Journal
Sampling strata before you open the queue
Most approval reviews go wrong in the first ten minutes — not because the ledger is wrong, but because the sample is invented while scrolling. Someone notices a large vendor, another spots a weekend stamp, and the “random” set becomes a comfort set.
In Transaction Approval Audit Mastery we force a boring ritual: write the strata while the financial auditing app for transaction approval audits is still closed. Value bands, new counterparties, after-hours flags. Only then do you pull IDs.
Three bands that usually earn their keep
Value. Split at thresholds your policy already names. If dual control starts at ₩10M, sample both sides of that line — not only the spectacular outliers.
Novelty. First-time vendors and first-time cost centers hide onboarding gaps that amount filters miss.
Timing. After-hours and month-end rushes deserve their own pull. They are where rubber stamps cluster.
What to put in the memo
Name the population, the period, the strata, the count per stratum, and the method (systematic, random within stratum). Sign it. When a reviewer asks why transaction X was included, you point at the memo — not at your curiosity.
If your app cannot filter by one of those bands, say so in the memo and describe the compensating export step. Silence reads like improvisation.