Orbit Dine Register Shifts & Blind Cash Drops SOP: Till Auditing, Denomination Counting & Z-Reports

1. Operational Mission & Pre-Flight Verification Gate

The mission of this standard operating procedure is to maintain uncompromising cash integrity at the front desk, prevent drawer skimming, identify counterfeit notes, and guarantee that physical deposits match transactional general ledger records. By integrating with cashier counter billing and offline queue durability, the register shift lifecycle enforces dual-custody accountability across all till handovers.

Operator Security Tier & Role Permissions

• Assigned Personas: Outgoing Cashier, Incoming Cashier, Duty Manager, General Manager
• Required Security Tier:
  • Tier 2 Station Lead: Shift float open, denomination bill counting, blind drop submission
  • Tier 3 Floor Manager: Variance override approval, mid-shift emergency float adjustments, Z-Report fiscal sign-off
• Dual-Signoff Mandate: Any shift closure containing a cash variance (short or over) exceeding 100 currency units requires simultaneous biometric or PIN confirmation from both the cashier and the duty supervisor.

2. Environmental Pre-Conditions & Station Readiness Matrix

Prior to executing register opening or closing procedures, operators must verify the readiness of each physical and digital node:

3. Granular Procedural Execution Workflow

The complete register shift lifecycle proceeds through four distinct execution phases:

Phase 1: Opening Shift Float Declaration

• Trigger Condition: Cashier begins duty shift at the designated counter terminal.
• Operator Action: Log in using operator PIN. Click Open Cashier Register Shift. Inspect vault envelope, count starting change float, input amount into Starting Float Cash (standard float Rs. 5,000), and add shift identifier in notes (e.g., "Morning Floor Shift - Till 1"). Click Start Shift.
• Terminal System Response: System stamps beginning UTC timestamp, sets register status to ACTIVE, records opening float under Debit Account 1001 Till Cash / Credit Account 1005 Main Vault, and enables checkout settlement features.
• Verification State: Header displays active green pulsing indicator with cashier name and running shift timer.

Phase 2: Mid-Shift Cash Movements & Direct Settlement Logging

• Trigger Condition: Petty operational expense required, change float replenished, or rider Cash on Delivery collected.
• Operator Action:
  • Emergency Outflow: Open Cash Movement -> Paid Out. Enter amount, select expense category, and log vendor details.
  • Rider COD Deposit: Collect accumulated cash from delivery fleet riders via the Takeaway & Rider Dispatch Hub; system automatically credits till float.
  • Counter Customer Debt Collection: Settle customer credit receivables via Quick Khata settlement; system automatically updates till float.
• Terminal System Response: System logs each cash adjustment atomically, updates real-time expected till balances in the background, and outputs printed receipt vouchers for physical drawer insertion.
• Verification State: Physical receipt voucher placed inside drawer under coin tray.

Phase 3: Shift Lockout & Blind Physical Count

• Trigger Condition: Cashier reaches scheduled end of duty, or station rotation occurs.
• Operator Action: Click Close Register Shift. The terminal enforces Blind Drop Mode: expected sales figures and calculated totals are completely hidden from the cashier's view. Cashier opens the physical drawer and counts each currency denomination note-by-note, inputting exact counts into the stepper grid (Notes 5000, 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10) and loose coins total. Click Submit Blind Drop.
• Terminal System Response: Terminal calculates calculateDenominationSum(). It locks the terminal from taking further orders and immediately compares physical counted cash against Expected Cash = Starting Float + Cash Sales + Paid In - Paid Out + Rider COD + Khata Cash Recoveries.
• Verification State: Screen displays submission confirmation; terminal session transitions to pending manager reconciliation.

Phase 4: Supervisor Reconciliation & Z-Report Fiscal Finality

• Trigger Condition: Duty supervisor logs into the terminal or reviews the shift queue on the Central POS Admin Console.
• Operator Action: Supervisor reviews the computed variance.
  • Zero Variance / Nominal Variance (within +/- Rs. 100): Supervisor enters shift notes and clicks Sign Off & Print Z-Report.
  • Material Variance (greater than +/- Rs. 100): Supervisor initiates re-count in presence of cashier. If discrepancy persists, supervisor records formal root cause in Manager Reconciliation Notes and inputs supervisor authorization credentials.
• Terminal System Response: System marks the shift as RECONCILED, auto-posts variance to GL Account 5980 (Cash Over/Short Expense), generates the permanent Z-Report document, and triggers the thermal printer to cut the official audit strip.
• Verification State: 80mm thermal Z-Report prints; cashier and supervisor sign physical paper tape; cash bundle dropped into safe drop depository.

4. Interactive Operational Decision Logic & Routing Schematic

The following schematic illustrates the branching audit flow during shift reconciliation:

5. Deviation Handling & Exception Protocol Matrix

When discrepancies occur during shift closing and cash auditing, operators and supervisors must execute the following remediation steps:

6. Safe Deposit Handover, Safe Drop & Final Archive

Following supervisor sign-off of the register shift:

1. Retain Baseline Operating Float:
   • Count exactly Rs. 5,000 (or the store standard base float) in small notes (Rs. 100, Rs. 50, Rs. 20, Rs. 10) to remain in the physical till drawer for the incoming shift cashier.
2. Seal Surplus Deposit:
   • Place all net cash earnings into the sequential tamper-evident safe drop envelope.
   • Enclose the printed cashier denomination breakdown sheet inside the envelope.
3. Vault Depository Injection:
   • Cashier and supervisor jointly walk to the back-office double-drop vault.
   • Drop sealed envelope through the one-way hopper slot.
   • Both staff sign physical safe logbook recording envelope serial number, date, time, and declared cash total.
4. Permanent Digital Archival:
   • System auto-saves Z-Report PDF and transmits summary telemetry to corporate financial reporting dashboards.

7. Operator Quick-Reference FAQs & High-Frequency Triage

Can a cashier view the expected sales figure before finishing their physical cash count?

No. System security strictly prohibits premature access to expected sales. Cashiers do not have permission to view the expected drawer balance during count mode. Only after the cashier enters and submits the denomination breakdown does the system reveal whether the till is balanced, over, or short.

What should happen if a power outage occurs in the middle of a blind cash drop count?

The counted values are preserved in local durable storage.

• Once power returns or battery backup engages, log in to the counter terminal.
• Re-open the shift modal; previously entered stepper values will automatically restore.
• Complete any remaining denomination counts and proceed with submission.

Can an open shift be transferred directly from Cashier A to Cashier B without closing?

No. Direct shift transfers between individual operators are prohibited. Accountability requires each operator to close their own shift via blind drop, allowing the incoming operator to open a fresh shift with an independently verified float.

8. Technical Architecture & Structural Schema

The technical specifications of the register shift and blind drop SOP are recorded below:

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