Change history and logs: who changed what, and when
“Who changed this amount?”, “Why did the order disappear?”. Without a change history, questions like these end in a search for someone to blame. With one, the answer takes a moment.
Two kinds of records
Change history for users
It shows who changed data in a document, an order or a customer record, when it happened and what the previous value was. It is useful in everyday work and when sorting out mistakes.
Technical logs
They record errors, failed sign-ins, integration problems and how the system is running. Their purpose is to detect problems before users notice them.
What to record in the change history
- changes to important data: amounts, deadlines, statuses,
- approvals and rejections,
- granting and revoking permissions,
- deleted records,
- data exports.
How to make the history useful
- a clear description of the change instead of a technical entry,
- history shown where it is needed, for example on the order screen,
- filtering by person, date and type of change,
- permissions: not everyone needs to see the full history.
Central logs across many systems
When a company or an agency maintains many systems, reviewing each one's logs separately is no longer feasible. The solution is a central system that collects logs from many projects and sends error notifications. See the central log system case.
Change history during an audit
During an inspection, an audit or a dispute with a business partner, the change history lets you quickly show how things unfolded. The value of this feature is usually appreciated only when you need it. If you want it in your system, book a consultation.
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