Explore/Academy/AI in Treasury Academy/Module 5
MODULE 05 OF 10 · ~25 MIN · NO CODE

Vibe Coding for Treasury: Build Tools Without Code

Describe what you want. AI writes the code. You get a working tool.

What you'll cover
  1. 01What vibe coding is and the DESCRIBE > GENERATE > TEST > REFINE loop
  2. 02A Cash Position Tracker built in Claude Artifacts, with 5 refinement cycles
  3. 0310 treasury tools you can build this week, and the limits
You walk away with
  • The universal vibe coding prompt template
  • A tool ideas gallery with build times
  • A refinement cheat sheet

The last mile: from workflow to tool

You already know how to prompt AI and build workflows. But the output is still a conversation.

Module 2 · Prompt

You ask AI a question. AI gives you text back.

Copy-paste the result

Module 3 · Workflow

You chain prompts into a process. AI handles multiple steps.

Run it manually each time

Module 5 · Tool

AI builds you an application. Anyone can use it. No prompts needed.

Share the link. Done.

Vibe coding = describing what you want in natural language and letting AI generate the tool. You are the domain expert. AI is the developer.

What is vibe coding?

Traditional coding

Learn a programming language, write syntax, debug errors, deploy infrastructure. Months of work.

Vibe coding

Describe what you want in plain language. AI writes the code. You test and refine. Minutes of work.

✓

You bring the domain expertise. You know treasury. You know what a cash position report needs. AI does not.

✓

AI brings the technical execution. AI writes the HTML, JavaScript and CSS. You never have to touch the code.

✓

You iterate through conversation. "Move the totals row to the top." "Add a column for variance." "Make the negative numbers red."

✓

Result: a working tool in minutes. Not a mockup. A functional, interactive application.

Why Claude Artifacts?

There are many vibe coding tools. This module uses Claude Artifacts because it has the lowest barrier to entry. The same approach works in other chat tools that preview code.

Zero setup

Open claude.ai in your browser. No installation, no terminal, no IDE, no GitHub account.

Instant preview

Claude generates a live, interactive application right in the chat window. Click buttons, enter data, see results.

Refine by talking

"Make the header teal." "Add a currency dropdown." "Calculate the variance." Plain language, not code.

Shareable

Publish the artifact and send the link to a colleague. They open it and use the tool.

Data rule still applies. The finished tool runs in the browser, but everything you type into the chat goes to the AI provider. Build with sample data, like the example below, and follow your Module 4 data classification.

The vibe coding loop

Four steps. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until it works the way you want.

1DESCRIBE

Tell AI exactly what you want the tool to do. Use T.R.A.C.E. from Module 2: be specific about layout, data and behavior.

5 min

2GENERATE

AI writes the code and shows you a live preview. A working application immediately.

30 sec

3TEST

Click every button. Enter real-looking data. Try to break it. Does it calculate correctly? Is anything missing?

2 min

4REFINE

Tell AI what to change in plain language. "Move totals to top." "Add EUR/USD toggle."

1–2 min each

Average: 3–5 refinement cycles to get a solid tool. Total time: 15–30 minutes.

1

DESCRIBE: the Cash Position Tracker prompt

The exact prompt used in the build. Paste it, don't retype it. Notice T.R.A.C.E. baked in: a specific task, clear assets (5 entities, 3 accounts, 3 currencies), explicit rules and the exact expected output.

Initial prompt · paste into claude.ai
Build me an interactive Cash Position Tracker as a React artifact.

PURPOSE:
This tool allows the treasury team to view and edit daily cash positions across all entities, bank accounts, and currencies, with automatic EUR conversion and deficit alerts.

DATA STRUCTURE:
- 5 entities: Acme Corp, Beta Industries, Gamma Holdings, Delta Services, Epsilon Trading
- 3 bank accounts per entity: Operating, Savings, FX
- Each account has: currency (EUR, USD, or GBP), current balance (editable input field)
- Pre-fill with realistic sample data (mix of positive and negative balances)

CALCULATIONS:
- Auto-calculate: total per entity, total per currency, grand total in EUR
- Exchange rates: EUR/USD = 1.08, EUR/GBP = 0.86 (editable fields at the top)
- Threshold: flag any entity where total EUR equivalent is negative

VISUAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Color coding: negative balances in red bold, positive in green
- Summary bar at top: total liquidity (EUR), number of accounts, number of entities in deficit
- "Report Date" field at top (defaults to today)
- Clean, professional design. Teal accent color (#0891B2). White background.

EXPORT & ACTIONS:
- Export to CSV button
- Print-friendly view optimized for A4 landscape
2

GENERATE: a first version in about 30 seconds

Claude writes a couple of hundred lines of React. You wrote zero. The preview builds itself: report date, editable FX rates, summary bar, the table with 5 entities and 3 accounts each.

3

TEST: prove it is live

Change Acme Corp · Operating to -50000. Then check:

  • ✓ The number turns red
  • ✓ The entity total updates
  • ✓ The summary bar updates and the deficit count goes up
  • ✓ The EUR conversion is right: USD and GBP balances are divided by the EUR/USD and EUR/GBP rates

The artifact will look slightly different each time you run it; the functionality will be the same. A first version is never perfect. That is what the refine step is for.

4

REFINE: five cycles in plain language

One sentence, one improvement. Paste them one at a time and check the result before the next.

Cycle 1Currency totalsA currency totals row with auto-conversion.
Refinement 1
Add a row at the bottom showing total per currency (EUR, USD, GBP) with EUR equivalent for each.
Cycle 2FX rates visibilityAnyone opening the tool sees the rates and knows they can change them.
Refinement 2
Make the FX rates section more prominent. Larger input fields, clearly labeled EUR/USD and EUR/GBP, with a light background to distinguish them from the data table.
Cycle 3CSV exportA download with the date in the filename, structured and ready for Excel.
Refinement 3
Add an Export to CSV button in the top right. It should export all data including entity totals, currency totals, and the report date. File name: CashPosition_YYYY-MM-DD.csv
Cycle 4Deficit warningScan the report at 8am and your eye goes straight to the problem.
Refinement 4
Show a red warning icon next to any entity name where the total EUR equivalent is negative. Make it obvious.
Cycle 5Print viewMeeting-ready for the morning treasury call.
Refinement 5
Add a Print button that formats the view for A4 landscape. Hide the input fields in print view, show only the values. Include the report date and exchange rates in the print header.

5 refinements, about 10 minutes. No code touched, no developer needed.

Your domain expertise is the moat, not code

You could not build this tool without knowing treasury. AI does not know that you need deficit alerts, that FX rates must be editable, or that the print view should be A4 landscape for the 8am meeting. That knowledge is yours. AI handled the execution.

If something goes wrong
The artifact does not render. Type: "Please regenerate the artifact, making sure it renders as a React component." If it still fails, start a new chat: long conversations can confuse it.
A calculation is wrong. Say exactly what is wrong: "The EUR/GBP conversion is wrong. To convert GBP to EUR, divide by 0.86, do not multiply." The refine loop fixes bugs too.
The layout is ugly. Normal for a first version. Describe what you want instead: order, sizes, colors.

What else can you build? 10 treasury tools

Same process, different tool. Pick one, fill in the template on the next screens, build it this week.

FX Exposure Calculator20 min · Medium

Input exposures by currency pair, apply hedge ratios, see net open position and a simple VaR estimate.

Loan Amortization Table15 min · Easy

Enter principal, interest rate, tenor. Get the full payment schedule with interest/principal split.

Cash Forecast Visualizer25 min · Medium

Paste 13-week forecast data. Interactive line chart with shortfall zones highlighted in red.

Bank Fee Comparison20 min · Medium

Input fee schedules from 2–3 banks. Side-by-side table and annual cost projection per bank.

IC Netting Calculator25 min · Medium

Enter bilateral receivables and payables between entities. Auto-net and show settlement amounts.

Payment Deadline Tracker15 min · Easy

Upcoming payments by entity, currency, amount and due date, with color-coded urgency bands.

SWIFT Message Decoder20 min · Medium

Paste a raw MT940/MT942 message and decode each field into a readable table with explanations.

Treasury KPI Dashboard30 min · Hard

6 KPI cards (DSO, DPO, cash ratio…) with RAG status, trend arrows and a data entry form.

Covenant Compliance Checker20 min · Easy

Input financial ratios and covenant thresholds. Visual pass/fail for each covenant.

FX Forward Valuation25 min · Hard

Enter forward contracts, current spot and forward points. Show MTM gain/loss per contract.

The limits: what vibe coding cannot do

Be honest about what this is and what it is not.

Vibe coding can
  • ✓ Build calculators, dashboards, trackers
  • ✓ Process and display data you paste in
  • ✓ Create interactive forms with validation
  • ✓ Generate charts and visualizations
  • ✓ Export data to CSV/PDF
  • ✓ Replace your personal Excel tools
  • ✓ Be shared via link with colleagues
Vibe coding cannot
  • ✕ Connect to your bank API (no backend)
  • ✕ Store data between sessions (no database)
  • ✕ Run scheduled tasks (no server)
  • ✕ Handle multi-user access control
  • ✕ Replace your TMS or ERP
  • ✕ Process very large files (browser limits)
  • ✕ Meet enterprise security requirements

The sweet spot: personal tools and team utilities that replace your repetitive Excel files. Not enterprise systems. For where the line sits with live bank data and payments, see When Does Vibe-Coding Actually Work in Treasury?

The universal vibe coding prompt template

Works for any tool. Replace everything in [brackets], paste it into Claude, then test and refine.

Vibe coding prompt template
Build me an interactive [TOOL NAME] as a React artifact.

PURPOSE:
[One sentence: what this tool does and who uses it. Example: This tool allows the treasury team to track daily cash positions across all entities and currencies.]

DATA STRUCTURE:
- [Entity/item 1]
- [Entity/item 2]
- Each [entity] has: [field 1], [field 2], [field 3]
- Data types: [which fields are editable inputs, which are calculated, which are dropdowns]
- Pre-fill with realistic sample data

CALCULATIONS:
- Auto-calculate: [total per X, average of Y, variance vs Z]
- Conversion rates: [if currency, list rates and whether editable]
- Thresholds: [rules that trigger warnings, colors, or alerts]

VISUAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Color coding: [what triggers red, green, orange, etc.]
- Summary section: [KPIs or totals to show at the top]
- Layout: [table view, card view, dashboard with charts, etc.]
- Design: Clean, professional. [Accent color]

EXPORT & ACTIONS:
- [Export to CSV / Print-friendly view / Copy to clipboard / None]
- [Other interactive features: filters, search, sort, reset to defaults]
Exercise · build your first treasury tool (20 min)
  1. 3 min: pick a tool from the gallery or from your Module 3 workflow canvas. Fill in the template.
  2. 2 min: paste the prompt into Claude and wait for the artifact.
  3. 5 min: test it with realistic sample data. What works? What is wrong?
  4. 10 min: refine. Aim for 3–5 improvement cycles.

Refinement cheat sheet

After the first version, use phrases like these.

Fix a calculation"The total for Entity B is wrong. It should sum columns C through E, not C through D."
Change layout"Move the summary cards to the top. Put the data table below them."
Add color coding"Make any value below zero red and bold. Make values above 100K green."
Add a feature"Add an Export to CSV button in the top right corner."
Change design"Use a darker header. Make the font size in the table smaller."
Add a column"Add a Variance column that shows the difference vs. yesterday's balance."
Fix currency"The EUR conversion is wrong. To convert GBP to EUR, divide by the EUR/GBP rate, do not multiply."
Add validation"If someone enters text in a number field, show an error message."
Simplify"Remove the chart. I only need the table. Make it wider."
Add print"Add a Print button that formats the page for A4 landscape without the sidebar."
✓ Module 5 complete

You do not need to become a developer

  1. 01

    DESCRIBE > GENERATE > TEST > REFINE. Repeat until it works.

  2. 02

    A Cash Position Tracker in about 15 minutes, plus a template and ten more tool ideas.

  3. 03

    Know the boundary. Personal tools and team utilities: yes. Enterprise systems: no.

You need to stay the best treasury professional in the room. AI handles the rest.

Next: Module 6, How to Evaluate Any AI Model. Five real treasury tasks and a scorecard you reuse every time a new model launches.

Built by a treasurer, for treasurers. · treasuryease.com