Using the Audit Trail ReportBuilder







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The Audit Trail ReportBuilder feature is used to monitor staff activity in AWARDS through the viewing of customized read-only audit reports.  These reports can be used to evaluate when certain data entry or report viewing tasks were performed over a specified period of time, by which workers, and when applicable, for which clients.  They include client-related actions, as well as those not linked to a specific client (for example, staff permissions changes). 

To generate and save an Agency Programs ReportBuilder report that can be re-run in the future, to generate a single-use report, or to use and/or update an existing report format to generate a report, complete the following steps from the AWARDS Home screen:

  TIP: For frequently asked questions about this report, skip down to the bottom of the page.

    1. From the navigation bar, click Reports (or click the Reports icon).  The Reports index is displayed.

  NOTE: Unlike with many other reports, it is not necessary to make a Program selection on this page.  Instead, continue with step 2.

    1. If you previously bookmarked the Audit Trail ReportBuilder it is displayed on the reports index by default; otherwise, from the left-hand menu bar, click ReportBuilders or All under "Show Reports."
    2. Use the navigation features in the bottom-right corner to locate the Audit Trail ReportBuilder in the index, or enter "audit" in the Search field in the upper-right corner.
    3. Click Audit Trail ReportBuilder from the reports index.   The ReportBuilder Settings page is displayed.

    1. By default the Audit Trail ReportBuilder pulls in all audit records captured during a specified date range.  To also limit which records are included by client and/or worker, click the Limit by Client/Worker checkbox.  The page is automatically refreshed to display several additional options.

IMPORTANT! Report contents are limited to clients in programs to which the user has chart access only if this option is checked AND if an individual client is selected from the  Client drop-down selection list in step 8.  If Limit by Client/Worker is NOT checked off, you will be able to view contents for clients in programs to which you do not have chart access; however, the program name will be blank in the report for those records.

  TIP:  If you choose NOT to use this option, please skip ahead to step 10.

    1. Click the Program drop-down arrow in the upper-right corner of the page and select the individual program for which the report is to be run, or select a group of programs using one of the available "All" or "Custom Grouping" selections.

IMPORTANT! Program selection is only used to narrow down the client selection list.  The program you choose here does NOT impact the content of the report itself; for example, if a client is in multiple programs, you will see records related to him/her for all programs, not just the one you specify here.

    1. By default both Client/Worker Date Range fields contain today's date in order to limit included audit records to those for clients and/or workers active as of today's date.  (In this context, active means that a client is currently on the roster of one or more programs, and a worker has an active payroll group status record in his/her Staff Information record.)

To adjust the range of dates for the purposes of including audit activity for discharged client and/or former employees, make changes to that default date range using the available From and To fields/date pickers.  When doing so, please keep in mind that a two year period of your choosing is the maximum length of time that can be used for this date range. 

IMPORTANT! When adjusting the date range for the purposes of viewing the audit history of a former staff member, note that the To date must be ON or BEFORE the last date of employment.

  NOTE: In the event that you are creating a new report format that will be saved, please be aware that the date ranges specified here and in step 11 are not saved with the report; date ranges must be set each time the report is run.

    1. Click the Client drop-down arrow and make a selection to narrow report content to those audit records captured for the selected individual.  The default value is "All Clients."

  NOTE: The contents of the this drop-down reflect clients with one or more current program histories at some point during the date range specified in step 7.

    1. Click the Worker drop-down arrow and make a selection to narrow report content to those audit records captured for the selected individual.  The default value is "All Workers."

  NOTE: The contents of the this drop-down reflect employees with an open payroll group status record (from HR > Staff Information) overlapping the date range specified in step 7, and (when applicable) clients with AWARDS logins who had a current program history at some point during that date range.

    1. Report contents are limited to audit records for dates during the date range specified using the Audit Record Date Range fields on this page.  By default, that date range is set to report out on the last 7 days.  If necessary, make changes to that default date range using the available From and To fields/date pickers; when doing so, please keep in mind that:

  When the report is NOT being limited by a specific client and/or worker (in steps 5 through 9), a seven day period of your choosing is the maximum length of time for which the report can be run.  When the report IS being limited by a specific client and/or worker, the maximum date range is extended to 90 days.

  Audit records are only accessible for the last three years.  If your date range extends out of the three year window, you will receive an error.

  TIP:  In the event that it's necessary to view audit activity from further ago than three years, please contact the Help Desk for assistance; when doing so, provide them with as much detail as possible regarding the information you need.

    1. Leave the Provide ExportBuilder Options checkbox unchecked.  It is NOT relevant to report generation.

  NOTE: This option is used to provide access to an ExportBuilder corresponding to the ReportBuilder with which you are working.  AWARDS ExportBuilders - which are designed for use by individuals who are familiar with export files and formats, their design, and setup - harness the power of ReportBuilder functionality and take it a step further to meet a variety of outside reporting needs.  With ExportBuilders, users can create customized data reports as they would with the ReportBuilder itself, and from those reports generate export files of a number of different types - CSV, TXT, XLS, or XML.  Exported files can be saved to your computer, then uploaded into other data collection systems and/or worked with in other applications as needed.  Additionally, as can be done with ReportBuilders, ExportBuilder formats can be saved and shared for future use.

The instructions provided here detail use of the Audit Trail ReportBuilder only, not the corresponding ExportBuilder.  For more information on using ExportBuilders, please click here.

    1. If you would like the report (both its content and an Excel file version) to be sent to your AWARDS Messages module upon its completion, click the Send in AWARDS Message checkbox.  When this option is selected, you need not wait for the report to generate, and can navigate away from the ReportBuilder after finishing the configuration process - this can be a time-saver, especially when working with reports containing large amounts of data that might otherwise take a while to display in AWARDS.

  NOTE: When using this option the report will remain in your messages for one month, after which time it will be deleted.  (The exact date of deletion will be displayed in red at the top of the report message for your reference.)  If you know you will need the report content after that time, be sure to download the Excel file (Excel File.zip) or HTML content (Report Content.html) attached to the report message.  If you don't download one of these attachments before the message is deleted, you will need to manually re-generate the report if you need access to it in the future.

    1. Use the Select a saved report format drop-down options at the bottom of the page to specify whether you will be generating the report from scratch or using a previously saved report format.  Available choices are to:

  Use a previously saved report format - To generate the report using a previously created and saved format, select that format from this drop-down.  When using this method, you can immediately generate the report without changing any settings.  Alternately, you can first review and modify the settings of the format by checking off the available Provide option to modify settings of saved report format checkbox.

  TIP: In the saved report format list, there are built-in saved report formats made available by Foothold Technology for commonly run reports that may be useful to you:

 Foothold Permissions Change Report - Reports out on permission changes so that you can more easily audit permission assignments and adjustments.

Foothold Audit Trail Report - Replicates the content of the built-in Audit Trail Report replaced by the Audit Trail ReportBuilder in May 2016.  

  Start from scratch, without using a previously saved report format - To create your own report format for single-time use or for saving and later re-use, leave the saved report format drop-down blank.

  NOTE:  If you (or another user) have previously saved a default report format for this ReportBuilder and program, that format is pre-selected here.  Make changes to the selection as needed, or leave it at its default value.

    1. Click CONTINUE.

If you are using an existing report format and have NOT chosen to view/modify the settings of that format, you are now taken directly to the report page.  Continue with step 22.

  NOTE: If you chose to send the report to yourself via the Messages module (In step 12), a notice will first be displayed on the page to let you know that report generation is in process and that the report will be sent to your Messages module upon completion.  You can then navigate away from the page, or wait for the report to complete, and then proceed with step 22.

In all other instances, the Options page is displayed.

Continue with step 15.

    1. The Options page contains a list of audit and worker-related variables, grouped by information type.  These variables represent data collected in client records, in employee Staff Information records, and behind-the-scenes in the audit trail. 

  NOTE: The "Worker Information" data variables will only be populated on the report if the worker in question is an employee.  If the worker is a client with an AWARDS login, those data variables will be blank.

  NOTE: A section for "Date Parts" - common to all ReportBuilders that have date variables available for selection - is also included on this page.  It is intended to allow for greater flexibility of reporting around dates; for example, giving you the option to report out on a month as either a number (1) or a written month (January).

Click the checkbox next to each variable to be included in the report, and/or use the available Check All options as needed.

    1. Click CONTINUE.  The Options - Continued page displayed.
    2. Configure the options in the "Filter Options" portion of the page as necessary to adjust the scope of the report contents.  Set the "Show Individual Detail" and/or "Summary Tables" options to adjust the way in which the contents are displayed.

  TIP: Individual detail report options and/or summary table selections must be set before the report can be generated.  For more information on using the various report options, please click here.

    1. To save the report settings so that this report can easily be re-run in the future, click SAVE REPORT FORMAT.  The Save Report Format dialog box is displayed.

  TIP: If it is not necessary to save the report format and you wish only to view the report contents, please skip to step 21.

    1. Configure the fields and options on this dialog box to indicate the specifics of how the format should be saved.

  TIP: For more information on using the save report format options, please click here.

    1. Click Save Report Format.  The report format is saved and the Report Options - Continued page is re-displayed.
    2. Click DISPLAY REPORT.  The report is generated and displayed on the ReportBuilders page.

  NOTE: If you chose to send the report to yourself via the Messages module (in step 12), a notice is first displayed on the page to let you know that the report generation is in process and that the report will be sent to your Messages module upon completion.  You can then navigate away from the page, or wait for the report to complete and then proceed with step 22.

    1. At this time individual detail and/or summary table content can be hidden or sorted as needed.  The report can also be printed or exported to Microsoft Excel.  For more information on working with ReportBuilder report contents, please click here.

  TIP: When working with report data, please keep in mind that:

Report contents are limited to clients in programs to which you have chart access only if Limit by Client/Worker is checked off in step 5, and if an individual client is selected in step 8.  If Limit by Client/Worker is not checked off, you will be able to view contents for clients in programs to which you do not have chart access; however, the program name will be blank in the report for those records.

When a report is long enough to require you to scroll down the page to view all of its content, the header row of the data table (individual detail and/or summary) "freezes" at the top of the page.  Similarly, when printing a report that covers more than one page, the header row of any tables split between pages is shown at the top of each page.

In regard to client-related activity, when the program in question uses multi-step intake, activity is only captured if intake and/or admission has been processed for the client.   Clients with referral records who have not yet been processed are not viewable in the audit trail.

The process of generating an Audit Trail ReportBuilder report is now complete.

Audit Trail ReportBuilder Frequently Asked Questions

The following frequently asked questions provide details on the most commonly asked about pieces of the Audit Trail ReportBuilder feature.  Click a question from the list here to navigate directly to the corresponding answer, or scroll through the full list of questions and answers below.

Can discharged clients be included when using the Audit Trail ReportBuilder?

Can reports be generated for former employees?

Does the audit trail capture activity for "pending" clients?

Does the audit trail capture everything done in AWARDS?

What does the "impersonating" data variable look at?

Why are employee information data variables blank for some records?

Why are there duplicate entries in a client's records, but only one entry in the audit trail?

Why does a client with an AWARDS login have a "Worker ID"?

Why isn't a former employee available for selection in the Worker list?

Will opening and refreshing something be captured twice on the audit trail?  What are the rules for when things are captured?

Can discharged clients be included when using the Audit Trail ReportBuilder?

Yes, when not limited by a specific client, the ReportBuilder will include all audit records for activity captured during the Audit Record Date Range, regardless of whether the activity was related to a current or discharged client.  To limit the report content to only those records for a specific discharged client, use the Limit by Consumer/Worker option on the initial settings page.  Set the corresponding date range back to overlap with the client's history in an agency program, and then select that individual from the Client selection list.  Lastly, adjust the Audit Record Date Range to look at a specific timeframe within the discharged client's history.

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Can reports be generated for former employees?

Yes, when not limited by a specific worker, the ReportBuilder will include all audit records for activity captured during the Audit Record Date Range, regardless of whether the activity was completed by a current or former worker.  To limit the report content to only those records for a specific former employee, use the Limit by Client/Worker option on the initial settings page.  Set the corresponding date range back to overlap with the employee's time at the agency, and then select that individual from the Worker selection list.  Lastly, adjust the Audit Record Date Range to look at a specific timeframe within the employment period.

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Does the audit trail capture activity for "pending" clients?

Yes, in programs using the multi-step intake process activity is captured in the audit trail once intake has been processed even if the client is not fully admitted into the program. 

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Does the audit trail capture everything done in AWARDS?

No, not all data entry and report viewing activity in AWARDS is captured by the audit trail, though all key client-related actions are included, such as services data entry and report viewing, face sheet work, and much more.  Many actions not related to clients are also captured; for example, permissions changes.

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What does the "impersonating" data variable look at?

The "impersonating" data variable tracks use of the Surrogate Data Entry permissions for group note, progress note, and contacts log data entry.  If an individual with one of those permissions works with a record of one of those types in data entry mode with a worker other than him/herself selected, it is tracked here.

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Why are employee information data variables blank for some records?

The "Employee Information" data variables will only be populated on the report if the worker in question is an employee.  If the worker is a client with an AWARDS login, those data variables will be blank.

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Why are there duplicate entries in a client's records, but only one entry in the audit trail?

The audit trail is set up so that if the same user does the same data entry within two minutes, it will not be captured as separate rows in the report.  For example, if two progress notes are entered in rapid succession, you will only see a single audit trail entry for them.

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Why does a client with an AWARDS login have a "Worker ID"?

For clients with AWARDS logins the Worker ID is populated with his/her client ID.

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Why isn't a former employee available for selection in the Worker list?

When adjusting the Client/Worker date range for the purposes of viewing audit information for a former employee, keep in mind that the To date must be ON or BEFORE the staff member's last date of employment.

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Will opening and refreshing something be captured twice on the audit trail?  What are the rules for when things are captured?

Opening something and refreshing will not be captured as multiple items on the audit trail report - just one.  In data entry mode, simply opening an item will not be recorded unless the user actually does something with it.  There are a couple of exceptions to this rule.  First, if you open a client's face sheet and view only the main page on which all of the update section buttons are located, the audit trail will record this as "Face Sheet Data Entry Viewing."  Second, if you open a face sheet section and click UPDATE (regardless of whether or not you actually alter data) the audit trail will record this.  If, however, you open a face sheet section and then jump back without clicking UPDATE, it will not be recorded in the audit trail.

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