Audit Trail

The Audit Trail is a critical security and compliance feature in AccuBooks Plus. It functions as a digital ledger that records every significant action taken within the system, providing transparency, accountability, and a clear history of data modifications.

Purpose of the Audit Trail

The primary purpose of the Audit Trail is to maintain data integrity and system security. It allows administrators and accountants to:

• Track Accountability: Identify exactly which user performed a specific action (e.g., created, updated, or deleted a record).
• Monitor Changes: Keep track of modifications made to critical financial records, such as Sales, Payments, Purchases, and the Chart of Accounts.
• Detect and Investigate Errors: Trace back unauthorized changes, accidental deletions, or erroneous entries to their precise time and origin for quick resolution.
• Ensure Compliance: Meet regulatory and internal audit requirements by providing an unalterable history of financial transactions.

Key Components of the Audit Trail Interface

The Audit Trail dashboard presents information in a structured table containing the following columns:

• Transaction: The unique reference identifier of the specific entry (e.g., PA186 for a payment, S399 for a sales entry, or 100-1200 for an account code).
• Module: The specific area of the accounting system where the activity took place (e.g., Payments, Sales, Chart of Accounts, Journal Vouchers).
• Performed By: The username of the account responsible for the action (e.g., demo.kiela).
• Date & Time: The exact timestamp indicating when the action occurred.
• Action: The type of activity executed, categorized as:
  • Created: A new record was added to the system.
  • Updated: An existing record was modified.
  • Deleted: A record was removed from the system.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use the Audit Trail

Follow these steps to navigate, filter, and review logs within the Audit Trail module:

Step 1: Navigate to the Audit Trail

1. Open the left-hand main navigation menu.
2. Scroll down to the SETUP section and expand BUSINESS SETTINGS.
3. Click on Audit Trail to open the log dashboard.

Step 2: Configure Display Settings

• Adjust Rows Per Page: Click the Per Page dropdown menu at the top left to choose how many logs to view at once (10, 50, or 100).
• Sort Logs: Use the Order By dropdown to sort the entries by attributes like Last Added, Transaction, Module, Username, Date, Time, or Action.
• Toggle Sorting Order: Click the adjacent dropdown to switch between Descending (newest records first) or Ascending (oldest records first).

Step 3: Customize Visible Columns (Optional)

1. Click the Columns button located next to the search bar.
2. Check or uncheck specific columns to tailor the view to your current investigation needs.

Step 4: Search and Filter Logs

• To find a specific transaction or user action quickly, type your keywords (such as a transaction ID like S399 or a username) directly into the Search... bar on the upper right side of the dashboard. The table will filter dynamically.

Step 5: Review Results and Navigate Pages

• Review the filtered logs in the main table.
• Use the pagination controls at the bottom of the table (e.g., page numbers, ‹ and › buttons) to browse through older historical entries across the entire database.