Using audit correction

You can use audit correction to make corrections to records in the audit log if there are errors in your data. When you correct an audit log entry, you make changes directly to the audit log rather than adding more records to the audit log indirectly via the application's user interface. Audit correction is a very powerful functionality and should be used with great care. You might make audit log corrections to data when you first implement your application, but very infrequently after that. Currently audit log correction is available for employee and work assignment data.

A user needs specific security access in order to perform audit corrections. This security access is set up by your system administrator.

Past data, current data, and future data

In order to understand how audit log correction works, you must understand the concepts of past, current, and future data. Current data is the data you see in Lawson Talent Management when you are using the application and your "as of date" is set to today. Past data is the cumulative set of changes to data that has resulted in the current data. These changes are recorded in the audit log. Future data shows how the current data is planned to change in the future through pending activity. Future data is reflected in the effective log. Audit correction affects both the audit log and the effective log.

What is the difference between audit correction and a retroactive change?

The difference between audit correction and retroactive change is that a retroactive change results in a change to the current data that you see on an application form. An audit correction does not change the current data; rather it changes records in the audit log that were incorrect in some way.

When you perform a retroactive change, you use the same form as you normally would to maintain that type of data. For example, you would use the Resource form to access a resource's information and change her family name. When you use audit correction, you select the resource in the Resources list, and then select Audit Log from the Related Links menu. This brings you to the Audit Log List for the resource that display past and future (but not current) entries for the record. From there you can correct any incorrect data.

Updating an existing audit log entry

When making audit corrections, you can either update an existing audit log entry, or you can create a new audit log entry.

When updating an existing audit log record, you can change the following:

Effective date. When changing a past entry, the new effective date must continue to be in the past. When changing a future entry, the new effective date must continue to be in the future. The new effective date can not be earlier or later than the date the fields were next changed. For example, if a resource's family name was changed on 1/1/2008 and 3/1/2009, the effective date for the 1/1/2008 audit entry can be changed to any date before 3/1/2009.
Action reason and comments. Action reason comments are optional.
Audit correction comments. Audit correction comments are optional. You can enter comments about the audit correction being made, and the comment will then be visible when selecting "View Full Audit Log."
Field value. You can change a field value if the new field value was originally changed on this audit entry, and the new field value is not responsible for the current value.

Note:

If the field is a key value (meaning it holds a value that is selected from list of values), the value must exist as of the audit effective date.

Creating a new audit log entry

You can create new audit entries by inserting an entry into the audit log for a specified period of time. This action can only be performed on past data because you are creating a new set of data values for a set period of time that has already occurred.

When creating a new audit entry, you enter only the affected field values for the specified time period. You do not have to do anything to field values that are not changing on the record. The result audit log will have two new entries—one entry on the effective from date which includes the values for the changed fields, and another reversing entry for a day after the effective through date. The reversing entry that restores the original values for the changed fields.

For example, a work assignment's pay rate audit information might be as follows:


1/1/2008	10,000
1/1/2009	20,000

Then a new audit entry is created for the period 5/1/08 through 8/31/08 with a pay rate of 15,000. The resulting log would be:


1/1/2008	10,000
5/1/2008	15,000
9/1/2008	10,000 (the reversing entry)
1/1/2009	20,000

Audit correction considerations

When creating or updating audit log entries, keep the following considerations in mind:

Audit log corrections can not be deleted. If you make a mistake when entering an audit correction, you must perform another audit correction to rectify the error.
Field logic and other business rule validation are not performed on audit corrections.
There is no automated correlation between business classes when an audit correction is made. So if you change an effective date in the Employee business class, you may also need to go and change any related work assignments. This is not done automatically.