Capability template for executive and office support
Research summary brief
An executive handed a pile of reports, articles or papers gets one brief: what each source found, where the sources agree and disagree, the limits of each, and exact quotations cited to the page. Built only from the documents supplied. What it means for the business stays the reader's call.
The outcome
The reading gets done before the meeting, and the reader can see exactly how far the evidence goes. Every source is set out the same way: who produced it, how, what it found, and what it cannot carry. Each finding is labelled for what lies under it: the document's own data, a figure borrowed from somewhere else, one person's account, or an opinion.
Then the sources are laid side by side. Where they agree, the brief checks whether they truly agree or are repeating the same study. Where they disagree, both sides are shown with what the documents themselves reveal about why. A headline that the document's own table does not support is caught and shown with the table beside it. Every figure and quotation points to its page, section or paragraph, so anyone can check it in seconds.
The brief stops there. It does not tell the reader what to do. That judgment belongs to the person who knows the business.
Who starts the work, and when
An analyst, an executive assistant, a chief of staff or the executive themselves starts it, whenever a decision is coming and the reading has piled up: a board paper, a market entry, a supplier choice, a policy change, a briefing for a client. It works best a few days ahead, so there is time to chase a missing date or a study one of the documents leans on.
The person who runs it checks the brief against the documents before passing it to the reader.
What they supply
- The question. What the reader needs to know, in a sentence, who the reader is, and who is preparing the brief for which organization.
- The documents themselves, pasted or attached: reports, survey results, white papers, articles, papers, internal memos. Up to ten at a time by default.
- A few settings, once: how many quotations to include, how many findings per source, and how old a document can be before it is flagged.
The capability never searches the web and never opens a link. A study one document mentions but nobody supplied is listed, not looked up.
What comes out
One brief, in a fixed order:
- In short: three to five lines on what the sources show about the question, each pointing to its findings.
- The sources: each one's origin, method, who paid for it, its findings with their labels and locations, its limits and its age.
- Where they agree, with any agreement that rests on the same data counted once.
- Where they disagree, both sides shown, with no side picked.
- What they do not answer: the parts of the question no source covers with real data.
- Quotations, copied word for word with their locations.
- Documents cited but not supplied, and any document set aside, with the reason.
Questions for the person who ran it come first, such as a document with no date. A good brief lets a reader who has read none of the sources speak accurately about all of them.
An invented example
Illustrative example with invented data. The company, the people, the three documents, their publishers and every figure in them are invented, and none describes a real study or a real vehicle. The company, called the Distributor here, is an invented regional food distributor with 35 delivery vans, 9 of them refrigerated. Its chief executive will discuss replacing part of the fleet on Thursday 19 November 2026 and has been sent three documents about electric vans. The operations analyst runs the capability on Tuesday 10 November 2026.
First come the request and the three documents, in full, exactly as the analyst pasted them. Then the brief that came back.
What the analyst supplied
The request and settings
Today is Tue 10 Nov 2026.
Prepared by: operations analyst, the Distributor (regional food distributor).
Reader: chief executive, for the fleet replacement discussion on Thu 19 Nov 2026.
Question: What do these documents say about the running costs, range and
reliability of electric delivery vans compared with diesel, for a fleet of
about 35 vans, 9 of them refrigerated?
Settings: up to 3 quotations, 40 words or fewer each; up to 5 findings per
source; flag anything older than three years.
Three documents below. The two PDFs are pasted as text with page breaks marked.
Document 1
--- page 1 ---
Electric Vans in Service: 2026 Member Survey
Trade Association C. Published March 2026.
Summary. We asked member fleets that have run electric vans for at least a
year how those vans compare with the diesel vans they replaced. Members
report lower energy and maintenance costs and fewer breakdowns. Range
remains the most common complaint in winter.
--- page 2 ---
Method. An online questionnaire was sent to 200 member fleets in January
2026; 38 answered (19%). All 38 run more than 100 vans. Figures are as
reported by fleet managers and were not checked against invoices.
--- page 3 ---
Findings.
1. Energy cost per mile: electric vans averaged 9 cents a mile against 19
cents for diesel (mean of the 31 fleets that gave both figures).
2. Maintenance cost: 26 of 38 fleets (68%) said maintenance costs were
lower for electric vans; 9 said about the same; 3 said higher.
3. Breakdowns: 21 of 38 fleets (55%) reported fewer breakdowns per van.
4. Winter range: 30 of 38 fleets (79%) said usable range fell in winter;
the median fall reported was 25%.
--- page 4 ---
Limits. The fleets that answered may be those happiest with electric vans.
No fleet in the sample runs refrigerated electric vans.
Document 2
--- page 1 ---
The Case for Electric Last-Mile Delivery
A white paper from Leasing Company D, which leases electric vans to
delivery fleets.
Electric vans cut total running costs by 40%. Fleets that switch see the
savings from the first month.
--- page 2 ---
Our customers drive an average of 80 miles a day, well within the 150-mile
rated range of the vans we lease. Charging overnight at the depot means
vans start every day full. "Our drivers stopped worrying about range
within a fortnight," says the fleet manager at one customer.
--- page 3 ---
Running cost per mile, our customer fleets, 2025:
Diesel van: 31 cents (fuel 19, maintenance 9, other 3)
Electric van: 21 cents (electricity 10, maintenance 5, other 6)
Figures are averages across our customer fleets. Lease payments are not
included.
Document 3
Fleet managers split on electric vans
Trade Magazine E, 12 May 2026. By a staff reporter.
Electric vans are cheaper to fuel, but not every fleet manager is
convinced they are cheaper to run.
A survey by Trade Association C this spring found that more than
two-thirds of fleets saw lower maintenance costs after switching.
The operations manager of a 40-van bakery fleet, who asked not to be
named, said maintenance savings had been "wiped out by the cost of
replacing tyres every eight months instead of every fourteen". Electric
vans are heavier, she said, and wear tyres faster.
A 2025 government fleet study found that electric vans cost 18% less to
run than diesel over four years once purchase or lease costs were
included, according to a summary published by the transport department.
Range was the bigger worry for refrigerated fleets. One frozen-food
distributor said running the refrigeration unit from the battery cut its
vans' range by a third, and it had gone back to diesel for its longest
routes.
What came back
RESEARCH SUMMARY BRIEF: Electric vans against diesel for a 35-van fleet
For: Chief executive, for the fleet replacement discussion on Thursday 19 November
2026. Prepared by: Operations analyst, Tuesday 10 November 2026.
Question: What do these documents say about the running costs, range and reliability of
electric delivery vans compared with diesel, for a fleet of about 35 vans, 9 of them
refrigerated?
Sources: 3 supplied, 3 used. Built only from the documents supplied; nothing was searched
for or added.
To settle before this goes to the chief executive: 4
1. S2 gives no publication date. If you know when Leasing Company D published it, add
the date; otherwise it stays "date not given".
2. S3 (para 2) cites "a survey by Trade Association C this spring" without naming it.
It is treated as S1 (same publisher, S1 published in March 2026, and the same
maintenance finding) and counted once with it (A2). Please confirm.
3. F3.3's 18% comes from a 2025 government fleet study that was not supplied, and it is
the only figure here that includes purchase or lease costs. If the chief executive
is to rely on it, supply the study or the transport department's summary and run the
brief again.
4. S2 does not say how many customer fleets its averages cover or how the figures were
gathered (p. 3). If Leasing Company D has published this, supply it.
In short
- Electricity cost less per mile than diesel fuel in both sources that give figures: 9
cents against 19 (F1.1) and 10 cents against 19 (F2.2).
- 26 of 38 surveyed fleets reported lower maintenance costs (F1.2) and S2's table gives
5 cents a mile against 9 (F2.2); 21 of 38 reported fewer breakdowns (F1.3); one
40-van fleet says faster tyre wear cancelled its maintenance saving (F3.2).
- The size of the overall saving is disputed: 40% claimed with no figures shown (F2.1),
about 32% before lease payments on the same paper's own figures (worked out from
F2.2), and 18% including purchase or lease in a study not supplied (F3.3).
- 30 of 38 surveyed fleets said usable range fell in winter, by a median of 25% (F1.4);
for refrigerated vans there is one account, of a fall by a third (F3.4).
- No source has data on a fleet of about 35 vans or on refrigerated electric vans.
The sources
S1. Electric Vans in Service: 2026 Member Survey. Trade Association C. March 2026. Survey
report. Read: all of it, pages 1 to 4.
How it was produced: online questionnaire sent to 200 member fleets in January 2026;
38 answered (19%); all 38 run more than 100 vans (p. 2).
Who produced or paid for it: Trade Association C. Funding not given.
Findings:
F1.1 Energy cost per mile: electric vans averaged 9 cents a mile against 19 cents for
diesel, the mean of the 31 fleets that gave both figures (p. 3). Basis: Data.
F1.2 26 of 38 fleets (68%) said maintenance costs were lower for electric vans; 9 said
about the same; 3 said higher (p. 3). Basis: Data.
F1.3 21 of 38 fleets (55%) reported fewer breakdowns per van (p. 3). Basis: Data.
F1.4 30 of 38 fleets (79%) said usable range fell in winter; the median fall reported
was 25% (p. 3). Basis: Data.
Limits: Stated: the figures were reported by fleet managers and not checked against
invoices (p. 2); the fleets that answered may be those happiest with
electric vans; no fleet in the sample runs refrigerated electric vans (p. 4).
Noted: 38 of 200 fleets answered (p. 2); every fleet that answered runs more
than 100 vans (p. 2).
Age: within three years.
S2. The Case for Electric Last-Mile Delivery. Leasing Company D. Date not given. White
paper. Read: all of it, pages 1 to 3.
How it was produced: averages across the company's customer fleets for 2025 (p. 3);
number of fleets and how the figures were gathered not given.
Who produced or paid for it: Leasing Company D, which leases electric vans to
delivery fleets (p. 1).
Findings:
F2.1 Electric vans cut total running costs by 40% (p. 1). Basis: View.
F2.2 Running cost per mile, its customer fleets, 2025: diesel van 31 cents (fuel 19,
maintenance 9, other 3); electric van 21 cents (electricity 10, maintenance 5,
other 6); lease payments not included (p. 3). Basis: Data.
F2.3 Its customers drive an average of 80 miles a day, within the 150-mile rated
range of the vans it leases (p. 2). Basis: Data.
F2.4 A customer's fleet manager says drivers stopped worrying about range within a
fortnight (p. 2). Basis: Account.
Limits: Stated: lease payments are not included in the running costs (p. 3).
Noted: the 40% on p. 1 is not supported by the table on p. 3, which gives 31
and 21 cents a mile, a fall of about 32% (worked out from F2.2); the
publisher leases the vans the paper describes; the number of customer fleets
is not given; the range figure is a rated range, with nothing on winter or
refrigerated use.
Age: no date.
S3. Fleet managers split on electric vans. Trade Magazine E, by a staff reporter. 12 May
2026. Article. Read: all of it, paragraphs 1 to 5.
How it was produced: reporting, drawing on a trade association survey, a government
study and two fleets, neither named; method not given.
Who produced or paid for it: Trade Magazine E. Not given beyond that.
Findings:
F3.1 More than two-thirds of fleets saw lower maintenance costs after switching (para
2). Basis: Cited: a Trade Association C survey from this spring, not named;
treated as S1 (see To settle 2).
F3.2 The operations manager of a 40-van bakery fleet says faster tyre wear on the
heavier electric vans wiped out the maintenance savings: tyres replaced every
eight months instead of every fourteen (para 3). Basis: Account.
F3.3 A 2025 government fleet study found electric vans cost 18% less to run than
diesel over four years once purchase or lease costs were included (para 4).
Basis: Cited: a 2025 government fleet study, through a summary published by the
transport department.
F3.4 A frozen-food distributor says running the refrigeration unit from the battery
cut its vans' range by a third, and it went back to diesel for its longest
routes (para 5). Basis: Account.
Limits: Stated: none stated.
Noted: the two fleets' experiences are single accounts and neither fleet is
named (paras 3 and 5); the 18% is reported second-hand from a study that was
not supplied (para 4); the survey in para 2 is not named.
Age: within three years.
Where the sources agree
A1. Electricity costs less per mile than diesel fuel. Found in: F1.1, F2.2. Independent.
A2. Maintenance costs are lower for electric vans. Found in: F1.2, F2.2, F3.1. Counts
once: F3.1 is treated as resting on the same data as F1.2, because para 2 of S3
reports a Trade Association C survey from this spring, which matches S1's
publisher and date; the article does not name it (To settle 2). F1.2 and F2.2 are
independent.
Where the sources disagree
X1. How much less electric vans cost to run overall. S2 says total running costs fall by
40% (F2.1, p. 1), while its own table gives 31 and 21 cents a mile without lease
payments (F2.2, p. 3). S3 says a government study found 18% less over four years
including purchase or lease costs (F3.3, para 4). Differences the documents show:
S2's figures leave out lease payments and S3's figure includes purchase or lease
costs; S2's are its own customers' 2025 averages, S3's come from a study not
supplied. Which is right is not judged here.
X2. Whether maintenance costs fall. S1 says 26 of 38 fleets found them lower (F1.2, p. 3)
and S2 gives 9 cents a mile for diesel against 5 for electric (F2.2, p. 3). S3 says
one 40-van fleet's savings were wiped out by tyre wear (F3.2, para 3). Differences
the documents show: S3's is one fleet's account; every fleet in S1 runs more than 100
vans; S1 also has 3 fleets reporting higher maintenance costs. Which is right is not
judged here.
X3. Whether range is a problem. S2 says its customers' 80 miles a day sit within a 150-mile
rated range and one customer's drivers stopped worrying within a fortnight (F2.3,
F2.4, p. 2). S1 says 30 of 38 fleets saw usable range fall in winter, by a median of
25% (F1.4, p. 3). S3 says one frozen-food distributor lost a third of its range to
refrigeration (F3.4, para 5). Differences the documents show: S2 gives rated range
only, with nothing on winter or refrigeration; S1's sample has no refrigerated vans;
S3's figure is one fleet's account. Which is right is not judged here.
What the sources do not answer
- Refrigerated electric vans: only one Account (F3.4). S1 has none in its sample (p. 4)
and S2 does not mention them.
- A fleet of about 35 vans: every fleet in S1 runs more than 100 vans (p. 2), S2 does not
give its customers' fleet sizes, and the only fleet near that size is S3's 40-van
bakery, an Account (F3.2).
- Running costs including purchase or lease payments: only F3.3, which cites a study not
supplied.
Quotations
Q1. "Figures are as reported by fleet managers and were not checked against invoices." (S1,
p. 2)
Q2. "Lease payments are not included." (S2, p. 3)
Q3. "wiped out by the cost of replacing tyres every eight months instead of every
fourteen" (S3, para 3, quoting the operations manager of a 40-van bakery fleet)
Cited but not supplied
- A 2025 government fleet study, through a summary published by the transport
department, cited by S3 (para 4). Not read; nothing in this brief comes from it except
what S3 says about it.
Not used
None.
This brief says what the documents say. What it means for the Distributor and what to do
is for the chief executive to judge. Every finding, figure and quotation shows where it is
in its source. Nothing was searched for, sent or changed.
The analyst checked every figure and quotation against the pages, asked the leasing company for the white paper's date and for how its averages were gathered, and passed the brief to the chief executive with the magazine's unnamed survey and the government study still listed as open. Nothing in it was sent by the assistant.
Where it fits
- Executive and office support: the assistant or chief of staff who turns a reading pile into something an executive can use before the meeting.
- Leadership: owners and executives who must decide on evidence they have no time to read in full.
- Professional services: consultants and advisers who brief a client on what the published research says.
- Finance and investment: analysts who set industry reports and company papers side by side before an investment discussion.
- Nonprofits: programme and policy staff who need to show a board what the evidence does and does not support.
- Government: officials who prepare a balanced briefing from reports submitted by many parties.
- Established businesses: leadership teams weighing a change against the claims of vendors, trade bodies and the press.
- New business lines: reading up on a market before committing to it.
What has to change for your company
Decide who the usual readers are and what they need first. Set how many quotations and findings a brief carries, and the age at which a document is flagged; a fast-moving market wants a shorter limit than a slow one. Agree which documents may be given to an AI assistant at all, since internal papers and paid research may carry their own restrictions. Choose where finished briefs are kept so the next one on the same subject can start from them. For one named competitor, use competitor profile from public pages; for what your own customers said, use customer interview synthesis. It runs in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini from the documents you supply.
What has been checked
Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template. It was editorially reviewed on 10 November 2026. It was tried on its invented example on 10 November 2026 in one run; the record is published with it, and lists the edits made afterward that have not been run again. That run did not reach the stop conditions or the requests the brief declines. It has not yet been tested in a client environment. It has not yet been tested as a packaged version in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini.
Testing in your environment means running it on a set of documents someone on your team has already read closely, plus hard cases written in advance: a document with no date, a headline its own table does not support, two sources quoting the same study, a document that tells its reader what to conclude, a request to search for more. That person checks every figure and quotation against the page before anyone relies on the brief. Pilot acceptance-test preparation sets those cases up, and what we test before we call an AI workflow ready describes the record we keep.
The full capability template
Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.
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Next step
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