At Crystal Motor Car Co., sales may not be closed on the first day of the month and "backdated" to the prior month without affecting parts reconciliations. "Service and body shop managers had to really step up and make sure all sales were closed before going home on the last day of the month. The accounts payable department loves having a cutoff on the last day - then they know there won't be an armload of invoices to be posted coming in at 4:45," says controller Holly Elpers. Staff from one store physically counts another store's inventory once a quarter for three quarters; once a year, an outside source performs a physical at all locations.