In addition to the regular procedures that apply to any publication, you must perform some extra steps to maintain the data required for an audit. We discuss these extra steps below.
Audit issue galley data file
The 'Issue labels' update produces an audit galley data file for each issue that is designated as an "Audit" issue. The galley data file is used to compile the statistics for your 'Publisher's statement' and 'Audit issue galley' reports; it should not be deleted.
Click here for more details on the galley data file.
Backing up your database for your archive
After you run the last set of labels for the last issue in the audit period, you should make a backup of your QuickFill database. This backup becomes your archive copy for the audit. To make the backup copy use either the 'Backup database' or 'Copy database' command on the 'File' menu. The Backup command creates a compressed zip file. The Copy command creates a complete uncompressed copy of the database files, under a different name.
How to file your paperwork
The auditor will want to be able to check the source of your qualification data. In order to do so, he or she will request a sample of subscribers from your audit issue and then will ask to see the source documents for the qualification data.
The nature of the documents will depend on the source of the qualification data. In the case of personal written requests, you will have an order card or questionnaire with the subscriber's signature; in the case of telecommunications requests, you will have a record of the phone call, signed and dated by the operator. Whatever the nature of the documentation, you must be able to produce it for the auditor.
The best way to organize your qualification documentation is by batch number. Whenever you enter new subscriptions, qualified prospects, renewals, or requalifications into QuickFill, do so in batches. QuickFill automatically assigns a number to each batch that you enter, keeps this batch number with the subscription records, and prints it on your audit galley. If you file the documents for each batch together in numerical order by batch number, with a batch slip to indicate which batch the documents belong to, you will be able to easily find the documentation supporting any subscription in your database. To do so, you simply find the batch number, either from the audit galley or by using QuickFill to look up the subscription, and then locate the batch in your records. To make it easy to find a subscription within a batch, limit the number of subscriptions in a batch to fewer than 30.
After you run the last set of labels for the last issue in the audit period, you should run the 'Publisher's statement' report and the 'Credit cancels' report. These reports provide the information you need to fill out the forms required by the audit bureau. Depending on the audit bureau's procedure you may also need to run the 'Audit issue galley' report to produce a printed list of subscribers who were served the audit issue (some audit bureaus may ask for the audit issue galley data file instead).
Auditor's test selection
During an audit, the auditor will ask you to produce a selection from the audit galley. For example, he or she might ask for the 57th name in the galley and every 45th name thereafter. You can produce this selection by running the 'Audit issue galley' report.
When you run the 'Audit issue galley' report, you will have to specify the audit issue from which the selection is to be made. If the galley data file for the issue is still in your database directory, you will be able to select it when you run the report. If you have copied the galley data file out of the database directory, you will have to copy it back into the database directory before trying to run the 'Audit issue galley' for that issue.
If the galley data file for the audit issue has been damaged or lost, you should first back up your current database and report files, then try to restore your galley data file back to a point before it was deleted or damaged. If you are not able to restore the galley data file, you should try to restore your database back to a point just after your audit issue was run and reconstruct the galley data file using 'Generate galley file' from the 'Audit Reports' menu. In the event that you are not able to restore the galley data file or the database, you will have to use the 'Generate galley file' command with your current database.
Note: Any changes made in your database since the audit issue (i.e., changes in classification or qualification) may be reflected in the reconstructed galley data file; it may not be an exact copy of the original file. Click here for more information on reconstructing a lost or damaged galley data file.