What Happens to Each NCR Copy After a Job?

A completed job sheet can serve several people, but only if each copy reaches the right place. A customer may need a record of the work, the person on site may need a handover note, and the office may need details for follow-up. Here is a practical way to think through that handover using carbonless NCR forms. 

Finish the form before separating the copies 

Before handing anything over, check that the date, customer or site, work completed, relevant reference and any agreed next step have been filled in. If a signature is part of your process, make sure it appears where it needs to. Look at the writing on each copy, not just the top sheet, so the recipient can use the record they receive. 

What counts as a complete record depends on your business and the form you use. An engineer's service report, a delivery note and a receipt will not all need the same information. 

Give the customer a usable record 

If the customer receives a copy, tell them what it records and what happens next. For example, a job sheet might summarise work carried out and any follow-up, while a delivery note might list the goods received. A copy is most useful when the person receiving it knows whom to contact about a query. 

For work that also involves an invoice, do not assume the job sheet is a substitute for one. Your own invoicing and record-keeping process should determine what additional document is needed. 

Keep the working copy with the right team 

The copy kept by a person on site can help with a later handover or a return visit. The office copy may be used to update a job record, answer a customer query or prepare the next step. Decide who is responsible for moving the paperwork from the job to the office; a form left in a vehicle cannot help a colleague looking for it. 

If several teams need the information, decide whether each needs a paper copy or whether the information should instead be entered into your existing system. The number of NCR parts should follow the real handover, rather than creating spare copies with no clear owner. 

File by a reference people can actually find 

Choose a consistent way to match the form to the job: a job number, order reference, customer name or date, for example. The same reference can be useful when a customer calls later. Keep paperwork containing customer or other personal information in line with your own privacy and retention procedures; this guide does not set a legal retention period. 

Turn the form into the next action 

A completed form should not be the end of the process if it records unfinished work. If materials need ordering, an invoice needs raising or a return visit is due, identify who will act on that information and when. This is where a clearly labelled follow-up box or notes area can help your team, provided it fits your actual workflow. 

A simple handover checklist 

• Is the form complete and readable on every copy? 
• Does the customer know what their copy records? 
• Who takes the working copy and who receives the office copy? 
• Can the form be found again using a consistent reference? 
• Is there a next action, an owner and a date if follow-up is needed? 

Once you know where each copy goes, choosing the right number of parts is easier. If you are still deciding how your forms should be supplied, read our NCR pads, books and sets comparison. Explore custom NCR pads, NCR books and loose NCR sets, or contact MD Print Shop to discuss your paperwork workflow.