--- title: "Compliance evidence: what makes it hold up | attendo" description: "What compliance evidence is, what makes it hold up in an audit, an example of a recurring control and the mistake of gathering it when the auditor arrives." url: "https://attendo.me/en/glossary/compliance-evidence" lang: "en" --- # Compliance evidence: how to prove a control was done Also known as: Control evidence · audit evidence Compliance evidence is the record that proves a control or obligation was carried out: what was checked, by whom, when and with what result, along with the documents that back it up. ## What makes evidence hold up - **Date and author** recorded by the system, not written in by hand afterward. - **Tied to its control**: the access report sits under the quarterly access review, not in a folder. - **Intact**: you can prove it has not changed since it was saved. - **Easy to find**: it turns up in minutes when an auditor asks for it, months later. ## An example The quarterly review of system access. The control opens on the 1st with its owner and its checklist. The owner reviews the accounts, ticks off the items, attaches the exported list and closes it. The evidence is all of that together: the checklist, the attachment and the timeline with dates and author. ## Recurring control and evidence The control is the obligation that repeats: every month, quarter or year. The evidence is what remains each time it is done. A control without evidence is an intention; evidence without a control is a loose piece of paper. ## The usual mistake Gathering evidence when the audit arrives. People dig through emails, rebuild dates and produce documents created after the fact, which an auditor spots right away. Evidence is created when the control is done, not when someone asks for it. ## In attendo Each control is a document with an owner, a date and a [checklist](https://attendo.me/en/modules/checklists), and the evidence is attached to it. The [timeline](https://attendo.me/en/modules/timeline) records the author and time of every step, and its fingerprint is stored on a blockchain. - [attendo Compliance](https://attendo.me/en/compliance) ## Where it is used in attendo ### Modules - [attendo Checklist](https://attendo.me/en/modules/checklists): Inspections with photo, signature and location, closed on site - [Tags and document management](https://attendo.me/en/modules/document-management): Tags, attachments and files tied to their customer, asset and case - [Timeline](https://attendo.me/en/modules/timeline): All activity on the document, in order, with its author and channel - [attendo eSign](https://attendo.me/en/modules/esign): E-signature for the quote or the contract, right from its record - [Whistleblowing channel](https://attendo.me/en/modules/whistleblowing): Anonymous or named reports, with a case file and full traceability ### Industries that use these modules - [Compliance for consulting firms](https://attendo.me/en/industries/compliance) - [Facility maintenance and services](https://attendo.me/en/industries/facility-maintenance) - [Testing, inspection and laboratories](https://attendo.me/en/industries/testing-inspection) - [Contractors, construction and engineering](https://attendo.me/en/industries/contractors) - [And any other business](https://attendo.me/en/industries) ## Related terms Compliance ### Whistleblowing channel Internal reporting channel · whistleblower hotline A whistleblowing channel is the way people who work with an organization report wrongdoing they have come across, by name or anonymously, without fear of retaliation. Compliance ### Qualified electronic signature QES A qualified electronic signature is the highest level of signature under the EU eIDAS regulation: it is created with a qualified certificate and a secure device, and it is equivalent to a handwritten signature across the European Union. Field work ### Inspection checklist Maintenance checklist An inspection checklist is the list of checks carried out during an inspection, with its record and, where needed, its signature. ### On the blog #### Periodic controls: how to prove they were done Doing a control and being able to prove it are two different jobs. The second one usually surfaces on audit day, when someone spends a week hunting for emails, screenshots and signatures. 4 min read [See all 53 glossary terms](https://attendo.me/en/glossary) ## Shall we look at it with your data? We will show you how what you just read works in attendo, with your own assets, tickets and customers. If it is not a fit, we will tell you. - With your operation, not a generic demo - A real person from our team replies - No cold calls afterwards Would you rather talk first? - Phone [+34 910 053 530](tel:+34910053530) - Email [sales@attendo.me](mailto:sales@attendo.me) - Monday to Thursday 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM and Friday 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM (Spain time)