-off.
f. Every request routed: every request in a message has its own Log row, with one request type from the list of request types on the Inputs tab and one queue, so a message asking for two things reaches both queues.
g. Senders: every instruction from an address not on the register is flagged.
h. SLA: every due time is a formula from the received time and the SLA table.
i. Open exceptions: count the Exceptions rows that are not closed, leaving out only named timing differences with an expected clearing date. Target: 0.
j. Four-eyes: the _Log names the preparer and the approver, who must be different people, and the approver signs off every Exceptions line.

STEP 6. REUSABLE, AUDITABLE AND MEASURED
- Reusable: next period, a person replaces the _Source tabs and updates the Inputs tab, and every other tab recalculates. Keep the Map tab so confirmed matches carry forward.
- Auditable: on the _Log tab, list each source file (name, producer, as-at date, date received, row count, control total), every rule and match you applied with the reason, every assumption, and who prepared and approved. Never overwrite source data. A correction goes in a separate column with a note.
- Measured: add a KPIs tab that the team fills in each period: back-test recall (run on a past period with known answers; share of known differences found; target 100%, and do not adopt the workbook below that); items agreed first time with no manual fix; items flagged that turned out fine; corrections made by the reviewer before sign-off; corrections found after sign-off (target 0); manual edits outside the Inputs and _Source tabs at refresh (target 0); and cycle time in hours from receiving the files to sign-off, against the manual baseline.

If your tool cannot create an .xlsx file, give me each tab as a table plus the exact formula for the first row of every calculated column.

At the end, give me messages by queue, messages flagged, and messages unmatched, the result of every check, and a list of anything you were unsure about.