Audit Templates: Creating Audit Templates

This article covers the steps to creating an Audit Template.

• To learn the difference between audits and Audit Templates, see: Audit Templates vs. Audits
• To learn how to edit an Audit Template, see: Editing Audit Templates
• To learn how to assign an Audit Template, see: Creating a Self-Audit

There are 2 ways to create an Audit Template:

1. From a Finalized audit. This is probably the easiest and best way to create a template. 
2. From scratch (using the "Create Template" button from the "Templates" tab).

Creating an Audit Template from a Finalized Audit

This is the approach we recommend for creating an audit template. You've already done all the work of making changes to the audit questions, and basically all you're doing is saving that work.

After you've finalized an audit and you've made any sort of changes to at least one of the questions on the audit (marked a question as "Not Applicable", muted a category or questions, reordered the questions on the audit, or added risk to a question), you'll be asked if you want to create an audit template from this audit. Creating a template will save all the changes you've made to your audit so that next time you create an audit, you can use the template and then all you have to do is answer the questions.

Even if you choose not create a template now (which doesn't take any time and you can delete the template if you later change your mind), you always have the option of creating a template from the ellipses menu of any audit in Finalized status. 

Note: Once an Audit Template has been created, it will be in "Draft" status. You will need to "publish" the template in order to be able to use it. This can be done on the "Templates" tab of your Audits module.

 

Creating an Audit Template from scratch

To create an Audit Template from scratch:

1. In your Audits module, navigate to the "Templates" tab.
2. Click the "Create Audit Template" button. You'll be taken to the "Create Audit Template" form.
3. Fill out the fields on the form:
   • Template Name: The name you'll use to find your Audit Template in order to edit or assign it.
   • Audit Type: "Full" or "Category". 
   • State: The state field determines which locations an Audit Template can be used at. Additionally, it works in conjunction with the "License(s) to be Audited" field. Only licenses in the selected state can be used.
   • Law Type: Select the regulation set you want your audit to check for.  
   • License(s) to be Audited: The license field works with the "State" field to determine which locations an Audit Template can be used at. An Audit Template can only be used at locations which have the same license(s).
   • Additional Custom Questions: Include additional custom questions into this Audit Template. 
4. Click the "Create Audit Template" button. 
5. After creating your new audit template, the template will now appear on the table of the "Templates" tab and will be in "Draft" status. Your template contains all relevant questions that pertain to the state, license type(s), and audit type you selected. The next step is to customize your template. Click the "Edit" option on your new template to make the changes to your template (adding risk to questions, muting/hiding questions or categories, reordering questions). 

Audit Template statuses

Audit Templates have the following statuses:

• Draft: A template goes into "Draft" immediately after being created.
• Published: Publishing an Audit Template will allow users to use the template to create and assign audits. You’ll still be able to edit a template after publishing. 
  Once published, an Audit Template cannot go back to "Draft".

Once a "Published" Audit Template has been used in an audit, you'll need to create a new version of the template to make edits to it. The new version will be created in "Draft" status (see: Versioning an Audit Template).