Document change log: what to check to avoid losing money

Is your business under reliable control?

Every business owner faces concerns about staff mistakes or, worse, potential dishonesty. Losses from such actions can be significant, and proving anything without clear evidence is almost impossible. This creates an atmosphere of distrust and constant stress.

Are you sure you know about all operations taking place in your accounting system when you are not watching? Can you guarantee that no document has been changed or deleted retroactively to hide a shortage or a manipulation?

The Torgsoft software includes powerful but not always obvious tools that act as an internal security system for your business. These are the “Document Change Log” and the “User Activity Log”. Think of the “User Activity Log” as an all-seeing surveillance camera that records every step. And the “Document Change Log” is a specialized financial detective that investigates changes only in the most critical records: invoices, write-offs, and payments. Together, they leave no blind spots and turn your system into a forensic-ready environment — always prepared for investigation.

1. A “secret agent” in your software: an immutable activity log

Imagine a system that records absolutely every action in the software: from routine operations (Action) and system messages (Information) to critical errors (Error) and warnings (Warning) that the user responds to. This is exactly how the “User Activity Log” works. It is a digital chronicle of everything happening in your accounting system.

But its most important feature is immutability. This log cannot be edited or forged, and that is its main strength.

However, an expert view requires an important clarification. Although individual records cannot be changed, a user with the appropriate access rights can delete logs for a certain period using the “Delete up to date” button. This means that control over who has access to this function is just as critical as the log itself. Without such control, your “immutable” chronicle may suddenly lose key pages.

2. Why the “Change Log” must be enabled manually

Unlike the general activity log, which is always active, the more specialized tool — the “Document Change Log” — is disabled by default. If you do not activate it, you will never know who exactly changed an amount in an invoice or deleted an item from a write-off.

To enable this important mode, go to Settings – Parameters – Access and check the option Keep document change log.

After activation, the software will start recording any changes in the following key documents:

• Goods receipt

• Sales

• Returns

• Internal transfer

• Write-off

• Return to supplier

• Defective goods return

• Financial document

Ignoring this setting is a conscious refusal of key evidence. In case of discrepancies, you will not be able to prove anything, because the system was not instructed to record changes.

3. A data trap: how “statistics cleanup” can erase all evidence

There is an important and non-obvious detail that every owner must know. The software includes the function “Delete statistics of closed periods”. It is useful for database optimization, but it has a significant side effect.

This action permanently deletes data from both the “Document Change Log” and the “User Activity Log” for the selected period.

This turns a useful feature into a potential tool for covering tracks. A dishonest employee with the appropriate rights can first perform a manipulation and then deliberately run statistics cleanup for that period to erase all evidence of their actions from both logs. Use this function with the understanding that you irreversibly lose the evidentiary base for past periods.

4. Document manipulation: a common scheme and how to block it

Let us consider a specific example of fraud. A cashier adds two items to a sale for a total amount of 900 UAH. The customer pays in cash and leaves without waiting for the receipt. After that, the cashier opens the sales document, deletes one item worth 250 UAH, and pockets the difference.

If the “Document Change Log” were enabled, this manipulation would be obvious. The log would show that the sale initially had two items, and then the same user modified the document by deleting one of them. This is direct evidence for an investigation.

But prevention is better than investigation. The most effective way to block such schemes is to correctly configure access rights. In Role settings for sales staff, you can completely prohibit editing and deleting sales documents.

Allow access to create documents, but prohibit modification and deletion.

This simple restriction makes the scheme described above impossible.

5. Day closing is more than just an accounting formality

Procedures such as cash day closing and period closing are not just accounting formalities, but powerful security tools. If a cash day remains open, it creates a loophole for manipulation.

Unclosed cash days allow employees to create or modify financial documents retroactively. This makes it possible to manipulate the cash balance, hide shortages, and report less revenue than was actually received.

To prevent this, there is a direct recommendation: in the software settings, activate the option mandatory automatic cash day closing.

By enabling this setting, you permanently close one of the most common abuse schemes, turning past financial operations into an immutable fact.

Using control tools such as logs and protocols is not about total distrust of employees. It is about creating a transparent, secure, and fair system for everyone. It protects the business from financial losses and honest employees from unfounded accusations.

These settings are not isolated tools — they form a single protection strategy. Activating the “Change Log” (section 2) provides evidence. Restricting roles (section 4) prevents manipulations. And enforced “day closing” (section 5) cements past operations, making them untouchable. Together, they create a reliable digital fortress around your finances.

Now that you know about these tools, which one setting will you change in your system today to sleep more peacefully?