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Audit Trail

Admin

The audit trail provides a change history for records in Brother POS. Every modification to key records is tracked with a snapshot of the record's state before and after the change, and who made the change. This gives you a complete history of how your data has evolved over time.

Audit trail page

How the Audit Trail Works​

When a tracked record is created, updated, or deleted:

  1. The audit trail system creates a version snapshot.
  2. The version records:
    • The timestamp of the change.
    • The user who made the change.
    • The type of event (create, update, destroy).
    • The previous and current state of the record.
  3. Versions are stored permanently and cannot be edited or deleted.

Accessing the Audit Trail​

  1. Log in to the Admin Panel.
  2. Navigate to the Audit Trail page.
  3. The global audit trail loads, showing recent changes across all record types.

Understanding Version Entries​

Each version entry shows:

FieldDescription
TimeWhen the change occurred.
ModelThe model name (e.g., Product, Sale, User).
ItemThe specific record identifier.
ActionCreate, Update, or Destroy.
Changed ByWho made the change.
ActionsView details or Undo the change.

Version Detail Page​

When you click on a version entry to view its details, the show page displays the previous values and current values side by side. This allows you to compare the full record state before and after the change.

Tracked Record Types​

The audit trail covers the following record types:

Record TypeWhat's Tracked
ProductsName, price, cost, SKU, status, stock, cannabis attributes
UsersName, email, role, status, permissions
SalesStatus, total, payment method, void reason
CustomersName, contact info, loyalty tier
CategoriesName, sort order
InventoryStock adjustments, receiving records
Store SettingsTax rates, feature flags, configuration changes
Cash Drawer SessionsOpening/closing balances, overrides
ComplianceEquivalency factors, site IDs, limit overrides

Filtering the Audit Trail​

By Record Type​

  1. On the global audit trail page, click the Record Type dropdown.
  2. Select the type you want to view (e.g., "Product").
  3. The trail filters to show only changes to that record type.

By User​

  1. Click the User dropdown.
  2. Select the user whose changes you want to review.

By Event Type​

Filter by change type:

  • Create -- New records only.
  • Update -- Modifications only.
  • Destroy -- Deletions only.

By Date Range​

  1. Set From and To dates.
  2. The trail shows only changes within that period.
Finding when a specific change happened

If you need to find when a particular field was changed (e.g., "When was this product's price last changed?"), use the audit trail filters to narrow down the record type and scan the version entries for that record.

Undoing Changes​

The audit trail includes an Undo button that can reverse changes. Click Undo on any entry to revert that change. The Undo button is available both on the index page (per-row) and on the show page for individual version entries.

Consider cascading effects

When undoing a change, consider the impact on related records. For example, undoing a product price change will not undo sales that were already made at the changed price.

Audit Trail and Compliance​

The audit trail is particularly important for regulated industries:

  • Cannabis compliance -- Regulators may request a history of inventory and sales changes during an audit.
  • Financial audits -- The trail shows all price, cost, and tax configuration changes.
  • Employee disputes -- If there is a disagreement about who made a change, the trail provides objective evidence.
  • Data integrity -- The trail proves that records have not been tampered with, since versions are immutable.
Audit trail integrity

Audit trail versions cannot be edited or deleted, even by admins. This is by design. The immutability of the trail is what gives it value as an audit tool. If versions could be modified, they would be untrustworthy. The Undo feature creates a new version entry when reverting, preserving the full history.

Storage and Performance​

The audit trail stores a version for every change, which can accumulate significant data over time:

  • Storage -- The audit trail retains all version history permanently. Large catalogs with frequent changes may accumulate millions of version records over years.
  • Performance -- Version queries are indexed for fast retrieval. You should not experience slowdowns when viewing a record's history.
  • Retention -- Unlike activity logs, audit trail versions are never automatically purged. This is intentional for compliance purposes.

Audit Trail vs. Activity Logs​

FeatureAudit TrailActivity Logs
GranularityField-level (what exactly changed)Event-level (what action was taken)
ScopeRecord modificationsAll system events (logins, exports, etc.)
RetentionPermanent (never deleted)Clearable via Clear All action
Use Case"What was this product's price last month?""Who logged in at 3am?"

Both systems complement each other. Use activity logs for event investigation and the audit trail for data change investigation.

Best Practices​

  • Use the audit trail when investigating discrepancies -- Before accusing anyone of making an error, check the audit trail. It tells you exactly what happened.
  • Review compliance records regularly -- For cannabis retailers, periodically review the audit trail on compliance-related records (equivalency factors, site IDs, limits).
  • Document restorations -- When you manually restore a value from the audit trail, add a note explaining why (e.g., "Restored price to $29.99 per manager request").
  • Educate your team -- Let employees know that the audit trail exists. Awareness of tracking encourages careful, deliberate changes.
  • Use the Undo feature carefully -- The Undo button is powerful. Only use it when you are certain you want to revert a change.

What's Next?​