Most small businesses lose money in the same place: between the work that was done and the bill that was sent. Each industry below shows the few records that close that gap, in any system you use, from a spreadsheet to an ERP.
1. How a bakery records a batch and what it sells
Yesterday’s bread is not interchangeable with today’s. The batch is the record.
What to record
Record ingredients used, quantity baked, quantity sold, and quantity discarded.
Follow your food rules for dating and allergens. This guide tracks quantities.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Batch | Baker | Product, time baked, and quantity out of the oven. |
| Ingredients | Baker | What was used for that batch. |
| Sale | Counter | Quantity sold from that batch. |
| Discard | Baker | Quantity thrown away and why. |
One complete cycle
- Start one batch and record what it should produce.
- Record the quantity actually baked.
- Sell from that batch during the day.
- Discard what remains and check that baked equals sold plus discarded plus anything still held.
Expected: The batch balances. Sales did not exceed what was baked.
Check before you add tools
A batch still open the next morning needs a decision: hold it under your rules, or discard it.
Common questions
Can I sell from two batches as one product?
Yes at the counter, but the quantities should still reduce the batches you actually took from.
What if the oven produces less than the recipe?
Record the smaller quantity. Do not sell the planned quantity.
Do I ignore small discards?
Record them. They are how you see waste.
2. How a clinic keeps an appointment and its invoice apart
The appointment says when the person comes. The invoice says what was billed. Clinical notes belong in the record your regulator allows, not on the customer invoice.
What to record
Keep the booking, attendance, the billable service, and the payment. Do not put a diagnosis on the invoice.
This is scheduling and billing. It is not medical advice and it does not say which records a clinic must retain.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | Front desk | Person, service, practitioner, start, and end. |
| Attendance | Front desk | Arrived, missed, or cancelled, with the time. |
| Service | Practitioner | The billable service that was actually performed. |
| Invoice | Finance | Service, amount, and payment. No clinical detail. |
One complete cycle
- Book one appointment with a named practitioner.
- Mark it arrived or missed.
- If it happened, create an invoice for the service that was performed.
- Record the payment against that invoice.
Expected: A missed visit is not invoiced. A completed visit has one invoice, and the invoice does not contain clinical notes.
Check before you add tools
Read the invoice as if you were the patient. Remove anything that is not needed to request payment.
Common questions
Do I invoice a missed visit?
Only if your published policy says so, and the invoice should say it is a missed-visit fee.
Where do clinical notes go?
In the clinical record your regulator allows. Leave them off the invoice.
Can one visit have two services?
Yes. List each billable service. Do not merge them into an unexplained total.
3. How a construction job tracks cost and progress bills
A progress bill is a claim against a contract. It is not a guess at what the job might cost.
What to record
Record the contract value, variations, costs, and each progress claim on the same job number.
This does not interpret building codes or payment statutes. Follow the contract and your accountant for retention and tax.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | Project lead | Scope, price, exclusions, and retention if the contract has it. |
| Variation | Project lead and customer | Change, price impact, and written acceptance. |
| Cost | Site and finance | Labour, materials, and subcontract costs with the job number. |
| Progress bill | Finance | Claim amount, period, and previous claims. |
One complete cycle
- Open one job with a contract price.
- Post labour and material costs to that job.
- Agree one variation in writing before you bill it.
- Issue a progress bill that states the claim and the previous claims.
Expected: The bill amount is explained by the contract and the variation, and the costs sit on the same job.
Check before you add tools
Do not issue the next claim until the previous claim is identifiable. Retention stays a separate amount if the contract requires it.
Common questions
Can I bill costs that have no job number?
No. Put the cost on the job first, or leave it out of that claim.
Is a variation part of the original price?
Only after the customer has accepted it. Until then it is not billable.
Does a progress bill close the job?
No. The job closes when the work and the final account are both finished.
4. How a farm records a harvest and the sale that follows
A harvest that is never received, and a sale that never names the crop, cannot be reconciled at the end of the season.
What to record
Record the field or lot, the crop, the quantity harvested, the quantity sold, and what remains.
This is a quantity record. It does not set grades, subsidies, or food rules.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest | Farm lead | Crop, date, field or lot, and quantity. |
| On hand | Store | Location and the quantity still unsold. |
| Sale | Sales | Buyer, quantity, price, and the harvest it came from. |
| Remainder | Farm lead | Quantity left, or the loss and its reason. |
One complete cycle
- Record one harvest with a quantity.
- Put that quantity on hand.
- Sell part of it to one buyer.
- Leave the remainder on hand or record a loss with a reason.
Expected: Harvest quantity equals sold quantity plus what remains plus recorded loss.
Check before you add tools
Do not sell a quantity larger than the harvest that is still on hand.
Common questions
Can I sell before I record the harvest?
Record the harvest first, even as an estimate you correct after weighing.
What if the weight changes after packing?
Adjust the on-hand quantity and keep the reason. Do not edit the sale quietly.
Do two fields of the same crop stay separate?
Keep them separate when you need to know which field the sale came from.
5. How a grocery shop sells stock before it expires
A grocery shelf needs a date on the batch, not only a quantity on the product.
What to record
Record the product, batch or date, quantity received, quantity sold, and quantity removed because it expired.
Follow the food rules that apply to you. This guide only keeps the date next to the quantity.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt | Receiver | Product, quantity, supplier, and expiry or batch date. |
| Shelf | Shop staff | Where the batch sits and which date should sell first. |
| Sale | Cashier | Product and quantity sold from the oldest sellable batch. |
| Removal | Shop lead | Quantity removed, date, and reason, such as expired. |
One complete cycle
- Receive one product with an expiry date.
- Put that batch behind any older sellable batch.
- Sell from the older batch first.
- On the expiry date, remove what remains and record the quantity.
Expected: On-hand quantity no longer includes the removed batch, and the sales did not come from a newer batch while an older one was still sellable.
Check before you add tools
Each morning, list batches that expire today or that have already expired and are still in stock.
Common questions
Is a quantity enough?
No. Without a date, you cannot tell which units to sell or remove.
What if two deliveries share a date?
You may keep them as one batch. Do not mix them with a different date.
Do I delete an expired product?
No. Remove the unsellable quantity and keep the reason.
6. How a gym starts, freezes, and ends a membership
A membership charges for access over time. A freeze and a cancellation are different events, and both need a date.
What to record
Record the member, the plan, the start, each freeze, and the end. Take payment against the period you billed.
Follow the terms you showed the member. This guide does not draft those terms.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Member | Desk | Person and the plan they bought. |
| Period | Desk | Start date and the next bill date. |
| Freeze | Desk | Start, end, and reason. No charge for a frozen period if the terms say so. |
| End | Desk | Cancellation date and the last day of access. |
One complete cycle
- Sell one plan with a start date.
- Take payment for the first period.
- Freeze a later period with a start and an end.
- Cancel on a date and do not bill past the last day of access.
Expected: Billed periods match access, the freeze has dates, and nothing is billed after the membership ends.
Check before you add tools
List members whose next bill date is past and who are not frozen or ended. Those are the ones to collect or close.
Common questions
Is a freeze a cancellation?
No. A freeze pauses access and usually billing. A cancellation ends the membership.
Do I keep charging after the member cancels?
Charge only through the last day of access in the terms.
Can a member owe for a period they already used?
Yes. Ending access does not delete an unpaid period that already happened.
7. How a hotel links a booking, a room, and the bill
A room sold twice for the same night, or a minibar charge with no stay, is an operations problem before it is an accounting problem.
What to record
Record the stay dates, the room, the rate, check-in, check-out, and extra charges.
A booking is not cash until a deposit or payment is recorded. A held room still needs a release time if the guest does not arrive.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | Front desk | Guest, arrival, departure, room type, and rate. |
| Room status | Housekeeping | Occupied, dirty, or ready, by room and date. |
| Extra charge | Front desk | Item, amount, and the stay it belongs to. |
| Folio | Finance | Nights, extras, deposits, and the balance at check-out. |
One complete cycle
- Book one room for two nights.
- Check the guest in only if that room is ready.
- Add one extra charge to the same stay.
- Check out and collect the balance after applying any deposit.
Expected: The room is free for the following night, the folio equals nights plus the extra minus the deposit, and no second guest holds that room for those dates.
Check before you add tools
Look at tonight’s arrivals and today’s dirty rooms before you promise a room at the desk.
Common questions
Is a deposit the full payment?
No. Show it on the folio and collect only the remaining balance at check-out.
What if the guest does not arrive?
Release or charge the room under the policy you showed at booking. Do not leave the room blocked with no decision.
Can extras be billed later?
Only if the folio is still open. After check-out, use a new charge that names the stay.
8. How a laundry tracks a garment from drop-off to collection
A garment without a ticket number cannot be matched to the customer who is waiting at the counter.
What to record
Keep the customer, the pieces, the service, the promised date, the ready state, and collection.
A ready order is not paid until you record the payment. Do not hand it over without identifying the order.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Drop-off | Counter | Customer, piece count, service, and ticket number. |
| Work | Plant | Ticket, process, and exceptions such as a stain. |
| Ready | Counter | Date ready and where it is hanging. |
| Collection | Counter | Who collected, when, and whether it was paid. |
One complete cycle
- Create a ticket with a piece count.
- Mark the work done only when the pieces are ready.
- Take payment if it is still due.
- Record collection against that ticket.
Expected: Pieces collected equal pieces dropped, the ticket is closed, and an uncollected ready order is still listed.
Check before you add tools
Count ready orders older than your promised collection window and contact those customers.
Common questions
What if a piece is missing?
Do not close the ticket. Record the shortage and keep the order open.
Can someone else collect it?
Yes, if your counter can match them to the ticket. Record who collected it.
Do I charge when it is dropped or when it is collected?
Follow the price you agreed. Record the payment when it actually happens.
9. How a pharmacy keeps a batch and its expiry with the stock
A pharmacy quantity without a batch and an expiry is not enough to recall or to stop selling an expired pack.
What to record
Record the product, batch, expiry, quantity in, quantity out, and any quarantine.
This is a stock record, not dispensing or medical advice. Follow the pharmacy rules that apply to you.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt | Stores | Product, batch, expiry, quantity, and supplier. |
| Location | Stores | Sellable shelf or quarantine. |
| Issue | Counter | Batch supplied and quantity. |
| Quarantine | Responsible pharmacist | Batch, quantity, and reason it cannot be supplied. |
One complete cycle
- Receive one batch with an expiry date.
- Put it in a sellable location only if it may be supplied.
- Issue stock from that batch, not from an unnamed quantity.
- Move an unsound batch to quarantine and leave it out of sales.
Expected: You can name the batch for every quantity on hand, and a quarantined batch cannot be sold.
Check before you add tools
Review batches that expire soon and anything sitting in quarantine with no decision.
Common questions
Can two batches be one quantity?
Only in a total. Keep the batches separate underneath that total.
What if the expiry is missing on receipt?
Do not put it on the sellable shelf until the batch and expiry are known.
Does quarantine delete the stock?
No. It keeps the quantity, but not as stock you can supply.
10. How a print shop quotes a job and bills the accepted proof
A print job goes wrong when production uses a file the customer has not approved, or the invoice describes a different quantity.
What to record
Keep the specification, the quote, the proof approval, the production quantity, and the invoice.
Do not start production on a quote that is still a draft.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Specification | Estimator | Product, size, quantity, material, and file name. |
| Quote | Estimator | Price, what is included, and how long the price lasts. |
| Proof | Customer | The version approved, and the date. |
| Invoice | Finance | The approved quantity and price, plus extras that were accepted. |
One complete cycle
- Write the specification on the quote.
- Send the quote and wait for acceptance.
- Produce from the approved proof only.
- Invoice the accepted quantity and any accepted extra.
Expected: The invoice matches the approved proof and quantity. Unapproved changes are not in the price.
Check before you add tools
If the file changes after approval, stop and get a new acceptance before you reprint.
Common questions
Can I print from the quote alone?
No. Wait for acceptance, and print the proof the customer approved.
Who pays for a reprint after a late file change?
Whoever the accepted quote says pays. Record the change before you do the work.
Do I bill a draft quote?
No. Bill the accepted version.
11. How a letting record keeps rent, a deposit, and arrears apart
A deposit is money you may have to return. Rent is income for a period. Mixing them hides both arrears and what you owe the tenant.
What to record
Keep the unit, the tenant, the rent periods, the deposit, and the payments applied to each.
Follow the tenancy you actually signed. This guide does not interpret landlord-tenant law.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy | Manager | Unit, tenant, rent, and start date. |
| Deposit | Finance | Amount held and whether it has been returned or used. |
| Rent charge | Finance | Period and amount due. |
| Receipt | Finance | Amount, date, and whether it pays rent or the deposit. |
One complete cycle
- Open a tenancy for one unit.
- Receive the deposit and do not mark it as rent.
- Raise one rent period.
- Apply a payment to that period and leave any shortfall as arrears.
Expected: The deposit balance is intact, and arrears equal rent charged minus rent received.
Check before you add tools
Do not refund a deposit by deleting the original receipt. Record the repayment against the deposit.
Common questions
Can a deposit pay the rent?
Only when you explicitly apply it and your agreement allows that. Until then it is not rent.
What is an arrear?
Rent that was due and has not been paid. It is not a deposit you are holding.
Do I reuse a deposit for the next tenant?
No. Close the first deposit with a repayment or an agreed deduction, then take a new deposit.
12. How a restaurant tracks an order from table to payment
A restaurant loses money when the kitchen cooks a dish the bill never shows, or the bill charges a dish the kitchen did not send.
What to record
Track the table or takeaway ticket, each item sent to the kitchen, voids, and the payment that closes the bill.
This is an order and cash record. It does not set food-safety rules or menu prices for you.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Table or ticket | Server | Table or order number, covers, time, and server name. |
| Kitchen item | Kitchen | Item, modifiers, time sent, and time ready. |
| Void or comp | Manager | Item removed, reason, and who approved it. |
| Payment | Cashier | Method, amount, tip if you record one, and the closed bill. |
One complete cycle
- Open one table or takeaway ticket.
- Send two items to the kitchen and mark them ready.
- Void one item with a reason before payment.
- Take payment for the remaining item and close the ticket.
Expected: The closed bill lists only the item that was served, the void has an approver, and the cash or card total matches that bill.
Check before you add tools
Count open tickets at the end of service. An open ticket with no kitchen items and no payment needs an owner the same night.
Common questions
Does a voided item stay on the bill?
No. Keep it on the void record, not on the amount the guest pays.
Should takeaway use the same ticket as a table?
Yes. Give it an order number so the kitchen and the payment still meet.
When is the bill closed?
When the payment equals the remaining items and the ticket is no longer open.
13. How a shop keeps store and online stock as one count
A shop that also sells online has one pile of goods and two ways to sell it. The case below keeps both channels on the same count, including a return that is not sellable until someone accepts it.
What to record
Record the shared quantity, each shop sale, each website order, and a return only after inspection.
This is a stock and order record. It does not set prices, tax, or a delivery promise.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Shared quantity | Shop lead | Item, on-hand count, and the location that owns it. |
| Shop sale | Cashier | Item, quantity, and the receipt that reduced the count. |
| Website order | Online lead | Order number, quantity reserved, and whether it has shipped. |
| Return | Receiver | Order it came from, condition, and whether it is back on the shelf. |
One complete cycle
- Start with 10 units of one item available to both the shop and the website.
- Sell 2 in the shop. The shared count is 8.
- Take a website order for 3 and ship it. The shared count is 5.
- Receive 1 returned unit and leave it off the shelf until someone accepts the condition.
Expected: Sellable stock is 5 while the return waits. After acceptance it is 6. The shop receipt and the website order both point at the same item.
Check before you add tools
At the end of the day, add shop sales and shipped website orders and subtract them from the morning count. A difference needs a name the same day.
Do not treat an unopened return box as available. The website can sell it twice if the count moves before inspection.
Common questions
Can the website reserve an item the shop might sell?
Yes. A reservation holds that quantity until the order ships or the reservation ends. The cashier should see the held quantity before selling the last unit.
When does a return increase the count?
When someone accepts the item back onto the shelf. A parcel on the dock is not sellable stock.
Do the shop and the website need two item records?
No. Use one item. Two records hide which channel sold the last unit.
14. How a salon books a service and sells a product
The appointment uses a person’s time. A bottle from the shelf is stock. One payment can cover both, but the records stay different.
What to record
Keep the booking, the stylist, the service performed, any product sold, and the payment.
Do not reduce shelf stock for a service that used no retail product.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | Desk | Guest, service, stylist, start, and duration. |
| Service done | Stylist | What was performed and whether it finished. |
| Product sale | Desk | Product and quantity taken from the shelf. |
| Payment | Desk | Amount for the service, amount for products, and method. |
One complete cycle
- Book one service on one stylist’s calendar.
- Mark the service done.
- Add a product only if the guest buys one.
- Take a payment that lists the service and the product separately.
Expected: The stylist’s time is no longer open, shelf quantity drops only for the product, and the receipt shows both lines.
Check before you add tools
Look at tomorrow’s bookings against who is actually working. A booking on a person who is away is not a plan.
Common questions
Can two guests book the same stylist at once?
No. The second booking needs a different time or a different person.
Do I stock-count a haircut?
No. Count only retail products that leave the shelf.
What if the guest leaves without paying?
Leave the ticket open and named. Do not delete the service to hide it.
15. How a school records a fee, a waiver, and a payment
A waiver is not a payment. If you reduce the fee without a record, the receipt and the invoice will never match.
What to record
Keep the student, the fee, any waiver or scholarship, the invoice, and the payment.
Follow the school’s own fee policy. This guide does not set tuition or admission rules.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Student account | Office | Student, payer, and the term the fee belongs to. |
| Fee | Office | Fee name, amount, and due date. |
| Waiver | Authorized staff | Amount reduced, reason, and who approved it. |
| Receipt | Cashier | Amount received, date, and the fee it pays. |
One complete cycle
- Raise one term fee for one student.
- Apply a waiver only with an approval, as its own line.
- Collect a payment for the remaining amount.
- Leave a partial payment open against that fee.
Expected: The balance is fee minus waiver minus payments. A waiver is visible as a reduction, not as cash received.
Check before you add tools
A student with a zero balance should show either a full payment, a waiver, or both. Do not clear a balance by deleting the fee.
Common questions
Can a scholarship be recorded as a payment?
No. Record it as a waiver so cash reports stay honest.
What if a family pays two students at once?
Split the receipt across the two fee balances and name both.
Do I delete a fee that was raised in error?
Reverse or cancel it with a reason. Keep the original charge visible.
16. How a services firm bills a milestone after the client accepts it
A professional services firm sells an outcome in stages. The case below keeps timesheets as a cost record and raises an invoice only when the client accepts the milestone.
What to record
Record the agreed milestones, the time spent, the acceptance, and the invoice for that accepted stage.
This is a project and billing record. It does not set tax, a contract term, or whether unused time can be billed later.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Milestone | Project lead | Name, agreed amount, and what must be delivered. |
| Time | Consultant | Person, date, hours, and the milestone the work belongs to. |
| Acceptance | Client owner | What was accepted, the date, and who accepted it. |
| Invoice | Accounts | Milestone billed, amount, and what is still unbilled. |
One complete cycle
- Agree three milestones of 400 each. The engagement total is 1,200.
- Log time against the first milestone. The time record does not create an invoice.
- Send the deliverable and wait for written acceptance.
- Invoice 400 for the accepted milestone and leave 800 unbilled.
Expected: One invoice of 400 matches the accepted milestone. Logged hours stay on the project. The other two milestones remain unbilled until they are accepted.
Check before you add tools
Before you send an invoice, point it at an acceptance. Hours without acceptance are a cost to review, not a bill.
If the client rejects the deliverable, keep the milestone open. Do not invoice it and then credit the whole amount as a way to show the rejection.
Common questions
Do timesheets become the invoice?
Not in this case. The invoice follows the accepted milestone amount. Timesheets explain the effort spent.
Can you invoice a deposit before any milestone?
Only if the agreement says so, and record it as a deposit rather than as acceptance of work that is not done.
What if acceptance covers only part of a milestone?
Bill the accepted part only if the agreement allows a split. Otherwise leave the milestone open until the agreed deliverable is accepted.
17. How a software firm supports a customer who has a subscription
A software business charges a recurring fee and also answers support questions. The case below starts the fee at go-live and keeps a support ticket off the sales invoice unless the request is new paid work.
What to record
Record the subscription start, each support request, and any change that is a separate sale.
This is a subscription and support record. It does not set a service level, uptime promise, or tax treatment.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Accounts | Customer, amount, start date, and whether it is active. |
| Go-live | Delivery lead | The date the customer could use the product, which starts the fee. |
| Support ticket | Support | Customer, question, and the active subscription it belongs to. |
| Change request | Project lead | Work that is outside support, with its own price and acceptance. |
One complete cycle
- Agree a subscription of 100 for each month, starting on the go-live date.
- Go live on the first of the month and start that month’s fee of 100.
- Open a support ticket in the same month and close it against the subscription. Do not raise another 100.
- Quote a separate change at 250. Invoice 250 only if the customer accepts that quote.
Expected: The month’s subscription invoice is 100. The closed ticket has no second charge. The change stays unbilled until it is accepted, and then it is 250 on its own invoice.
Check before you add tools
Before closing a ticket, confirm the subscription was active on the day of the request. A ticket after the subscription has ended needs a renewal or a separate quote.
Do not fold the change request into the monthly fee. A reader should see 100 for access and 250 for accepted extra work.
Common questions
Does every ticket create an invoice?
No. A ticket covered by an active subscription is support. Bill it only when the request is outside that subscription and the customer has accepted the price.
When does the first fee start?
On the go-live date you recorded, not on the day the contract was signed, unless the agreement says the fee starts earlier.
What if the subscription has ended?
Do not treat the ticket as included. Renew the subscription or quote the work before you spend time on it.
18. How a staffing firm bills hours for a placement
The client should be billed for approved hours on a named placement, not for a timesheet that nobody has checked.
What to record
Keep the assignment, the rate, the hours, the approval, and the client invoice.
Pay the worker from approved hours as well. Do not invoice the client for hours you have not approved.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Recruiter | Client, worker, role, start, and rate. |
| Timesheet | Worker | Date, hours, and the assignment. |
| Approval | Client or internal approver | Hours accepted or queried. |
| Invoice | Finance | Approved hours, rate, and the assignment. |
One complete cycle
- Open one assignment with a rate.
- Enter hours against that assignment.
- Approve the hours or send them back.
- Invoice the client for the approved hours only.
Expected: The invoice hours equal the approved hours, and queried hours are not on the invoice.
Check before you add tools
Do not pay or bill a week that still has hours waiting for approval.
Common questions
Can I bill estimated hours?
Bill approved hours. Keep an estimate off the invoice.
What if the client cuts the hours?
Invoice the accepted number and keep the query on the timesheet.
Does the worker rate have to match the client rate?
No. Store both. Do not show the worker rate on the client invoice.
19. How a wholesaler links a price, a delivery, and a bill
Wholesale disputes start when the invoice quantity, the delivered quantity, and the agreed price are three different numbers.
What to record
Keep the customer price, the order, the delivery, and the invoice tied to the same lines.
Do not copy a retail price onto a wholesale order. The price on the order is the price you undertook to charge.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Customer price | Sales | Customer, product, price, and the date the price ends. |
| Order | Sales | Ordered quantity, promised date, and price used. |
| Delivery | Warehouse | Quantity shipped, date, and what was short. |
| Invoice | Finance | Quantity billed, price, and the delivery it refers to. |
One complete cycle
- Set one product price for one wholesale customer.
- Confirm an order at that price.
- Deliver less than the order and record the shortage.
- Invoice the delivered quantity, not the ordered quantity.
Expected: The invoice quantity matches the delivery, the price matches the customer price, and the shortage is still visible on the order.
Check before you add tools
Pick one open order and trace it to the delivery and the invoice. Stop if any line quantity differs without a recorded reason.
Common questions
Do I invoice the ordered quantity?
Invoice what you delivered unless the contract says you bill the order before delivery.
Can two customers have different prices?
Yes. Store the price on the customer, not as a silent edit on one invoice.
What if the delivery is short?
Leave the remainder open or cancel it. Do not hide it by changing the original order quantity.
20. How a workshop turns material into a shipped order
A small workshop buys material, makes a finished item, and ships the customer order. The case below keeps leftover material, scrap, and the shipped quantity as separate records.
What to record
Record the material issued, the units finished, the scrap, and the quantity that actually left.
This is a production and dispatch record. It does not set a safe working method or a product warranty.
People and records
On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Record | Who uses it | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Material issue | Storekeeper | Item, quantity taken from stock, and the job it went to. |
| Finished units | Maker | Job, quantity completed, and the lot or batch if you keep one. |
| Scrap | Maker | Quantity that cannot be sold, and the reason. |
| Shipment | Dispatch | Customer order, quantity sent, and the date it left. |
One complete cycle
- Issue 10 kg of material to one job.
- Finish 8 units and record 1 scrapped unit.
- Return the unused material to stock instead of leaving it on the bench.
- Ship the 8 finished units against the customer order.
Expected: The order is fulfilled by 8 units. Scrap is not in the shipment. Unused material is back in stock, not still charged to the job as if it were consumed.
Check before you add tools
Before dispatch, compare the customer order with finished units still on hand. Scrap and leftovers do not count as finished goods.
If you track a lot, the shipment should name the lot that was finished, not a lot that is still in raw material.
Common questions
Does scrap stay in finished stock?
No. Record it as scrap so it cannot be picked for a customer order.
What happens to material you did not use?
Return it to stock. Leaving it on the job makes the next count short.
Can you ship before the job is finished?
Only the quantity that is already finished and accepted for sale. Do not ship a promised remainder that is still on the bench.
21. Related guides and next steps
Sample names and amounts are illustrative. They are not a client result, a price, or legal or tax advice. Menus can differ between versions and installed apps.
Continue learning
Describe your business, the system you use now, and what has to change. See our Business systems and ERP service or contact OdooMatrix.