Check the information before the appearance.
A tidy layout does not necessarily make incorrect information easier to spot. Customer names, document numbers and service items still carry any gaps in their source. Decide which fields are required before opening the preview.
Distinguish a missing value from zero. A quantity of zero is different from a quantity that has not been entered. Silently accepting today's date for an empty field may also create the wrong document. Make an explicit decision about what should happen when each field is empty.
Keep numbers distinct from display text.
Carry amounts, quantities and rates as numeric values where possible. Specify the currency and display format separately. The text “1.250,50” copied from a spreadsheet may be interpreted differently in another locale; establish the source format before converting it.
Apply the same care to dates. “03/04” does not provide enough context by itself. Consider how the day, month and year are stored, as well as how they will appear to the recipient.
A useful check asks what a value means, not only whether it exists.
Build a short delivery checklist.
Keep a small, reusable list for each document type. The aim is to catch errors that affect delivery, not to enter all the information again.
- Are the recipient and document number correct?
- Do dates, currencies and quantities use the expected format?
- Are service names and descriptions current?
- Do line items, subtotal and grand total agree?
- Does an empty or unexpected field become visible in the output?
Finally, go beyond sample data. Generate an actual record and open the resulting file to review it. Correct data and readable design work together to make a dependable delivery.
