Cash and/or financial document handling system

A controller comprising: a database; a control module associated with the database; and a network interface configured to connect, over a network, to a plurality of workstations and at least one machine for performing operations to handle cash and/or other physical financial documents. The network interface receives requests from at least some of the workstations over the network, each comprising a request to pre-order a respective one of the operations. The requests are stored in the database. The network further receives, over the network, a signal from or on behalf of a slave module of the machine for retrieving one of the requests from the database. The control module processes the signal and in response releases the respective operation, the release comprising issuing an instruction to the slave module over the network controlling the machine to perform the respective operation to handle the cash and/or other physical financial document.