Audit Hub overview
The Audit Hub in Q-Hub is a dedicated hub for planning, running, and reporting on audits, with built-in handling of nonconformities (NCRs), observations and actions.
Feature overview
The Audit Hub in Q-Hub is a dedicated hub for planning, running, and reporting on audits, with built-in handling of nonconformities (NCRs), observations and actions. It is designed to make audits less stressful and more structured by giving you a single place to:
Set up how audits will work (NCR handling, locations, auditors).
Build and manage your audit question sets (“audit requirements”).
Create reusable audit templates.
Build and release audit schedules.
Run audits and capture objective evidence, images, NCRs, observations.
Report on on-time performance, findings and overall compliance.
Core purpose and benefits
The Audit Hub helps you to:
Standardise how audits are performed and recorded.
Connect audits to your wider Q-Hub tools (Forms, Processes, Tasks).
Automate notifications and workflows for audits and NCRs.
Evidence your internal audit programme clearly to external auditors.
Instead of managing audits in scattered spreadsheets and emails, Audit Hub gives you a:
Central schedule of all planned audits.
Standard set of audit requirements and templates.
Live audit workspace for auditors.
Integrated findings and NCR register.
Reports on audit completion and compliance.
How the feature is used
In practice, Audit Hub follows a clear sequence:
Set up Audit Hub settings
Create or upload audit requirements (audit question sets)
Build audit templates
Create and release audit schedules
Run the audits and raise NCRs / observations
Review results and KPIs in Reports and Findings
Once this is in place, day-to-day use is:
Auditors work from their Planned / Working audits list.
They capture evidence, files and NCRs directly in each audit.
NCRs flow through to Forms / Processes / Tasks as configured.
Managers use the Reports and Findings pages to monitor performance.
1. Feature concept
1.1 Audit Hub structure at a glance
Key areas of Audit Hub:
Audit settings – where you connect NCR templates, define locations, and configure options like approved auditors and image layout.
Audit requirements – where you build and manage question sets used inside audits.
Templates – reusable audit “shells” containing scope, duration, and selected requirements.
Schedule – where you plan and release audits across the year.
Audits – where auditors actually perform their audits.
Findings – central list of NCRs, observations and actions linked back to audits.
Reports – performance and compliance KPIs for audits.
1.2 Step 1 – Audit settings
You access Audit settings from the bottom-left of the Audit Hub. This is the foundation that makes everything connect and work together.
NCR templates
Audit Hub can raise NCRs using three different Q-Hub tools:
Tasks – simple NCR tasks (e.g. “Major NCR”, “Minor NCR” task templates).
Processes – NCR workflows using Process Hub for multi-stage containment / review / approval.
Forms – NCR forms created in Form Hub (e.g. Internal NCR, Supplier NCR).
You can:
Enable one or many of these NCR templates.
Start simple by just using one NCR Form (often recommended at first).
Download a starter NCR form from Resources, then select it here.
When an auditor raises an NCR inside an audit:
If multiple NCR templates are configured, they will be able to choose which to use.
If only one is configured (e.g. one NCR form), Audit Hub will simply use that one when “Raise NCR” is clicked.
This is how Audit Hub connects your audit findings directly into tasks, forms or process workflows.
Approved auditors
Approved auditors let you control who can be selected as an auditor in the schedule:
Turn this on if you only want certain quality managers or process owners to run audits.
Click Select users and choose from your Q-Hub user list.
Once configured, the auditor drop-down in the schedule will only show approved auditors.
Audit locations
Audit locations are used heavily in reporting and KPIs:
You can set up sites and departments (e.g. “Bristol → Engineering”, “Bristol → HR”).
During scheduling, each audit is assigned to one of these locations.
Reports then show KPIs by location, e.g. how Bristol Engineering is performing.
Locations give you a way to:
Structure your audit programme around sites and departments.
Filter reports and findings by where audits were carried out.
Audit standard options (advanced)
Audit standard options are for more complex audit configurations:
They allow different types of questions and scoring models.
They’re intended for more advanced users and future configurations.
For a basic setup, you don’t need to change these – the default options (Compliant / NCR / Not applicable) are enough.
Image layout (gallery vs inline)
Audit Hub can capture images against audit questions. You can choose whether:
All images appear together in a gallery at the end, or
Images appear throughout the audit, next to the relevant questions.
This is just a preference toggle in settings.
Minimum settings to start:
Connect at least one NCR template (usually an NCR form).
Add audit locations.
That’s enough to move on to building questions and schedules.
1.3 Step 2 – Audit requirements (question sets)
Audit requirements are the question sets you will use inside audits. They represent:
The topics and requirements you want to assess.
The individual questions that guide the auditor’s evidence gathering and judgement.
Examples: Shop maintenance, ISO 9001 management system, Supplier audits, etc.
You can populate this area in several ways:
Download sample audit templates from Resources.
Upload your existing Excel audit question sets.
Build requirements from scratch.
Use the Audit AI builder to generate draft question sets.
Editing a requirement
When you open a requirement (e.g. Shop maintenance):
You see a header / description.
A list of audit questions under that requirement.
You can:
Add new questions.
Create section titles to group questions (e.g. by ISO clause topics).
Use the description / help text on each question to guide the auditor on what evidence to capture.
Each question uses the standard requirement options from settings:
Raise an NCR
Mark as compliant
Mark as not applicable (N/A)
These are available on every question unless you configure custom options (advanced use).
💡 Top tip - The audit questions should not be a copy of all the audit requirements, instead they should be questions aimed to cover the standards but leave room for the auditors to explore the evidence and compliance.
Pre-configured NCR behaviour per question
On each question’s “More” menu, you can preconfigure:
Whether evidence upload is mandatory if the answer is non-conforming.
Whether objective evidence text is mandatory.
Which NCR template should be used by default when “Raise NCR” is clicked.
Example:
For a question “Is the general shop floor area in a safe condition?” you might:
Require evidence upload if non-conforming.
Require objective evidence text.
Force the system to use the supplier NCR form for that specific question.
This ensures auditors:
Capture the right evidence for critical questions.
Use the correct NCR type (e.g. supplier NCR vs internal NCR) automatically.
Audit AI builder
The AI builder helps you quickly generate new question sets:
Click Add new requirement → Generate using AI.
Optionally upload existing requirements, or
Simply enter something like:
“Build me a set of questions that can be used to help me audit my ISO 9001 management system.”
The AI-generated requirements will appear in Drafts for you to review and refine.
You then edit them as normal before using them in templates.
1.4 Step 3 – Audit templates
Audit templates make it easy to schedule recurring audits without rebuilding details each time.
A template typically includes:
Audit title – e.g. “ISO 9001 Annual Internal Audit”.
Audit scope – appears on the output, describing what the audit covers.
Duration – how long the audit is expected to take.
Linked audit requirements – which question sets are used.
Optional output options – e.g. including a “Requirements” section in the table of contents.
Reference material / attachments – e.g. policies or procedures from Doc Hub, for the auditor to refer to.
Workflow:
Click Add new template.
Enter title, scope, duration.
Select which requirements (question sets) the template will cover.
Optionally link internal policies (e.g. from Doc Hub) so auditors can click straight through to governing documents.
Click Done to save the template.
Templates mean that when you later schedule audits, you just pick a template instead of rebuilding everything.
1.5 Step 4 – Audit schedules
The Schedule is where you plan your audits for the year and beyond.
To create a schedule:
Go to Schedule.
Click New audit schedule.
Name the schedule, e.g. “General ISO compliance audits” or “Annual ISO 9001 audits”.
Click Done – you now have a schedule to populate.
Adding audits to the schedule
Inside your schedule, click Add to create individual audits:
Pick from an existing template, or create a new one on the fly.
The template pre-loads:
Scope
Duration
Audit requirements (questions)
Then you complete the audit-specific details:
Auditor (from your users, respecting Approved Auditors if applicable).
Auditee(s) – the people / departments being audited (e.g. Sally & Raven).
Location – from your audit locations (e.g. Gloucester site, Bristol department).
Planned date (and time window if applicable).
Scheduling multiple audits at once
For repeated audits (e.g. twice a year):
Use “Schedule multiple audits” at the bottom of the create form.
Example:
You want 2 audits, 6 months apart → choose months, enter 6, and the number of additional occurrences.
Audit Hub will create those extra audits automatically, spaced as requested.
You can then adjust each one if needed:
Change location (e.g. Gloucester for the first, Bristol for the second).
Change auditees or the auditor.
Adjusting the calendar
Before releasing the schedule:
Use the Gantt / calendar views (month / week) to:
Move audits to different dates by dragging.
Adjust timeframes.
Spread audits out so they’re not too close together.
Because you’re still in Draft, no notifications go out until you’re happy.
Releasing the schedule
Once you’re satisfied:
Click Release schedule.
This will:
Notify each auditor that they’ve been assigned audits.
Create tasks in their workflow (Q-Hub) with:
The audit name
The due date
Relevant information from the template and schedule.
If someone can’t do a planned date:
Open the audit and click Reschedule.
Change to a new date.
The due date and workflow item are updated accordingly.
1.6 Running audits (Audits page)
Once audits are scheduled and released, auditors typically work from the Audits page.
On the Audits page, you can:
Choose Planned, Working, or both.
Use “Show my stuff” to filter to audits where you are the auditor.
Filter by schedule (e.g. “General ISO audit”).
You’ll then see your list of upcoming audits.
To start:
Click an audit from the list.
Review the details (scope, auditees, location).
Click Start audit.
The audit now moves to Working and opens in editable mode.
1.7 Capturing evidence during an audit
Inside the open audit, auditors can:
Select each requirement / question in turn.
Enter objective evidence (text).
Upload files and images as attachments for that question.
Add observations (useful for OFIs – opportunities for improvement).
Mark each requirement as:
NCR (nonconforming)
Compliant
Not applicable
There are two main views:
Form-style view – step through requirements, one section at a time.
Table view – an Excel-style grid where all questions are visible, with columns for evidence, status, etc.
All entries are saved live. You can leave and return to the audit later; it remains in Working until completed.
1.8 Raising NCRs from within an audit
When you encounter a nonconformity:
Click the NCR button on the relevant requirement.
Choose the NCR template (if more than one is available, or accept the pre-defined one if the question forces it).
Choose NCR type – e.g. Major, Minor, or N/A if types aren’t needed.
Enter:
Title
Description / details
Select who the NCR is raised against – not always the auditee; you can pick another user.
Set a due date if needed (e.g. 30 days to close).
Decide whether to:
Send NCR now, or
Just click Done (the NCR will be held until the audit is completed).
Important behaviour:
NCRs created during the audit are stored within the audit as templates until you complete the audit.
This allows you to:
Discuss findings with process owners.
Change an NCR from Major → Minor.
Convert an NCR into an observation if appropriate.
Once the audit is marked complete, all NCRs associated with it are sent and become active tasks / forms / processes in the relevant people’s workflows.
1.9 Findings: NCRs, observations and actions
The Findings area in Audit Hub shows:
All active NCRs raised via audits.
All closed NCRs.
All observations.
All actions.
When you open an NCR from Findings:
It is pre-populated with all information from the audit.
It clearly shows which audit it was raised against.
There is a link straight back to the specific requirement within that audit.
This closes the loop between:
Audit evidence →
NCR →
Follow-up and closure.
1.10 Reports and performance KPIs
The Reports page comes alive once audits and NCRs are being used. It shows:
Audits in progress
Pending audits
Closed audits
Planned audits (future)
Key KPIs:
On-time vs late – automatically calculated from:
Planned audit dates (from the schedule)
Actual start / completion dates
Overall compliance score:
For every requirement answered in every audit:
Compliant = 1
Non-compliant = 0
Overall score = (Total compliant answers) ÷ (Total requirements audited) × 100%
Example: 90 compliant out of 100 questions → 90% compliance.
You can filter the report by:
Location
Auditor
Schedule (e.g. ISO 9001 schedule)
The page recalculates the KPIs and charts according to your filters.
Further down, Findings reports show:
Findings by location – which sites have more NCRs, actions, observations.
Findings by schedule – which audit programme is generating which results.
Because many NCRs are built on Forms, you can also:
Build dashboards in Form Hub showing:
All open NCRs (from suppliers, audits, internal, external).
Root cause types and codes.
Additional KPIs — all driven from your NCR templates.
1.11 Audit Hub homepage shortcuts
On the Audit Hub homepage you have:
Quick links to Working audits.
Quick links to Findings filtered to “my stuff” (NCRs currently against you).
This makes it usable day-to-day without diving deep into every view.
Use cases
Use case 1 – Building a full ISO 9001 internal audit programme
Scenario
You need an annual internal audit programme for ISO 9001, covering all clauses and sites.
How to use Audit Hub:
Use Audit AI or upload your existing question sets to create ISO 9001 audit requirements.
Build one or more ISO 9001 templates:
“ISO 9001 Annual Audit – Company-wide”
“ISO 9001 Process Audit – Engineering”
Create an ISO 9001 audit schedule and:
Add recurring audits across the year.
Use schedule multiple audits for simple repeat patterns.
Assign locations and auditors per audit.
Run audits, capture evidence and NCRs, and then show external auditors:
The schedule (plan).
The audit records (evidence).
The NCRs and actions linked to each audit.
Use case 2 – Multi-site and departmental audits
Scenario
You audit multiple sites (Bristol, Gloucester, etc.) and departments (Engineering, HR, Production).
How to use Audit Hub:
Set up audit locations such as:
Bristol → Engineering, HR
Gloucester → Engineering, HR
Assign each audit to a location.
Use Reports and filter by location or schedule to see:
On-time completion by site.
NCR volumes by site and schedule.
Use the Findings charts to see which sites generate more NCRs or observations.
Use case 3 – Integrated NCR management from audits
Scenario
You want NCRs raised in audits to follow consistent workflows and appear in your central NCR dashboards.
How to use Audit Hub:
In Audit settings, connect your NCR templates:
NCR forms (internal, supplier).
NCR processes (multi-stage workflows, if needed).
In Audit requirements, pre-configure critical questions to:
Force evidence upload and objective text for nonconforming answers.
Use the right NCR form (e.g. Supplier NCR) by default.
During audits, auditors raise NCRs directly from each clause.
After audit completion:
NCRs automatically become active items in workflows.
Findings and Form Hub dashboards provide visibility on all NCRs, not just audit ones.
Use case 4 – Simplifying audits with observations and gallery images
Scenario
You want audits to capture rich evidence without becoming unmanageable.
How to use Audit Hub:
Use the observations feature for OFIs (opportunities for improvement) where an NCR is too strong.
Decide in Audit settings whether images should appear:
In a gallery at the end, or
Inline with questions (for clause-by-clause review).
Use table view for auditors who like Excel-style auditing.
Access controls and visibility
Audit Hub uses a few mechanisms to control who sees and does what.
Approved auditors
If configured, only users in the Approved auditors list can be selected as auditors for scheduled audits.
This ensures only competent, authorised staff run audits.
Locations and schedules
Assigning audits to locations allows:
Site-specific reporting.
A clear mapping between who is audited and where.
Workflows and “my stuff”
When schedules are released, auditors receive tasks in their Q-Hub workflow.
In the Audits page, “Show my stuff” filters to audits assigned to the logged-in user.
In Findings, you can filter to NCRs against yourself.
Portal users and internal users can both:
Be auditees.
Be responsible owners for NCRs and actions.
See assigned work in their workflow as configured.
(Deeper role-based access and permissions are handled at Q-Hub platform level, outside this transcript.)
Best Practices
These tips are drawn directly from how Audit Hub is designed and from customer feedback mentioned in the session.
Always configure settings first
Connect at least one NCR template (start with a simple NCR form).
Set up locations before you build schedules, so reporting works from day one.
Start simple with NCRs
Begin with one NCR form rather than mixing tasks, forms and processes.
Once the basics are working, you can introduce more complex workflows (e.g. NCR process).
Use generic questions with detailed help text
Instead of one question per clause/sub-clause, use topic-based questions (e.g. “Management review”) and put the clause details in the description/help.
This keeps audits simpler and avoids forcing auditors to provide full evidence for every sub-point unless necessary.
Build templates around real audit patterns
Create templates that mirror how you actually audit (e.g. annual ISO audit, departmental process audits).
Pre-load scope, duration and requirements so scheduling is fast and consistent.
Use “Schedule multiple audits” for recurring work
For audits that recur once/twice a year, configure them once and let Audit Hub create future occurrences.
Leave NCRs in draft until the audit is final
Use the “hold until audit completion” behaviour to:
Discuss findings with process owners.
Adjust NCR severity or convert issues into observations.
Leverage the Reports filters
Regularly filter by location and schedule to understand:
Where audits are late.
Where compliance is weak.
Which programmes (schedules) generate the most NCRs.
Troubleshooting
Issue: “I can’t raise an NCR from my audit.”
Possible causes:
No NCR template has been set in Audit settings.
The auditor is clicking on a question but the NCR option isn’t available due to configuration.
Solutions:
Go to Audit settings and ensure:
At least one NCR form / process / task is selected.
In Audit requirements, check that the question:
Uses the standard requirement options that include “Raise NCR”.
Issue: “I can’t select the person I want as an auditor.”
Possible causes:
Approved auditors is enabled, and the person is not on the list.
Solutions:
Go to Audit settings → Approved auditors.
Add the missing user to the approved list.
Try again in the Schedule screen.
Issue: “No locations are available when scheduling an audit.”
Possible causes:
Audit locations have not been created.
Solutions:
Open Audit settings → Audit locations.
Add your sites and departments (e.g. Bristol → Engineering).
Return to the schedule and try again; locations should now appear.
Issue: “On-time vs late KPIs don’t look right.”
Possible causes:
Audits were completed significantly earlier or later than planned.
Some audits may have been rescheduled, but users still think of them under the original date.
Solutions:
Check the planned dates in the schedule for the affected audits.
Confirm the actual completion dates (audit records).
If appropriate, use Reschedule on future audits to keep planned dates realistic.
Issue: “Audits feel too long and evidence-heavy.”
Possible causes:
Audit requirements have too many questions, e.g. one per sub-clause.
Evidence is being forced for every tiny detail.
Solutions:
Redesign requirements so:
Main topics are questions.
Descriptions guide the auditor on what to look for.
Reserve very detailed, evidence-heavy questions for critical areas only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What’s the difference between audit requirements and audit templates?
A: Audit requirements are the question sets (what you ask / check).
Audit templates are the audit shells: they reference one or more requirement sets and add scope, duration and attachments. Templates are then used in schedules to create real audits.
Q: Do I need to use tasks, processes and forms for NCRs?
A: No. You can start with just one NCR form, or just a process, or just tasks. Connecting more than one template simply gives auditors more options; it’s not mandatory.
Q: When are NCRs actually sent to the responsible person?
A: If you tick “Send NCR now” when raising it, it is sent immediately.
If you leave it unticked, NCRs are sent when the audit is completed. Until then, they remain editable within the audit in case you need to adjust them.
Q: Can I import my existing audit question spreadsheets?
A: Yes. You can upload Excel spreadsheets with your audit questions into Audit requirements, instead of manually rebuilding every question.
Q: How is the overall compliance score calculated?
A: Every audited requirement is treated as Compliant (1) or Non-compliant (0). The compliance score is the percentage of requirements marked compliant across all audits (or the filtered subset you’re viewing).
Q: What’s the advantage of using Audit AI to build requirements?
A: Audit AI can quickly generate a draft set of questions (e.g. for ISO 9001), which you can then refine. This saves time compared to starting from a blank page, while still leaving you in control of the final wording and structure.
Q: How do I create my own audit question set / requirements?
A: From the menu in Audit Hub, select “Requirements” - you will then be able to create your own from scratch (using the upload tool to import existing sets), use one of our templates or use the AI to help (if this is enabled for your company).
Q: What’s the difference between ‘finishing’ and ‘closing’ an audit?
A: "Finish" completes the audit session; "close" is done only after all NCRs are resolved.
Q: Can I add images or files to audit questions?
A: Yes. During the audit, each question allows uploads - images, documents, or comments can be attached as evidence.
Q: Can I pause an audit and resume it later?
A: During an audit the system auto saves the progress meaning you can come back to complete it. It's not submitted until you click "Finish".
Q: How can I view completed audits and their outcomes?
A: Use the “Findings” tab to see completed audits, NCRs raised, and any actions assigned.
Q: How can I export an audit report?
A: After an audit is complete, click "Download Report" to export as a PDF. It includes all questions, answers, and attachments.
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