Dear Traders,

Here are a couple of things I've thought of that will make it easier for me to research deals when there is a dispute.  Please discuss whatever necessary with the traders to help me improve the speed and accuracy of my research. 

1.) All notebooks need to have clear and accurate dates in them.  Notebooks with no dates at all or random dates are useless for me without the traders' interpretation.

2.) Can we have the traders leave their notebooks here at all times?  I often find notebooks and logs missing for whatever reason.  

3.) One thing that is getting better is the accuracy of the Inc sheets, however, I still sometimes find that the trader's notes and the Inc sheets or the El Paso Model don't match.  At that point, I don't know which one to go by.  I need to be sure that I can trust the accuracy of the Inc sheets as the end-all.

4.) Please make sure that all real-time deals or real-time extended deals are getting routed.  I've come across a number of deals that are not routed and this makes it hard for me to know if my research is accurate.  It also makes it hard for me to change the other side of a deal that requires changes.

5.) Please make sure that all deals get recorded and scheduled.  I've seen a few deals that are in the traders' notebooks, but that haven't been entered in EnPower.  You know the result.

6.) CUTS (need I say more) ...are a mess.  I really really need to see notes on every cut!!!!!  This means notes on the cut sheets or in the lotus notes database AND notes in deal scheduling ! 
When a schedule is cut and the trader has been informed of the cut, I need to see this cut made in deal scheduling with a note.  Many of my DMS's could have been avoided if the trader had made the cut in EnPower (this means I found a note regarding the cut but no further action had been taken to record this in EnPower).  I specifically need to see the following for every cut schedule:  Where did resupply come from (deal # too)?  Was it a bookout (deal # too)?  What's the resupply price?  Who at the counterparty did our trader talk to?  What is the reason for the cut?  And please initial your notes so that if I have a question about them, I know who to ask.
You can never make too many notes!!

One thing to remember is that Deal Entry, Deal Scheduling, and Lotus Notes do not communicate with each other, so though it is a grueling task, every transaction and all notes have to be entered in at least 2 places.  (it's called copy and paste)

If we can keep these things in mind, I think we will have fewer disputes in the future.  And when we do have disputes, I'll be able to figure them out in a more timely manner.  

Thanks for your attention to these things.  I look forward to bugging you less in the future.

Virginia