BUSINESS START UP - WORKSHOP - CONTROL OF NUMBERED STATIONERY

I. CONTROL OF NUMBERED STATIONERY

This section is to ensure that there is sufficient security over stock of and usage of sensitive stationery. By that I don’t mean your pens, pencils, rulers etc., but rather stationery such as cheque books, receipt books and so on.

1. It is always a good idea to ensure that your pre-numbered stationery is numerically and physically controlled. This would refer to stationery such as:

a. Cheque Books
b. Receipt Books
c. Credit notes.
d. Invoices.
e. Quotations
f. Laybye
g. Appro
h. Repairs

When receiving stock of the abovementioned stationery, it is a good idea to check that the numbers run consecutively and that none of the numbers are in fact missing. It is also a good idea to run a separate register for each of them and to log the new stationery as and when it arrives. In this way you are always in control of what you have and ordering new stock can be effectively handled prior to it running out.

2. The ordering of the printing of controlled stationery, if not done by you, should be done by a responsible officer. This is to ensure that stock is only ordered when required and not just when someone feels like it. It is also not a good idea to have too much stock on hand. The quantities on hand should be in direct proportion of the number of units used per month. Obviously costs need to be taken into account and if it is cheaper to order say 10 000 invoices than say 1 000, then obviously common sense must prevail. However, if you are writing out say 4 cheques a month, it is not a good idea to order 50 cheque books.

3. It is also a good idea, for you (or a responsible officer) to physically check the stock of controlled stationery, in order to ensure that the stocks on hand match the register. This will evidence that stock of controlled stationery has not been misappropriated. Evidence of this check should be made in the register, in the form of a signature and the date that the check was done. This does not need to be done on a daily, weekly or even monthly, I would suggest that once a quarter would be quite sufficient.

4. The controlled stationery should be kept under lock and key, if there is more than one person who has access to same. In the same manner that you would not leave cash lying around the place, so should you not leave controlled stationery lying around.

5. A proper register should be maintained and kept up to date on a regular basis. Again this will give you control over the stationery that you have on hand and will act as a deterrent, specifically in terms of cheques etc. Please see previously mentioned spreadsheet.

6. If the pre-numbered stationery is required by more than one person for processing purposes, it is a good idea to have that person sign for the stationery in a book or even make a space on the register. This will again, give you control as to who took what and will evidence this in instances where this evidence may be required.

7. All issues of the pre-numbered stationery must be issued in strict numerical sequence failure to do so should be investigated to ascertain where the missing numbers are. Again this is just a control to deter theft and it also makes the admin work that much easier.

8. Not everyone should have authorized access to the pre-numbered, controlled stationery. There would be no need for example, for the cleaner to have access to the invoices. Therefore only designated persons (and they should know who they are and what they are responsible for) should be allowed access.