Inspection of assets. When goods arrive from the supplier, receiving clerks must
inspect items for proper quantities and condition (damage, spoilage, and so on).
For this reason, the receiving clerk receives a blind copy of the original purchase
order from purchasing. A blind purchase order has all the relevant information
about the goods being received except for the quantities and prices. To obtain
the information on quantities, which is needed for the receiving report, the
receiving personnel are forced to physically count and inspect the goods. If receiving
clerks were provided with quantity information through formal documentation
(i.e., the purchase order), they may be tempted to transfer this
information to the receiving report without performing a physical count. Inspecting
and counting the items received protects the firm from incomplete orders
and damaged goods. Supervision is critical at this point to ensure that the
clerks properly carry out these important duties. Incoming goods are accompanied
by a packing slip containing quantity information that could be used to
circumvent the inspection process. A supervisor should take custody of the
packing slip while receiving clerks count and inspect the goods.