A structured, print-and-use checklist that walks an owner or operations manager through the areas where South African SMEs typically lose money without noticing — buying, stock, reporting, staffing and approvals. Use it before you commit to any new tool or process change.
Who it's for
Built for a specific job, not everyone.
Owners, operations managers and finance leads in growing SMEs — especially restaurants, catering businesses, wholesalers and hospitality operations — who suspect something is leaking but don't yet have proof.
What it helps you do
Spot which operational areas rely on memory, WhatsApp or paper instead of a repeatable process.
Identify where stock, purchasing and wastage are tracked in disconnected places.
Surface reporting gaps that leave leadership waiting for numbers instead of seeing them.
Prioritise the one or two fixes that would matter most in the next 90 days.
Give a consistent basis for comparing notes across sites, shifts or departments.
Preview
What's actually inside.
This is the real content, not a teaser. Requesting the resource gets you this in a format you can use directly with your team.
Section
Procurement & suppliers
Every supplier has an agreed price list on file, not just a remembered rate.
Purchase orders exist in writing before stock arrives, not after.
Someone checks delivered quantities and quality against what was ordered.
Repeat supplier issues — late deliveries, short orders, quality — are tracked over time.
Section
Inventory & wastage
Stock counts happen on a fixed schedule, not only when something runs out.
Wastage is recorded with a reason at the time it happens, not estimated later.
Stock variance between expected and counted quantities is reviewed weekly.
Fast-moving and slow-moving items are both visible to whoever orders stock.
Section
Reporting & visibility
Leadership can see key numbers without asking a manager to compile them.
Weekly reports are available within a day of the week ending, not a week later.
The same KPIs are tracked consistently from week to week.
Reports show trends over time, not just a single week in isolation.
Section
Staff workflows & approvals
Purchase and expense approvals happen through a tracked process, not informal messages.
Handovers between shifts or roles are recorded somewhere other than memory.
It's clear who is responsible for each recurring operational task.
New staff can follow a written process instead of relying on a colleague's knowledge.
Section
Finance & margin control
Menu, service or product pricing is reviewed against current input costs at least quarterly.
Margin on core products or services is visible, not just total revenue.
Outstanding supplier and customer balances are reviewed on a fixed schedule.
Request this resource
Tell us where to send it.
Send your details and we'll get the operations audit checklistto you directly. We'll also flag anything in your reply that looks worth a proper conversation.
Keep exploring
Related reading and the solution behind it.
Related solution
Operations Audit Checklist connects most directly to how Vyso approaches reduce money leakage.