The incoming letter register and the disposition sheet: columns, examples and the flow to a reply

Every letter that reaches a company needs two records. The incoming letter register, often called the agenda, records that the letter arrived. The disposition sheet records who has to handle it, what the instruction is and when it is due. When both are kept properly, a question such as "has anyone answered the client's letter from last week?" takes a minute to answer. This guide gives a sample register, a sample disposition sheet with its instruction codes, and the flow that ties them together until the letter is answered and filed.

What the incoming letter register is

The register is a list of every letter the company receives, in the order it was received. It used to be a ruled ledger book, and many companies now keep it in a spreadsheet or an app. The form can differ, but the job stays the same: each letter gets an internal agenda number and one line of record that can be traced later.

The agenda number is different from the letter number. The sender assigns the letter number, and you record it only as a reference. You assign the agenda number yourself so that every letter you receive has a unique internal identity.

Register columns

These columns cover what most companies need. You can add more if your team will actually use them, but a column that nobody fills in only makes each entry slower to record.

• Agenda number, the internal sequence number from the incoming letter series.
• Date received, which can differ from the date on the letter.
• Letter number and date as written on the sender's letter.
• Sender, meaning the organisation and, where useful, the official who signed.
• Subject, short but clear enough to search for.
• Attachments, with their number and type.
• Priority, such as routine, urgent, very urgent or confidential.
• Routed to, the position that receives the disposition.
• Deadline, taken from the disposition sheet.
• Status and notes, for example done, answered with a given outgoing letter number, or filed only.

Sample register

This sample uses fictional data.

Keep the status column up to date until the letter is truly finished. A register that records arrivals without their outcome cannot be used to chase follow-up.

Numbering the register

The incoming register should have its own number series, separate from outgoing letter numbers, for example AGD/0213/2026. The basic rules match those for outgoing letters.

• Numbers are issued in order of receipt, and each number belongs to one letter only.
• The sequence usually restarts every year, so the year is part of the number.
• A number issued by mistake is never reused. Mark it as void and note the reason, so that no number disappears without an explanation.
• If each unit receives its own mail, decide whether units keep separate series or share one central series. A central series is easier to control, while separate series are faster when the volume is high.

Number formats, unit codes and reset rules are covered in more detail in the guide to company letter numbering formats.

The disposition sheet

The disposition sheet records a manager's instruction about what should happen to a letter. On paper it is usually clipped to the original letter and travels with it from desk to desk. It normally has three parts.

1. Letter details, with the agenda number, date received, letter number and date, sender, subject and priority. This part is copied from the register.
2. Instruction, with the position it is routed to, the instruction code, any extra note, the deadline, and the initials and date of the person giving the disposition.
3. Follow-up, which the recipient fills in with what was done, when, and the reply letter number if there is one. If the recipient passes the work on to a team member, that onward disposition is recorded here too.

Write the position as well as the person's name. If the person is on leave or changes jobs, the responsibility stays clear and the letter does not stall on an empty desk.

Instruction codes

Instruction codes speed things up because the manager only has to tick a box or write a number. Private companies have no standard list, so each company sets its own. This list shows codes that are commonly used.

One letter can carry more than one code, such as 5 and 3 for an invitation that needs both attendance and a reply. The free-text note still matters, because a code alone often does not say what the manager expects.

Sample dispositions

These samples use the letters from the register above.

• Members' meeting invitation (AGD/0211/2026). The director routes it to the Head of Operations with code 5 and the note "attend, then report anything that affects our rates". The deadline is the meeting date, and the recipient records the date of the report as the follow-up.
• Objection to the invoice (AGD/0212/2026). The director routes it to the Head of Finance with codes 3 and 6 and the note "check the payment records with Sales and prepare a reply for my signature". The deadline is three working days because the letter is urgent. The follow-up is closed with the reply's letter number.
• Circular on operating hours (AGD/0213/2026). The board secretary routes it to all division heads with codes 1 and 8. It needs no reply, so it is done once it has been circulated and filed.

The flow from receipt to reply

1. Receive and check. The clerk confirms that the letter is addressed to the company and that the attachments are complete. A confidential letter is passed on unopened to the person it is addressed to.
2. Record it in the register. The letter gets an agenda number and is scanned so that a searchable copy exists.
3. Pass it to the manager or secretary. The letter goes to whoever gives the disposition, together with a sheet whose letter details are already filled in.
4. Disposition. The manager chooses the responsible position, the instruction code, the note and the deadline.
5. Do the work. The recipient carries out the instruction and, if needed, passes it on with an onward disposition.
6. Reply if needed. The reply is drafted, approved, given an outgoing letter number and sent. The reply number goes into the register's status column so that the two letters stay linked.
7. Close and file. The status in the register changes to done, and the letter, its disposition sheet and the reply are filed together.

Deadlines and follow-up

Deadlines work better when they come from the letter's priority than from the manager's guess at the time. Your company can set a simple rule in its SOP. For example, a very urgent letter is handled within one working day, an urgent letter within three, and a routine letter within seven. These figures are only an example, so adjust them to your letter types and your team's capacity.

A deadline is only useful when someone watches it. A helpful habit is to review every open disposition once a week, sort the list from the most overdue, and ask the responsible position for an update. When a disposition passes its deadline, report it to the person who gave it, so that they can decide whether to extend the deadline or reassign the letter.

Doing it digitally

A spreadsheet is a reasonable first step. Create one register sheet with the columns above and use drop-down lists for priority and status. Name each scan file after its agenda number, then lock finished rows so that they do not change by accident. This works for a small volume with one person recording letters.

The limits show once several people record letters at the same time, dispositions travel through chat or paper, and confidential letters are visible to everyone who can open the spreadsheet. At that point an incoming and outgoing letter app usually makes more sense, because the system issues the agenda numbers and the disposition is recorded with the letter. The checklist for choosing an app and moving across in stages is in the guide to incoming and outgoing letter apps.

How Obscura helps

In Obscura's Correspondence module, incoming letters are registered with an agenda number and routed to the responsible position with instructions and a deadline. Tasks and read access travel together, and both are withdrawn if the routing changes. Scanned letters are made searchable with OCR when they are registered.

Outgoing letters and the incoming agenda share one register, which you can search by subject, number, agenda, sender or scanned text. Approvals, disposition and activity stay on the letter itself, so you can trace an instruction back to the decision behind it. Letters marked confidential follow the document's access rules. The Correspondence module is licensed separately from the core document management system, and the details are on the Correspondence page.