Quick Start Guide

Use this guide to move from a new audit to verified, closed issues in AuditFindings. Available fields and actions can vary with your account configuration and group permissions.

The basic workflow is: Create the audit → add or import issues → assign responsibility → collect updates and evidence → monitor progress → verify and close.

Before you begin

• Sign in to the AuditFindings account that will contain the audit.
• Have the audit name, scope or description, issue list, owners, assignees, priorities, and target dates ready.
• Confirm that your group permissions allow you to create audits, import or edit issues, and upload files.

1. Create the audit

1. Select Audits in the main navigation.
2. Select Add New.
3. Enter an audit name and the other information that helps your team identify the work, such as the audit date, description, who conducted it, audit type, department, country, region, and tags.
4. Select Save Audit. After the audit is saved, you can associate issues, comments, and files with it.

The audit panel collects the audit name, date, description, scope fields, and tags before you save.

For additional field guidance, see Adding An Audit.

2. Add or import issues

For a small number of findings, open Issues and select Add New. For a spreadsheet of findings, use the import process:

1. Select Issues, then Import.
2. Choose Create New Issues or Update Existing Issues.
3. Select the audit that should contain the imported issues.
4. Select your .xls, .xlsx, or .csv file and map its columns to AuditFindings fields.
5. Review the selected date format, start the import, and confirm that the expected issues were created or updated.

Start by selecting the import mode and the audit that will contain the issues.

For file preparation, mapping, and troubleshooting, see Importing Issues.

3. Assign responsibility and set the working status

1. Open Issues and select Edit Issue for the issue you want to manage.
2. Choose the Owner and/or Primary Assignee used by your organization.
3. Set the Priority, Status, and Due Date. Add a recommendation so the expected resolution is clear.
4. Select Save Issue.

Use the issue editor to establish ownership, working status, due dates, recommendations, and the eventual resolution.

Keep each issue assigned to a specific person whenever possible. Clear ownership makes reminders, dashboard views, and follow-up more useful.

4. Collect information and respond

Use the issue record as the shared history of the finding.

1. Open the issue and select Comments.
2. Add the latest request, response, decision, or next action. Use Private Comment only when the note should be restricted.
3. When evidence is available, select Files, then choose Add New File or associate an existing file.
4. Update the status, percentage complete, target date, recommendation, or resolution whenever the situation changes.

Keep the current request, response, decision, and next action in the Comments tab.

Add new evidence or associate an existing file from the Files tab.

A useful update explains what was provided, what is still needed, who owns the next action, and when the next action is due.

5. Monitor progress

1. Open Dashboard.
2. Use the audit, type, department, region, country, and tag filters to focus the dashboard.
3. Switch between All, Assigned, Owned, and Followed.
4. Review issues by priority and status, including coming-due, past-due, and aging items.
5. Use Issues > Filter/Search when you need a detailed working list.

Use Dashboard filters and the All, Assigned, Owned, and Followed views to find the items that need attention.

6. Verify the resolution and close the issue

1. Confirm that the corrective action is complete and that the supporting evidence is attached or referenced.
2. Record the final response and verification details in the issue.
3. Complete the Resolution field and any required completion information.
4. Move the issue to your organization’s final status, such as Completed or Closed, then select Save Issue.
5. Return to the Dashboard or a filtered Issues list and confirm that no unresolved issues were missed.

Status names are configurable, so your organization may use a different sequence. The important control is to keep each issue current until the resolution has been verified—not merely reported.

Recommended next steps

• Dashboard Overview
• How do I start uploading files?
• Configure Notification Settings
• Inviting And Adding New Users