Records and measurement boundaries
Collect deposit invoices, container or pallet identifiers where available, return acknowledgments, agreed deposit values, deductions and credit notes. Keep dispatch and receipt evidence for the return journey. Record whether ownership, damage or time limits affect refund eligibility under the agreement and which party accepted the returned units.
Checks that resolve this question
Match the deposited population to acknowledged returns and applied refunds. Distinguish units still in circulation from lost, damaged or rejected packaging. Check deposit-rate changes and deductions against the relevant terms. Trace credits to the deposit invoice or account balance so a refund cannot be counted merely because a return was recorded.
The finance and operations decision
Produce an aging schedule with eligible uncredited returns, disputed deductions and unresolved movement records. Operations confirms quantities and condition; procurement resolves eligibility; finance verifies application of credits. Close each item only when the supplier response and ledger treatment agree, preserving partial settlements rather than replacing the original balance.
Limits of the conclusion
A warehouse dispatch note alone may not prove supplier acceptance. Deposit value is not revenue or confirmed recovery simply because a return is expected. No container-tracking integration is implied.
Scope the evidence review
Use the AuditRes Procurement workspace to discuss this review scope. Check current plans and the shared platform, review security and evidence handling, and contact AuditRes to establish the customer sources and processor validation needed for production processing.
AuditRes Procurement: Available for onboarding. Public previews use synthetic demonstration data; production processing remains gated until applicable customer sources and authoritative processors are connected and validated.