Workplace Experience Student: Basket Control

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To provide dedicated daily control over all bakery basket movements, physical basket counts, system records and reconciliations across drivers, hawkers, depots and inter-bakery operations. The Basket Controller WES is responsible for ensuring that every basket issued and returned is counted, recorded, acknowledged and reconciled. The role maintains accurate daily basket records, performs physical counts, reviews Mosaic basket information and investigates shortages or unexplained balances. The incumbent works closely with Distribution Controllers, Security, Despatch, Settlements, drivers, hawkers, depots and inter-bakery teams to ensure that basket shortages are identified promptly, assigned to the accountable party and monitored through to resolution.

2. Key Responsibilities

2.1 Basket Issues and Returns

• Control and monitor all baskets entering and leaving the bakery.
• Verify baskets issued to drivers, hawkers, depots and inter-bakery vehicles.
• Verify baskets returned by drivers, hawkers, depots and inter-bakery vehicles.
• Ensure baskets are physically counted when vehicles leave and return to the premises.
• Confirm that basket quantities agree to load sheets, issue slips, return slips and other supporting documentation.
• Ensure basket issue and return slips are completed accurately and in full.
• Confirm that the driver or hawker and the responsible Security or Basket Controller representative sign the applicable basket documentation.
• Ensure no basket movement takes place without valid supporting documentation.
• Ensure any changes to planned basket quantities are recorded, explained and authorised.
• Submit completed issue and return documents to Settlements within the required daily cut-off.
• Follow up immediately on missing, incomplete or unsigned basket documents.

2.2 Daily Physical Basket Counts

• Perform a physical count of all Albany baskets at the bakery every day.
• Count baskets held in the basket yard, Despatch, loading areas, returns areas and other basket storage locations.
• Ensure baskets on vehicles, in staging areas or awaiting transfer are included in the appropriate movement records.
• Compare the daily physical count to the recorded basket position.
• Investigate and explain differences between the physical count, movement records and system balance.
• Obtain the Distribution Manager’s review and initials for changes or corrections made to daily basket counts.
• Maintain the daily basket count record and retain evidence of the count.
• Participate in the weekly basket count together with Security or the appointed contractor.
• Submit the weekly count to Finance by the required deadline.
• Ensure the weekly count is reviewed and authorised by the Distribution Manager and Bakery Manager.

2.3 Daily Basket Reconciliation

• Complete a formal basket reconciliation every day for each driver, hawker, depot and inter-bakery account.
• Reconcile opening baskets, baskets issued, baskets returned, approved transfers and the closing basket balance.
• Compare physical basket movements and supporting documents to the daily Mosaic basket reconciliation.
• Review the automated daily reconciliation and identify missing, duplicated, incorrect or unprocessed movements.
• Ensure all issue and return slips have been captured accurately against the correct driver, hawker, depot or inter-bakery code.
• Maintain one consolidated daily basket reconciliation for the bakery and related depots.
• Confirm that bakery and depot basket positions agree and that differences are documented.
• Record clear explanations, root causes, responsible owners and corrective actions for all variances.
• Ensure the daily reconciliation is complete, accurate and saved in the approved shared location.
• Submit the daily reconciliation for review and electronic sign-off by the Distribution Manager.
• Escalate material, repeated or unresolved differences to the Distribution Manager and Bakery Manager.

2.4 Driver and Hawker Basket Shortages

• Work daily with the Distribution Controllers to identify driver and hawker basket shortages.
• Discuss basket differences with the accountable driver or hawker during the daily debriefing process.
• Ensure drivers and hawkers verify their basket position and acknowledge the baskets owed.
• Confirm that the settlement sheet is signed as evidence of the acknowledged basket balance.
• Track outstanding driver and hawker baskets until returned, transferred, recovered or otherwise formally resolved.
• Assist Distribution Controllers in monitoring baskets left in trade.
• Ensure basket accountability remains with the driver or hawker who signed for the baskets.
• Confirm that relief-driver transfers are completed before related basket movements are captured.
• Ensure driver-to-driver basket transfers are supported by the required authorisation and processed against the correct parties.
• Identify repeated shortages, unusual movements and balances that remain static without valid explanation.
• Maintain an action log for basket shortages, including the accountable person, action required, due date and resolution evidence.
• Escalate repeated shortages for management review and, where applicable, HR or disciplinary action.
• Ensure hawker basket shortages are monitored and addressed in line with the applicable contract, deposit, commission and recovery requirements.

2.5 Depot and Inter-Bakery Basket Control

• Maintain daily oversight of basket movements between the bakery, depots and other bakeries.
• Verify baskets dispatched to and received from each depot or inter-bakery location.
• Ensure depot and inter-bakery issue and return documentation is completed and submitted daily.
• Confirm that all depot and inter-bakery basket movements are captured accurately on Mosaic.
• Reconcile bakery records to depot and inter-bakery confirmations.
• Follow up immediately where the issuing and receiving locations do not agree.
• Ensure both parties work from one consolidated basket position.
• Record timing differences, shortages, documents outstanding and unprocessed movements separately.
• Obtain confirmation from the receiving location for disputed or outstanding movements.
• Escalate unresolved depot and inter-bakery shortages to the relevant Distribution Managers and Bakery Managers.
• Ensure shortages are not carried forward without a documented cause, responsible owner and corrective action.

2.6 Variance Investigation and Resolution

• Identify and quantify every material basket variance.
• Trace variances to the relevant count sheet, load sheet, issue slip, return slip, settlement sheet, Mosaic transaction or transfer record.
• Confirm whether the variance relates to a physical shortage, incorrect count, missing document, capturing error, timing difference, unprocessed transfer or disputed movement.
• Engage Security, Despatch, Settlements, Distribution Controllers, drivers, hawkers, depots and inter-bakery teams to determine the root cause.
• Document the root cause and agree the required corrective action.
• Assign each unresolved variance to a named responsible person with a due date.
• Monitor corrective actions through to completion.
• Confirm that valid system corrections are processed and supported.
• Retain evidence that each resolved variance has been formally closed.
• Prepare a formal investigation report where a variance exceeds the approved escalation threshold.
• Escalate repeated, material or overdue basket shortages to the Distribution Manager and Bakery Manager.
• Drive basket shortages to resolution rather than only reporting the difference.

2.7 Damaged and Foreign Baskets

• Identify and separate damaged baskets from usable Albany baskets.
• Ensure damaged baskets are not included as available operational baskets.
• Maintain accurate records of damaged baskets awaiting repair, recycling or disposal.
• Ensure damaged baskets awaiting disposal are kept in the designated, clearly marked area.
• Confirm that no baskets are disposed of without the required approved disposal documentation.
• Identify foreign baskets entering the bakery and report them immediately.
• Segregate foreign baskets from Albany baskets.
• Maintain the daily foreign basket register.
• Exclude foreign baskets from the Albany physical basket count.
• Support the documented return of foreign baskets to the rightful owner where possible.
• Retain supporting evidence for damaged-basket and foreign-basket movements.

2.8 Documentation, Compliance and Audit Support

• Maintain complete, accurate and traceable records for all basket issues, returns, counts, transfers, reconciliations and shortages.
• Retain original issue and return records in the approved controlled books or files.
• Ensure daily records are filed and archived in line with the Basket Management SOP.
• Scan or save reconciliation and supporting records to the approved shared location.
• Ensure basket records are available for management review, Finance review, Risk testing and audit.
• Comply with the Basket Management SOP, BMR DP08, Mosaic basket-capturing requirements and related company controls.
• Report non-compliance, missing documentation and unsupported movements immediately.
• Support management, Risk and audit spot checks.
• Provide evidence of investigation, corrective action and closure for basket-control exceptions.
• Ensure the basket control is not considered complete while material variances remain unexplained or unassigned.

2.9 Reporting and Analysis

• Prepare and distribute the daily basket reconciliation and exception report.
• Report driver, hawker, depot and inter-bakery basket shortages separately.
• Report physical-to-system basket count variances.
• Highlight unresolved, repeated and overdue shortages.
• Provide weekly basket movement and shortage trends to the Distribution Manager.
• Prepare the weekly reconciliation for review and sign-off by the Distribution Manager and Bakery Manager.
• Include meaningful commentary on trends, shortages, root causes and corrective actions.
• Support monthly basket reporting and Fixed Asset Register verification where required.
• Provide accurate basket information for management and EXCO reporting.
• Recommend practical actions to reduce basket losses and recurring control failures.
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2.10 Cross-Functional Coordination

Work closely with Distribution Controllers, Security, Despatch, Settlements, Finance, drivers, hawkers, depots, inter-bakery teams and bakery management.

Coordinate the daily basket debriefing and shortage-resolution process with Distribution Controllers.

Challenge discrepancies professionally and obtain the information required to complete reconciliations.

Ensure responsibilities are clear between the person counting, the person acknowledging, the person capturing and the person reviewing.

Promote timely action and closure of basket-control exceptions.

Communicate recurring control failures and process weaknesses to management.

Support training and awareness on basket issue, return, counting, documentation and reconciliation requirements.

3. Minimum Requirements

In accordance with the employment equity plan of Tiger Brands and its employment equity goals and targets, preference may be given, but is not limited, to candidates from under-represented designated groups.