Adding Communication Logs for Compliance Records

Communication logs provide another method of creating a detailed and complete audit trail of all compliance activities to mitigate risk. You can add communications logs for a regulation, compliance program, requirement, contract, contract term, location, or event.

For example, when managing your compliance programs, you might need to communicate with regulatory agencies, vendors, government agencies, internal personnel, and other contractors. These communications might entail several notes or documents that you need to track. In addition to the audit trail provided by scheduled events, notifications, and the document library, you to can add communications logs to track notes, phone calls, emails, meetings, conversations and any other type of communication.

The notes you enter in the Description field for the communications log might provide sufficient detail, but, if not, after saving a communication log, you can add a document to it.

Communication logs are used in the following way:

The Compliance Program Manager and Contract Manager enter communication logs as needed for regulations, programs, requirements, contracts, contract terms, and/or events.
Compliance Program Coordinators enter communication logs as needed for the requirements and/or events assigned to them.
Compliance stakeholders can locate and view communication logs using the Operational Reports process. See Operational Reports: Overview.

Note: You are not able to edit a communication log after it is saved, so be sure to enter all necessary data when creating the log. If you do make an error, you can always create a follow-up communication log to clarify the error. This behavior is by design because communication logs are meant to be a tool for internal and external audits. For example, if you enter a log about a condition that directly affects compliance with a regulation, it is vital that the log reflect the condition as you first reported it. Later editing or deleting the log can misrepresent conditions at your site and cause you to be out of compliance with regulations.

Procedure: Adding Communication Logs

To add communication logs for compliance items:

Select one of the following tasks:

Purpose	Task	Steps
Compliance Program Managers and Contract Managers
Add communication logs for a regulation or initiative.	Manage Regulations and Initiatives	Access the task. Select the regulation or initiative, using the Filter console if, if needed, to locate it. See Using the Filter Console for Regulations. The Define Regulation tab becomes active. Select the Communications Log tab. Click Add New. The Define Communications Log for Regulation form appears.
Add communications logs for a compliance program or contract	Manage Compliance Programs Manage Contracts	Access the task. Select the compliance program, using the Filter console if, if needed, to locate it. See Using the Filter Console for Programs The Define Program tab becomes active. Select the Communications Log tab. Click Add New. The Define Communications Log for Program form appears.
Add communications logs for a compliance requirement or contract term. For example, add a communication log item that you have applied for a permit.	Manage Compliance Requirements Manage Contract Terms	Access the task. Select the requirement, using the Filter console if, if needed, to locate it. See Using the Filter Console for Requirements. The Define Requirement tab becomes active. Select the Communications Log tab. Click Add New. The Define Communications Log for Requirement form appears.
Add communication logs for compliance locations.	Manage Compliance Locations	Access the task. Use the Filter console, if needed, to find the location. See Using the Filter Console from the Manage Compliance Locations Task. In the Select Compliance Location to Manage pane, click Select in the row for the location. The Define Location tab becomes active. Select the Location Comm. Log tab. Click Add New. The Define Communications Log for Compliance Location form appears.
Add communication logs for compliance events	Manage All Compliance Events	Access the task. If necessary, use the Filter console to locate the event. See Using the Filter Console to Locate Events. Click Select in the row for the event. The Define Event tab becomes active. Select the Communications Log tab. Click Add New. The Define Communication for Compliance Event form appears.
Compliance Program Coordinators
Add communications logs for requirements assigned to you.	Manage My Compliance Requirements	Access the task. If necessary, use the Filter console to locate the requirement for which you want to add a communications log. Click Select in the row for the requirement. The Define Requirement tab becomes active. Select the Communications Logs tab. The Communications Logs for Compliance Requirements form appears.
Add communications logs for permits and license requirements assigned to you.	Manage My Permits and Licenses	Access the task. If necessary, use the Filter console to locate the permit or license for which you want to add a communications log. Click Select in the row for the permit or license. The Define Requirement tab becomes active. Select the Communications Logs tab. The Communications Logs for Compliance Requirements form appears.
Add communications logs when changing event status or closing the event.	Update Status and Close My Events	Access the task. If necessary, use the Filter console to locate the event for which you want to add a communications log. Click Select in the row for the event. The Define Events tab becomes active. Select the Communications Logs tab. The Communications Logs for Compliance Events form appears.

In the Define Communications Log for... pane, enter the following required information:

Comm. Log Code: A unique identifier for this communication log that helps users identify it.

Enter the following information as needed:

Date of Comm./Time of Comm	By default, this shows the current date and time.
Priority	Select a description of the importance of this communication.
Communication Type	Choose from the existing list of values, such as Project Status Note, Report - Milestone, or Correspondence.
Contact Code	Select the contact (vendor), if applicable, for this communication.
Project Code	A read-only field showing the Project, if one is associated with this regulation, compliance program, requirement, event, or location.
Recorded By	A read-only field showing the name of the logged-on user.
Summary	Enter a brief description of the communication that helps identify it.
Description	Enter a more detailed summary of the communication.

Do one of the following:

To save the record and add a new one, click Save and Add New. The record is saved and the screen is refreshed, clearing the values you entered so that you can add a new record.

To save the record, click Save.

Associate a document with the communication log: You can add a document for this communication log.
To add a document file, you must first save the record. After you save, the Check In New Document button appears next to the Document field. Use this button to browse for the file. You can then view the document from the record by clicking the Show Document button next to the Document field. For more information, see Using the Document Management System.