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Audit coming up? Have every piece of evidence ready.
Not a separate compliance system, but governance built into how your team works every day. Every version is correct, every approval is logged and every piece of evidence is traceable.
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Illustrative example
In short
M-Files logs every document action automatically: who created, changed, approved or viewed a document, and when. When an auditor asks for evidence, you retrieve it in seconds instead of rebuilding it from mailboxes and folders.
Does this sound familiar?
"The auditor is at the door. I can't find anything."
"Who approved this version, and when?"
"We spend weeks collecting evidence."
"Is this procedure still the current one?"
Why audits cost so much time
Compliance often lives in a separate system people have to log into, while the real work happens in e-mail and folders. The evidence then has to be reconstructed afterwards, under time pressure.
| Today | With structure |
|---|---|
| Evidence collected by hand before each audit | Audit trail written automatically |
| Old procedures still in circulation | Only the approved version is valid |
| Retention handled from memory | Retention rules per document type |
| Access granted case by case | Access based on role and need-to-know |
What changes
Complete audit trail
Every save, status change, approval and access event is logged, without manual work.
Document control
Mandatory version approval, so only approved procedures are in use.
Retention and GDPR
Documents are flagged for review or deletion when their retention period ends.
ISO, VCA and GDPR
The technical foundation for ISO 9001, ISO 27001, VCA and GDPR, configured to your standards.
How to become audit-ready with M-Files in 30 working days
Map your compliance requirements and document flows
SoftAdvice maps which regulations apply to your organisation (ISO, VCA, GDPR, SOC2) and which document types, approval flows and retention rules need to be embedded.
Configure audit trails, version control and access rights in M-Files
M-Files is configured to automatically log every document action. Access rights are metadata-driven. GDPR retention rules are built in.
Go-live and maintain compliance as a daily workflow
After go-live, compliance is embedded in how your team works every day. Audit evidence is available in seconds.
Where this matters most
Accountancy & audit
Client files and working papers ready for quality review.
Engineering & construction
ISO and VCA documentation under version control.
HR departments
Personnel files with retention rules and access logging.
Questions
How does M-Files help you prepare for an audit?
M-Files automatically logs every document action, who created, modified, approved or viewed a document, with a timestamp and user identity. Every version is preserved and accessible. When an auditor asks for evidence, you retrieve it in seconds rather than spending days reconstructing the paper trail.
What is an audit trail and how does M-Files generate it automatically?
An audit trail is a chronological log of all actions taken on a document or process. In M-Files, every save, status change, approval and access event is automatically written to an immutable log. No manual logging, no gaps. The trail is always complete and available for export.
Is M-Files compliant with ISO, VCA and GDPR requirements?
M-Files provides the technical infrastructure for ISO 9001, ISO 27001, VCA and GDPR compliance. This includes document control with mandatory version approval, access rights based on roles and need-to-know, automatic retention and deletion rules, and a complete audit log.
How does M-Files handle GDPR document retention and deletion?
M-Files allows you to configure automatic retention policies per document type. Documents are flagged for review or deletion when their retention period expires. Every access event is logged, giving you demonstrable GDPR compliance without manual oversight.
What is the difference between M-Files and a traditional quality management system for audits?
Traditional QMS tools are separate systems that employees must log into specifically for compliance tasks. M-Files embeds compliance in your daily document flows, approvals, version control and access logging happen automatically as part of normal work.
How quickly can SoftAdvice make our organisation audit-ready?
SoftAdvice commits to a first process live within 30 days. The implementation includes a compliance architecture design, M-Files configuration for your specific standards (ISO, VCA, GDPR), migration of critical document sets and user training.