Audit Trail

This section explains how to use the Audit Trail in the Goldenseal accounting software.

HINT-- The Audit Trail helps you to detect fraud and other misconduct. It also lets you review each employee's use of Goldenseal.

AUDIT TRAIL Basics
Audit Trail Window | Audit Trail Fields | Audit Trail Setup | Using the Audit Trail

Website Links
Accounting Software | Business Management Software

RELATED TOPICS
Passwords | Reports | Technical Notes

Audit Trail Window

The Audit Trail is a record of everything important that has happened within the company file.

HINT-- You can only view the Audit Trail if you have signed on with a Password that gives you access to it.

To view the Audit Trail, follow these steps:

Choose Security from the View menu, then choose Audit Trail from the submenu.
You'll see a standard browser window. Each record shows one action that happened with the company file.

Audit Trail Fields

The following information is shown for each audit trail entry:
NOTE-- You can never change Audit Trail entries-- you can only view them passively.

Action-- The type of action that was logged in. Audit Trail actions include new, changed and deleted records, importing, exporting and use of common process commands such as Write Payroll. An Audit Trail entry is also entered every time the company file is opened or closed.
Transaction Type-- If an account, list or transaction is changed, its basic type is shown here.
Item Name-- The name of the account or transaction is shown.
Item Number-- The ID number of the changed item is shown.
Main Account Type-- The type of main account is shown.
Main Account-- The name of the main account is shown.
Second Account Type-- The type of second account is shown.
Second Account-- The name of the second account is shown.
Amount-- the final dollar amount of the transaction is shown.
User-- The password that was in use when the transaction was created is shown.
Date Entered-- The date that the transaction was entered is shown.
Time Entered-- The time that the transaction was entered is shown.

Audit Trail Setup

To control the items that are included in the Audit Trail, follow these steps:

Choose Preferences from the Options menu, and choose Data Entry from the submenu.
In the Audit Trail section, turn on the checkbox for each item you'd like to include in the Audit Trail.

Using the Audit Trail

The audit trail lets you see exactly what has been entered and changed in the company file, and by whom.

NOTE-- The audit trail shows the password used for each entry. To get full use of the audit trail you'll need to assign each employee a different password, and keep them secure so one person can't sign on with another person's password.

Use the audit trail if you suspect dishonesty, if you want to find the person responsible for an error, or if you just want to see who has entered or changed what when.

For example, to find all changed transactions, follow these steps:

Choose Security from the View menu, then choose Audit Trail from the submenu.
Choose Find from the Edit menu.
Enter Transaction Changed into the Action Field.
Click the Find button.
You will see a listing of all transactions that have been changed.

To find all transactions entered under one employee's password, follow these steps:

Choose Security from the View menu, then choose Audit Trail from the submenu.
Choose Find from the Edit menu.
Enter the employee's password into the User clairvoyant field.
Click the Find button.
You will see a listing of all transactions entered by someone signed on with that password.

HINT-- To see the actual transaction record from an audit trail record, choose Detail Transaction from the View menu.