Work Records & Coordination
Separate a ready document from a completed handoff
Imagine a fictional designer preparing a booklet proof for a reviewer. The proof is ready, but the designer has not yet sent it. This original worksheet follows the status distinctions needed for a clear dispatch note. It describes a planning example, not an actual delivery or a claim that a particular communication system guarantees receipt.
01
Identify the prepared item and its intended destination
Record the proof’s title and version, then identify the intended reviewer and the purpose of the handoff. Mark the state as prepared while it remains unsent. A file called final is not a sending record, and a reviewer’s name on a task does not establish that they have received anything. The note should also say what response is being requested, such as comments on the layout. This gives the next person enough context to understand the handoff without inferring its status from the document’s existence.
02
Record the sending event when it actually occurs
After sending, add the time, channel and reference to the actual communication record. Check that the note identifies the version that was sent, especially if another draft was created afterward. Keep a failed attempt separate from a completed sending event. The worksheet should describe what happened rather than replace a missing record with a confident label. In a real workflow, the team needs to agree which system information supports the status they use and what an ambiguous result should be called.
03
Track acknowledgement as a separate question
Leave acknowledgement pending until there is information that supports it, such as a reply referring to the proof. Do not treat the absence of an error as evidence that the reviewer has read the document. If follow-up is needed, assign it as a separate action with an appropriate time to revisit. When a response arrives, add its reference and note any new request. The completed dispatch note distinguishes the prepared item, the sending event and the reviewer’s response, making the handoff understandable without collapsing those stages into one checkbox.