Link Attachments to an audit to reduce the amount of copying, pasting, and text formatting required. Linking attachments also enables you to submit a single file to the Certifying Partner or certification body that contains all supporting documentation.


Notes:

  • Your Certifying Partner or certification body determines whether linked attachments are enabled within AuditSoft.
  • An internet connection is required to add attachments to an audit


Type of file to attach

Linking attachments as supporting evidence, along with audit results, enables the Certifying Partner or certification body to verify the supporting evidence as part of their quality assurance and review process. 


Preferred files

It’s highly recommend that you only attach common file types that do not require special software to open and/or view. It is best practice to attach only preferred file types that don’t require any proprietary software:

  • PDF documents, and 
  • Images files (.jpeg, .jpg, .png, .bmp).  

Secondary files

If your data files are not available in the preferred format, then attach file types that most reviewers will have access to. These typically include the Microsoft suite of applications:

  • Word
  • Excel

Other

Although we recommend the preferred and secondary file types, AuditSoft does allows you to link most data file types, but some files are prohibited.


Prohibited files: Compressed files (e.g. ZIP), executable files(e.g. EXE) , and files greater than 100 MB size. 


Attaching a file

The process of attaching files is the same in all the sections of the audit that allow attachment. Your Certifying Partner or certification body determines where in the audit you can link attachments, and may include:

  • Gather Evidence
    • Reviewing of Documentation
    • Conducting of Interviews 
    • Recording of Observations
  • Audit Results
  • Summary Information


Linking a new file

  1. To link a file to a question, select the Add Attachment link in the page.

  2. To link a file stored on your computer click Upload a file and then browse to the folder where the files you want to link are located. Tip: To select multiple files, hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard as you select each file. Then, click Attach to upload and link to the file.


  3. The linked files are listed on the page


  4. To remove a linked file, click the X next to the file name. 
  5. Then, click Done to close the file linking page.


  6. On the page, the linked file(s) are now listed.


Link existing file

To link previously uploaded files to the next section, click on the Add Attachment and then select the Link for the file that has already been uploaded


All linked files

To review all the files linked to your audit, click Linked Files in the Navigation Menu.

Here, you can see all the files attached to the audit, as well as all the question numbers that a specific file is linked to.


Please note: Files cannot be deleted from the audit (see 9 above) if they’re linked to a question/section. If you want to delete a file, navigate to the question/section it’s linked to and then unlink the file. Once a file is no longer linked it can be deleted from the audit.


Report

Linked files are displayed as hyperlinks below each question/ section within the PDF audit report. To open any linked file click the hyper link.