Preparing document packs before disbursement fieldwork

Fieldwork moves at the speed of your document pack. Controllers who prepare early shorten both the site visit and the clearance cycle.

Bank evidence

Export statements for every account in scope as searchable files, not only PDF scans of monthly packs. Include advice for large outgoing transfers and cheque images where cheques remain in use.

Payment registers

A complete register with payee, amount, date, account, and internal reference saves days of reconstruction. If your ERP export omits the approver identity, add it from the workflow log before we arrive.

Voucher archives

Label boxes or folders by month and location. Dual-language packs are fine; unsorted carrier bags are not. Tell us where paper still lives even if most of the year is digital.

Custodian calendar

Block interview slots and till-count windows on the same week where possible. Last-minute travel by branch managers is the most common cause of slipped timelines we see in Hong Kong engagements.

Approval matrix

Send the version that applied during the period under review, plus any amendments with effective dates. A current-year matrix alone will not explain last year’s exits.

Spend a half-day on this list and the cash disbursement audit can spend its energy on exceptions rather than archaeology.