Shortcut's three modes transform Excel work: Action Mode for building models, Plan Mode for creating detailed implementation plans, and Ask Mode for intelligent analysis. Build complex financial models in minutes while understanding every calculation and insight.
Exceptional spreadsheet work is not just about building models fast.
It's about understanding your data, extracting insights, and knowing what matters.
Shortcut helps you do exactly that. It doesn't just execute tasks—it plans complex implementations, answers questions, traces calculations, and highlights key trends in your models.
This is why Shortcut is built around three powerful modes: Action Mode, Plan Mode, and Ask Mode.
Action Mode is designed to help you build, edit, and automate your financial models. Think of it as your personal modeling associate who can:
Under Action Mode, the system uses a multi-agent workflow to convert a user's prompt into a structured, step-by-step execution plan. First, the primary agent asks clarifying questions to fully understand the request. Once the intent is clear, it breaks the prompt down into five core task types: data extraction, planning,cell execution, formatting, and verification. This structured plan is then handed off to a secondary agent, which loops through every cell, applies edits, pulls formulas across tabs, and runs formatting and verification checks. As tasks are completed, they're tracked in a planning bar that shows progress and status. Finally, cell tagging tracks the source page or data lineage, making it easy to trace back where each data point originated.
Example prompts to Try
"Build a 10-year CRE pro forma with 3% rent growth and 2.5% OpEx inflation using the CIM I just uploaded."
Ask Mode is built for understanding your model and helping derive insights. Instead of manually tracing formulas across 10 tabs, ask mode helps you:
Example prompts to Try
"Explain how the Year 2 stabilized NOI was calculated and where the inputs came from."
"Which line item drives most of NOI growth between Year 2 and Year 5?"
"What trends should I highlight in my memo?"
Plan Mode creates detailed, step-by-step implementation plans for complex tasks without making any changes to your spreadsheet. Perfect for:
When Plan Mode finalizes a plan, an "Execute Plan" button appears. Click it to automatically switch to Action Mode, create a new chat, and execute the plan—turning your strategy into reality with one click.
Example prompts to Try
"Create a detailed plan to build a DCF model with sensitivity analysis."
"Plan out how to restructure this model to separate assumptions from calculations."
When you need to reverse-engineer a metric and see exactly where it comes from.
Example prompt:
"How is Year 2 NOI calculated" or "Where does Year 5 EBITDA come from?"
Ask Mode traces the calculation chain, pinpoints the exact source cells, and highlights the assumptions driving that number — no manual formula hunting required.
When you just need to pull a specific figure buried somewhere in a large model.
Example prompt:
"What's the historical cost per unit for Year 1?"
Ask Mode searches the entire model, finds the number instantly, and tells you where it came from. Perfect for quick reference checks or fact-finding during meetings.
When junior analysts or new team members need to understand how the model actually works.
Example prompt:
"Can you explain how assumptions flow into the pro forma and which inputs matter most?"
Ask Mode walks through the model structure step by step — showing how inputs flow into outputs, where the key levers live, and how changes ripple through the model. It's like having a senior analyst on call 24/7.
Typical financial workflows involve both building and interpreting models. Shortcut sits on top of your existing Excel, making it faster, cleaner, and more intelligent.
| Traditional | With Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Download CIM / OM / other PDF | Upload file directly |
| Extract numbers manually | AI extracts data such as OpEx, CapEx, etc. |
| Build model in Excel | User uses Action Mode to build Model |
| Manually trace cells | User uses Ask Mode to explain data and assumptions |
| Prepare memo | AI highlights key insights through Ask Mode |
| Adjust scenarios | User uses Action Mode to re-prompt and auto-update model |
Typical time to build and interpret a financial model manually takes 2–4 hours.
With Shortcut, it takes less than 5 minutes using a single prompt.
Start by uploading your CIM, OM, or any PDF containing property information.
Prompt: "Build a 10-year CRE pro forma with 3% rent growth and 2.5% OpEx inflation using the pdf I just uploaded."
Shortcut automatically:
Time Spent: 5 Minutes!
Prompt: "What trends should I highlight in my investment memo?"
Shortcut analyzes your model and provides insights like NOI growth rates, margin expansion, and key value drivers formatted for your memo.