A method to reduce and manage the risks and costs associated with mail piece account balancing failures in connection with automated high speed mail production equipment. A mail run is divided into defined subsets of sequentially numbered mail pieces. Disposition of mail pieces is accounted for during the automated mail production process. Gaps in the subsets are identified. The number of subsets with gaps is tracked during automated processing of mail pieces. If the number of defective subsets exceeds a predetermined quantity, then the mail production equipment is stopped. In a further preferred embodiment, operators are notified of the occurrence of gaps in real-time, as they are detected, so that corrective action may be taken.