model-architecture-templatelisted

# Model Architecture Template ## When to use Use this skill at the very start of any new Excel model build -- before a single formula is written -- to establish the structural foundation. Trigger it when a team is starting a new model from scratch, when a model has been handed over from another team and needs to be restructured to a consistent standard, or when an organization wants to establish a house standard for all Excel models. It is the most upstream skill in the Modelling OS category and produces the empty architectural shell that all other skills populate. ## What it does Produces a complete master architecture for any new strategy or finance Excel model: the full tab set with naming conventions, purpose, and color labels; a conventions sheet defining color codes, font sizes, number formats, and structural rules; print area and page setup for every tab; and a version history system. This is the skeleton into which all content skills (DCF, Scenario Model, KPI Dashboard) are built. ## Method 1. **Define the universal tab set.** Every strategy or finance model, regardless of its specific purpose, should include these structural tabs: Cover tab: Model identity and navigation. Legend/Conventions tab: Color codes, formatting rules, named range registry. Inputs tab: All user-editable assumptions. Data/Lookup tab: Reference tables, named ranges, lookup data. One or more Calc tabs: Named by workstream. Checks tab: Verification formulas, error flags.