Preparing managers for a field review week

Field weeks fail quietly when managers learn about the visit the evening before. A brief briefing from head office prevents defensive behaviour and missing packs.

One week before

Send the document request list, the sample months, and the visit window. Confirm who will sit for the interview if the named manager is on leave. Ask for a quiet corner away from the queue — standing interviews at the till produce thin notes.

The day before

Managers should stack claim packs in month order and place float sheets on top. Declined claims, if retained, help explain borderline approvals. Warn staff that we may photograph voucher headers; this is for the working papers, not for social sharing.

During the visit

Trading continues. We do not shut the counter. Interviews run thirty to forty-five minutes when packs are ready. Incomplete packs shift testing back to the desk and may extend the timetable — which is why a pre-audit document review is worth considering for first-time groups.