The audit trail
Every stock change leaves a record
Whenever a quantity changes, ConsignTrak writes down a movement. It happens at the same moment as the change itself, so there's never a change without a record.
Each movement says:
| What | Example |
|---|---|
| What kind of change | Received, shipped, adjusted, moved between bins, returned, count correction |
| Which item, and how many | 6205-2RS-C3, 6 out |
| The balance afterwards | 18 on hand |
| Who did it, and when | The signed-in user, with the date and time |
| Why | The order, receiving or cycle count behind it, or the adjustment reason |
Records are added, never changed
Once a movement is written, nobody can edit or delete it, not even an administrator. If something was wrong, the fix is a new movement that puts it right, such as an adjustment or a count correction. The mistake and its correction both stay visible.
The goods belong to the supply partner, but they can't see the shelf. The audit trail is how the warehouse proves what happened to every unit. When a supply partner asks "where did those 12 go?", the answer is a list of movements, not someone's memory. The same record protects the warehouse when a count is questioned.
The audit chain: proof nothing was altered
A record that can't be edited on screen is good. A record that can prove it wasn't altered behind the scenes is better. ConsignTrak links each supply partner's movements into an audit chain.
- Each new movement is sealed together with the one before it, so every record depends on the whole history before it.
- If anyone changed an old movement, even directly in the database, the chain would stop adding up, and the change would show.
- Each supply partner has their own chain, so one partner's history never mixes with another's.
The Audit Chain Anchor
The Audit Chain Anchor card on a supply partner's page shows where their chain stands right now. Administrators see it at the bottom of the page. Choose the card's title to open it.
| On the card | What it means |
|---|---|
| Entry # | How many movements are in this supply partner's chain. |
| Head Hash Updated | When the latest movement was added. |
| Algorithm | The sealing method. It's shown for anyone checking independently. |
| Chain Head (hex) | A long code that sums up the whole history so far. Any change to any past movement would change it. |
Give the supply partner a copy of the Chain Head from time to time, for example when a month is closed. They keep it. Later, anyone can check that ConsignTrak's history still leads to that same code, which shows nothing before that point was altered.
A supply partner with no stock activity yet shows "No inventory activity has been recorded for this supply partner yet, so there's nothing to verify."
Where you'll see this
- Inventory & items: each item's history of movements.
- Supply Partners: recent activity and the Supply-Partner Activity Report.
- Adjustments and Cycle counts: the proper way to correct a quantity.
- Accounting periods: locking a month once it's reported.