Received, reviewed and complete: give document statuses a meaning

Agree on what each status proves

A green tick is useful only when the team agrees what it means. It could mean a file exists, that someone opened it, or that the requested evidence is usable. Those are different events. A client can send a file promptly while the request remains unresolved because the period is wrong or pages are missing.

Use the definitions below as a suggested operating policy. Adapt the labels to your software, but write the meanings down in one place. QuickBooks describes month-end work as including both collection and review of financial records; receiving files is only one part of that process.

• Missing: the requested response has not been located or supplied.
• Received: the file or answer is available, but the assigned reviewer has not accepted it.
• Needs correction: review found a specific problem that requires another response.
• Complete: the assigned reviewer accepted the response for this request and period.
• Not applicable: an authorised person documented why the request does not apply.

Review the request before reviewing the file

Read the item description, entity and reporting period first. Then open the file from its recorded location and check that it answers that request. A file named ‘statement-final.pdf’ is not enough to identify the account or dates. The content needs to match the task.

For a statement request, an initial usability check might cover the correct business, expected account, requested date range, complete pages and readable figures. That check does not replace reconciliation or a professional accounting review. Marking the document request complete should not silently mark the client's books as closed.

Write correction notes that can be acted on

A note such as ‘wrong file’ forces the client to work out the problem. A better note says: ‘This statement covers September. We need the October statement for the same card account, including all pages.’ Record the date and the person asking for the correction so another team member can pick up the conversation.

For missing pages, write: ‘The file has pages 1 and 3. Please add page 2, or replace it with the complete statement.’ Keep the original location or filename in the internal record so the reviewer can distinguish the replacement from the earlier submission. Avoid copying unnecessary personal or financial details into the note.

Handle exceptions without hiding them

Suppose a client says a previously used bank account was closed before the month began. Do not treat that message as an automatic waiver. Route it to the person responsible for deciding what evidence is needed. Once they decide the request does not apply, record the reason and decision date.

If a correction is requested after an item was marked complete, reopen the item and explain why. Keep the historical note instead of overwriting the story. The team should be able to answer: what changed, who reviewed it and what remains to be done? A simple dated note is better than an unexplained status reversal.

Use a short completion check

Before accepting a response, ask: ‘Does this answer the named request for this client and period? Is anything still unclear? Where can the next reviewer find the evidence?’ If the answer is incomplete, leave a visible next action. Apply the same definitions during handover, reporting and the next month's setup so everyone reads the board consistently.