Admins: Automapping

Overview

One of the strengths of the IT Audit Machine is in our patent pending automapping. In the compliance space, automapping refers to the process of integrating and aligning various compliance frameworks and standards into a cohesive and unified set of controls. This approach simplifies compliance efforts by identifying commonalities and overlapping requirements across different frameworks, allowing organizations to implement a single set of controls that meet multiple regulatory requirements.

Key Benefits of Automapping:

  • Efficiency: Automapping streamlines compliance efforts by reducing the need for manual mapping of controls across different frameworks.
  • Cost-Effective: Reduces the time, cost, and complexity of compliance by leveraging existing controls and practices.
  • Consistency: Ensures consistent implementation of controls across various regulatory requirements.
  • Automation: Utilizes tools like A.ITAM and integrations with external cloud platforms to automate the mapping process, further reducing manual effort.

Automapping Simplified

Automapping syncs data across fields within the entity assigned the same template code. By enabling this feature and consistently using the same code across form fields containing the same data, you can save time on data entry. Still, you can also keep your information up to date across multiple forms in a more streamlined and manageable manner.

Using Automapping

Enabling or Disabling Automapping

Automapping can be enabled or disabled via the form properties. When editing the form, click the Form Properties tab at the top of the toolbox on the right of the form editing screen. Then click on the Show More Options link to expose the additional form options. Scroll to the Advanced Options section near the bottom and check the Enable Auto-Mapping checkbox to enable the feature. Remove the check from that checkbox to disable the feature.

Enabling this option will allow automapping for the whole form. Once enabled, all fields within that form with a template code that matches other enabled forms within the same entity will have their data synced.
Caution!
When a form is disabled or put into audit mode, automapping is disabled for that form. When the form is reenabled or taken out of audit mode, syncing is once again enabled for that form.

Adding a linked Template Code

It must first have a template code to enable a particular field to participate in automapping. Template codes are part of field properties, located in the toolbox toward the bottom of the field property tab of most field types. A template code can be any alphanumeric code, including dashes. The two fields will become associated by entering a code into this field, the same as the code on another field on a different form within the same entity. They will automatically sync up when data is changed on one of the forms.

Note: To avoid accidental syncing, you should choose a code that is unique. Existing template codes are visible through the form builder and selecting the field you want to automap with.

Automapping is a simple yet powerful feature of the IT Audit Machine. As we have seen, it is simple to enable and use, yet it can pay rich dividends in simplifying and managing data entry and updates across your entity's forms.

Now that we have covered the basic ways a form can be configured, it is time to look at how to build it to meet your goals. We will do this using the Form Builder, which we will cover next.