Board notes

Audit Trail

By Palesa Makhado, Ms

Audit Trail records the evidence around a board build: feeder lot IDs, placement file revisions, first-off approval and AOI outcomes. It is written for electronics teams who need each handover tied back to a specific run, panel or carton.

On an SMT floor, small admin gaps become production problems quickly: the setup photo is missing, the job mail does not mention the line, or the dispatch note leaves out carton and pallet counts. Audit Trail is our note on keeping board builds, parts movement and handovers properly recorded.

Typical gaps include missing reel labels, unmarked program tweaks and dispatch paperwork that does not match packed quantities. If you need to discuss the audit trail, use the contact form.

Records captured at line handover

Line name and job number logged
Setup image showing feeders and board direction
Placement file revision and server location noted
Operator, setter and inspector names recorded

Use Audit Trail alongside the wider Board notes entries when a build moves from setup into inspection and packing. The journal hub is useful for process context, while equipment pages cover the machine or feeder details behind the record set.

Where Audit Trail fits into an actual production week

Audit Trail covers the records that matter when boards move from setup to inspection. Use it to tighten traceability around reel lot capture, placement program changes and AOI results on assembled PCBs. It suits teams that already know the product and need cleaner line records.

Start with the product code, panel count and the exact point where the record begins. A Johannesburg line dealing with dust, a Durban site managing coastal moisture, and a Cape Town team working around courier cut-off times will not keep identical evidence in the same order. Those differences affect label checks, storage notes and when photos should be taken.

Capture the first images before feeders are changed and before loose labels disappear. One photo of the setup, one of the first accepted board, and one of packed cartons usually answers later questions faster than a chain of messages. The aim is to preserve what the line looked like at the moment the build was signed through.

Evidence kept with the build

The result should be a usable trail from incoming reels to packed shipment. That means counts on labels, carton totals, board status and inspection findings all point to the same job record. A short, consistent log is more useful than a long note that leaves key fields blank.

Link Audit Trail to the relevant reflow and inspection notes when a fault spans more than one stage. Before dispatch leaves site, verify carton labels, pallet counts and any hold tags against the recorded quantity. Audit trail questions are easier with a clear image of the line as it stands.

Trace points matched to each run
First-off approval stored with images
Dispatch records tied to packed counts

South African line conditions affecting records

Audit paperwork on local electronics sites often has to survive power cuts, split shifts and late courier collections. At OR Tambo export handovers or regional warehouse dispatch points, mismatched carton and pallet figures create avoidable queries. Older industrial premises also tend to rely on printed tags and handwritten pack sheets, so the digital copy must be checked against what physically leaves the building.

Coastal air can make bag condition, desiccant status and storage timing worth noting on sensitive parts. Inland dust makes machine cover openings, feeder cleaning and sensor checks more relevant to the trace record. Where loadshedding interrupts a run, note the stop time, restart time and whether first-article approval was repeated.

Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.

Handover records by run and carton

File the record while the run details are still on the line and cartons are still accessible. Pair the audit note with the project trail and any buyer documents so that quantities, labels and inspection status remain aligned.