Shift‐Based Handovers - hmislk/hmis GitHub Wiki

CareCode HIMS: Shift-Based Handovers

Overview

CareCode HIMS introduces a secure shift-based handover mechanism that ensures all payments collected during a cashier's shift are properly verified, documented, and handed over to an authorised person before the shift ends. The system ties every cashier’s financial activity to their active shift, with no transactions permitted outside an active session (unless explicitly configured).

1. Shift Sessions

Starting a Shift

  • Mandatory (by default): Users must start a shift to enable transaction capabilities.
  • Starting a shift activates the user’s drawer and links it to one or more departments as bills are processed.
  • This can be disabled by configuration, but is enabled by default to enforce accountability.

2. Ending a Shift & Handover Requirements

At the end of a shift, a cashier is required to hand over all funds and transfer activity before closing.

What is Handed Over:

  • Payments collected during the shift:

    • Each bill payment is linked to a specific department.

  • Net float transfers received during the shift:

    • A float is a user-to-user transfer with no department.
    • Net float = (floats received − floats given) during the shift.

  • Together, these match the current drawer balance.

3. Handover Workflow

Step-by-Step Process:

  1. Shift Details Preview:

    • Shift date
    • Department(s)
    • Bill counts and totals
    • Payment method breakdown (cash, credit card slips, cheques, bank transactions, IOUs)

  2. Physical Verification:

    • User manually confirms possession of all non-cash payment instruments.

  3. Enter Cash Denominations:

    • Denomination-wise cash input is required for reconciliation.

  4. Select Receiver:

    • Cashier selects a valid user (Bulk Cashier, Main Cashier, or Accounts user).

  5. Submit Handover:

    • Once submitted:

      • The sender’s drawer is immediately deducted.
      • The receiver’s drawer remains unchanged until accepted.
      • A separate handover record is created.

4. Receiving a Handover

  • Receivers are notified via in-system alerts.

  • Each handover must be individually reviewed and accepted or rejected.

  • They must:

    • Cross-verify cash and other payment slips
    • Accept or reject based on correctness

On Acceptance:

  • The receiver’s drawer is updated.
  • Full audit record is saved.
  • If the accepted handover carries a net cash float, a new float entry is automatically created for the receiver (sender = the handover creator, recipient = the accepting user). This lets the receiver continue to hand over the same float on their own shift handover.

On Rejection:

  • Sender is notified.
  • Drawer balance is rolled back accordingly.
  • The handover is cancelled and must be reattempted.

5. Handover Proof Missing

What is "Proof Missing"?

Non-cash payments (card slips, cheques, bank deposit slips) require a physical document to be handed over alongside the money. If that document is lost or misplaced before the handover — but the payment itself was genuinely collected — the system provides a dedicated Proof Missing workflow so the shift can still be closed and the liability is formally tracked until the document is recovered.

Important: This is a record-keeping mechanism for a cashier's internal error. The patient or payer is not affected — their payment is already confirmed.

Marking a Payment as Proof Missing

During the handover preparation (Handover Current Shift page):

  1. Locate the non-cash payment row (card, cheque, bank slip, etc.).
  2. Ensure "Select to Handover" is ticked for that row — the Proof Missing checkbox is only active when the payment is selected.
  3. Tick the "Proof Missing" checkbox for the affected payment.

Once the handover is submitted, the system automatically creates a Handover Proof Missing bill that records the total value of all proof-missing payments.

What the Receiving Cashier Sees

When a handover contains proof-missing items, the receiving cashier's pending handover list displays a warning badge on that handover. The handover can still be accepted normally — the warning is informational only.

Settling a Proof Missing Bill (Supervisors Only)

Once the physical proof document is recovered (or a replacement is accepted), a privileged user can close the liability:

  1. Navigate to the Proof Missing bill from the relevant report or bill search.
  2. The Settle Handover Proof Missing page shows the bill details and pre-fills the settlement amount.
  3. Enter any resolution notes and click Confirm Settlement.
  4. The system creates a Handover Proof Missing Settlement bill and marks the original liability as closed.

Privilege required: Users must have the Settle Handover Proof Missing privilege assigned under the Cash Transaction category to access this page.

6. Handling Multiple Shifts

  • A user may handover multiple shifts:

    • Their own earlier sessions
    • Shifts of other users (if allowed)

  • Each shift is handed over as one handover. Multiple handovers per shift is possible..

  • Receivers maintain a queue of pending handovers, each processed independently.

6a. Non-Cash Items Across Multiple Handovers

Cash and non-cash payments behave differently once handed over:

  • Cash payments collected during a shift are aggregated and handed over by denomination count. After the handover is accepted, those individual cash Payment records are no longer re-listed in subsequent handovers — cash flows through the Drawer balance.

  • Non-cash payments (Card, Cheque, Slip, eWallet) are physical documents with their own identity. They continue to appear in the holder's next handover until they are formally settled with the bank or processor. This is by design — the holder is physically responsible for each document until external confirmation.

Once a non-cash payment is settled (see Non-Cash Settlement), it leaves the cashier system entirely and never re-appears in any handover.

7. History & Reporting

For Cashiers:

  • View of all past handovers (given or received)
  • Status: Pending, Accepted, Rejected
  • Access to drawer reconciliation reports

For Managers:

  • Summary reports by department, user, and date

  • Analysis of:

    • Shift durations
    • Payment patterns
    • Outstanding or rejected handovers

System Design Notes

  • All bills, float transfers, and handovers are linked to departments for precise reporting.

  • Drawer balance = shift collections + float transfers – handovers

  • Every handover includes:

    • User and receiver identities
    • Timestamp
    • Payment method breakdown
    • Optional remarks

7. Handling Missing Payment Proofs

During a shift, a cashier may lose a physical payment proof — for example, a card machine receipt or a cheque — before completing the handover. This does not mean the money is missing; the payment has already been received by the institution.

What "Proof Missing" Means

  • The payment itself is real and fully included in the handover.
  • Only the physical documentation (card slip, cheque, bank slip, etc.) is absent.
  • This is different from a cash shortage, which means actual money is unaccounted for.

Marking a Payment as Proof Missing

On the payment selection screen (handover_start_select.xhtml), each non-cash payment row now has two columns:

Column Purpose
Select to Handover Must be ticked for all payments — partial handovers are not allowed
Proof Missing Tick this if the physical proof for this payment cannot be found

Rules:

  • "Proof Missing" can only be ticked when "Select to Handover" is also ticked.
  • All payments must be selected for handover regardless of proof status.

What Happens When a Proof-Missing Handover Is Submitted

  1. The payment is included in the main handover bill at its full value.
  2. A separate Handover Proof Missing bill is automatically created, listing all proof-missing items.
  3. A warning badge is shown to the receiving cashier on their incoming handover screen.
  4. The PaymentHandoverItem record is updated with the proof-missing flag and the bill reference.

Receiving a Handover with Proof-Missing Items

  • The incoming handover list shows a warning indicator if any items are proof-missing.
  • Acceptance proceeds normally — the receiver acknowledges the missing proofs as part of the handover.

Settling a Proof Missing Bill

Once the proof is recovered (the original slip is found, a replacement cheque is obtained, bank confirmation is received, etc.), a privileged user can settle the proof missing bill:

  1. Navigate to the proof missing bill via the cashier bill search.
  2. Click Settle.
  3. Enter the settlement amount and resolution notes.
  4. Confirm — a Handover Proof Missing Settlement bill is created.
  5. The original proof missing bill is marked as fully settled.

Required privilege: Settle Handover Proof Missing (Finance category).

Limitations

  • Currently, managers cannot override or reassign handovers.
  • Rejected handovers must be re-initiated by the original sender.

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