Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define, measure, and implement objective **currency fitness standards** (e.g., soil, tear, limpness) based on central bank policy.
• Apply the principles of **ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems** to cash processing and issuance operations.
• Design and manage the quality control checkpoints throughout the cash processing and sorting workflow.
• Calibrate and utilize **automated banknote sorting machines** to accurately grade fitness and authenticate currency.
• Develop a continuous improvement framework for monitoring and increasing the overall fitness level of circulating currency.
• Establish clear protocols for the timely withdrawal, segregation, and disposal of unfit and mutilated notes.
• Understand the correlation between banknote fitness, automated processing efficiency, and the **deterrence of counterfeiting**.
• Conduct internal and external audits of cash center quality management systems for compliance with standards.

• Quality Assurance and Control Managers in Cash Centers.
• Cash Processing Supervisors and Technical Staff.
• Internal Auditors focused on Operational Quality and Compliance.
• Currency Policy and Strategy Specialists.
• Central Bank Examiners and Oversight Personnel.
• Compliance Officers responsible for ISO 9001 Certification.

• Workshops on Calibrating and Testing Banknote Sorting Machine Fitness Grading
• Group Activities on Designing an ISO 9001 Quality Control Checklist for Cash Centers
• Case Studies on Managing Public Confidence During Periods of Low Currency Fitness
• Expert Lectures on Banknote Material Science and Life Cycle Performance
• Discussions on the Link Between Fitness, Counterfeiting, and Processing Efficiency
• Individual Exercises on Developing a CAPA Plan based on Quality Audit Findings

Unit 1: Defining Currency Quality and Fitness Standards

• The importance of currency fitness for public confidence and automated handling.
• Establishing objective, measurable parameters for fitness (e.g., dirt/soil level, limpness, tears, folds).
• Defining the central bank's minimum acceptable **fitness standard** for recirculation.
• Analyzing the impact of note material (e.g., polymer vs. cotton) on fitness life cycle.
• International best practices and metrics for comparing currency quality across jurisdictions.

Unit 2: Automated Sorting and Fitness Grading

• Detailed review of the sensors and technologies used in high-speed sorting machines (e.g., optical, magnetic, thickness).
• Protocols for calibrating sorting machines to accurately grade notes against defined fitness standards.
• Managing the segregation of notes into fit, unfit (destruction), and suspect categories.
• Troubleshooting common issues in automated fitness grading and minimizing false positives/negatives.
• Data collection from sorting machines for continuous quality performance analysis.

Unit 3: ISO 9001 Quality Management in Cash Operations

• Mapping the ISO 9001 requirements to the cash processing and issuance workflow.
• Developing detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all quality-critical processes.
• Implementing a robust **document control system** for quality manuals and fitness standards.
• Establishing a training and competence framework for all quality control personnel.
• The process of seeking and maintaining ISO 9001 certification for cash centers.

Unit 4: Quality Control and Continuous Improvement

• Designing a quality inspection plan, including sampling rates and control charts.
• Protocols for immediate quarantine and investigation of batches failing quality inspection.
• Implementing **Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA)** based on quality audit findings.
• Utilizing quality data (e.g., reject rates, fitness scores) to drive process improvements.
• The role of statistical process control (SPC) in maintaining consistent quality output.

Unit 5: Integrity and Counterfeiting Deterrence

• The direct correlation between circulating unfit notes and the risk of counterfeiting.
• Establishing rapid withdrawal and destruction procedures for unfit notes to maintain integrity.
• Protocols for handling and analyzing suspect and counterfeit currency identified during sorting.
• Public communication and education regarding currency quality and fitness standards.
• Managing the policy trade-off between fitness standards and the cost of new issuance.