Audit trail
Audit log · Decision trail
An audit trail is the chronological record of who did what, when and why across a process, including approvals, changes, evidence and system events.
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Simply put
What it means in ordinary work
It lets someone reconstruct a decision later. A useful trail shows the sequence and the basis, not just that a button was clicked.
Why it matters
Audit trails support accountability, dispute resolution, investigations and regulatory or internal review. They also help identify where a process broke down.
A hypothetical in practice
A hypothetical sourcing system records bid receipt, clarifications, evaluation scores, approval and contract award, with timestamps and user identities. Supporting documents are linked to the decision.
Common pitfalls
Logs can be incomplete if decisions happen in email, chat and spreadsheets outside the system.
Retaining everything without access controls or retention rules creates privacy and security risk.
Regional lens
How this lands where you work
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As-of date for date-sensitive regional content: 5 November 2026. Read the review policy.