The operating problem
Start with a suspected duplicate in an import or ledger read. A successful handoff produces a reviewer decision linked to the candidate records. Define the accountable owner before connecting systems. A suspected duplicate must never be deleted or reversed automatically. A source event is a request to evaluate the current state; it is not permission to make an irreversible change.
Use your own working copy
The free workbook for this process opens in a browser and works offline after download. It includes editable checks and notes, a text export, and a print view. It is a planning resource: it does not send messages, read account data, or run actions in business systems. No vendor account is needed to use the workbook.
Map the process
1. Read the candidate set
Scope the company, account, period, and import source using read-only access.
2. Calculate similarity
Compare stable external IDs, amount, date, and source checksum. Separate exact repeated imports from lookalikes.
3. Assemble evidence
Show source references, destination IDs, and any existing reconciliation or approval.
4. Request accountant decision
A reviewer distinguishes legitimate recurring transactions, duplicates, and unresolved cases.
5. Record the outcome
Create a correction task where needed; ledger edits require their own authorized process.
Information to check
These reference fields describe the process. Use invented values while planning. Keep real records in an appropriate private system; the public website does not need them.
| Reference field | Working record | Check before progressing |
|---|---|---|
| company_id | company_id | Resolve the stable source reference in the correct client, entity, and engagement. |
| transaction_ids | transaction_ids | Resolve the stable source reference in the correct client, entity, and engagement. |
| source_import_key | source_import_key | Resolve the stable source reference in the correct client, entity, and engagement. |
| review_outcome | review_outcome | Use the authorized owner or reviewed decision; unknown values stop the handoff. |
Acceptance checks
- A legitimate recurring payment is not removed.
- A reconciled record cannot be altered by the triage workflow.
- A repeated source event creates only one current review task.
- A changed source version invalidates an earlier approval.
Walk through a successful example, a duplicate, a missing item, an incorrect match, and an interrupted handoff with synthetic records. Record the expected result, observed result, owner, and recovery action. Checklists record your work; checking a box does not establish that an external action happened.
Ownership and review
Name the person responsible for the process and the person who can resolve an exception. Define which decisions require qualified professional review. Use stable references, limit access to private records, and document when work must stop. Educational material does not establish legal, accounting, tax, security, or regulatory compliance.
Run a measured pilot
Choose a small, reversible sample. Measure handling time, waiting time, review, rework, and errors before changing the process. Include the effort of maintaining the new method. Expand only when the observed result meets your acceptance criteria; a longer checklist is not proof of improved performance.
Use the free workflow planner to define your next step, or compare the assumptions in the opportunity calculator.