I remember visiting a site during my time as an Implementation Manager. I’d been asked to support the team with some training and also to help investigate what appeared to be a significant cash loss. Helping them understand why cash discrepancies happen (how to spot the real problem).
On paper, they were showing a large discrepancy.
Naturally, there was concern.
When I arrived, I spent time observing rather than jumping straight in. That’s something I’d learned over the years — watch first, understand second, act third.
I stood with the team as they completed their end-of-night procedures. Everything was being done correctly. The process was followed step by step, and nothing immediately stood out as wrong.
And yet, at the end of the night, the same issue appeared again.
The paperwork showed one figure, but the actual cash total was lower.
Because I was there for a few days, I knew I didn’t need to rush. Instead of focusing only on that day, I went back through previous records, looking at discrepancies over time — all the way back to the last stock audit.
The pattern was consistent.
That’s when I started to look more closely at the systems.
What I found wasn’t theft, poor practice, or carelessness. It was a timing issue.
At the end of the night, the pub restaurant system would be balanced correctly. But afterwards, the hotel system figures for the day would transfer across. By the time the morning safe check was completed, it appeared as though there was extra money in the safe.
Instead of recognising that something didn’t quite add up, the team would bank the difference.
Then, on the next safe check, the figures would appear short again.
This cycle repeated itself, day after day.
Nothing was actually missing.
The money hadn’t gone anywhere.
It was sitting within the system — just not where the paperwork suggested it should be.
The only thing being done wrong was the timing of when figures were entered.
But because no one had stepped back to question it early on, the problem escalated. What started as a small discrepancy became something much bigger.
It’s a good reminder of something simple:
Not every problem is what it first appears to be.
Sometimes, it’s not about working harder or checking faster.
It’s about pausing, looking properly, and understanding the system before reacting to the result.
Because once a mistake becomes routine, it stops being questioned.
And that’s when small issues turn into big ones.
Aces in Places isn’t just about people — it’s about understanding the systems they work within. You only know if you know.