Users may attach to the workbook any audit evidence or supporting work papers such as scanned documents, PDF, Excel, Word, photos or audio/video files at the appropriate audit steps to achieve fully paperless files if desired. They may also use this function to insert hyperlinks to external documents and websites (say on Sharepoint or Google Drive).
- Select the attachment button from the options from the drop-down box at the end of any work item:
- Click file from the dropdown and navigate to the file location
- Display name may be different from the default name of the attachment file - if left blank display name defaults to the file name:
- Click add and the file is uploaded - it will then be accessed from the hyperlink created:
- Optionally an attachment may be added by dragging and dropping onto a work item from the file manager
- Referencing is automatic -based on the page and work-item number – attachments are displayed in the index as follows:
Links may be created to documents and spreadsheets in Sharepoint or Google Drive to work on them collaboratively:
- Add a link within the AA file to provide easy access to the files
- Once complete these documents and spreadsheets will need to be uploaded as attachments to form part of the audit file (unless they are not critical to the audit work but are for reference only)
- For example, say we are tracking our time/cost using a Google Drive spreadsheet and want to link the spreadsheet link into Audit Assistant on the Strategy page:
- Paste the link into the link box, then edit the display name to show a more meaningful name for the link. Then add:
- The index will display as follows:
- Clicking the link will open it in a new window in the browser.
- Remember that if the file is to form part of the final audit file (i.e.contains audit evidence) then at the end of the job the link should be replaced with the actual copy (PDF say) of the document.
To create links to attachments in other parts of the workbook open the original page and target page in different windows and drag and drop attachments between the pages - this creates a duplicate path to the file (e.g. files uploaded by the client in items required for audit page that are needed elsewhere in the file)
All attachments uploaded may be viewed by clicking on the attachments link in the sidebar: 
- To delete an attachment or link, click the edit icon next to the attachment download, and click the delete icon at the bottom right
- To replace an attached file, click the edit icon on the attachment, click the replace file button, and then upload the new file – the old file will be deleted
- To amend an attached file (say an Excel spreadsheet comparing several years of data that is to be updated), download the attachment by clicking the link, make the changes then use the replace file button to re-attach, replacing the previous version
- The name of the attachment may also be amended from the attachment dialogue box once edit is selected
- There is no limit to the number of attachments that may be added, but be aware that these attachments will affect the size of the final PDF audit file and very large files may take some time to roll over – so choose smaller versions of files if possible
- NOTE: individual attachments are now limited to 250MB
Cross-references may be made to attachments from comments by editing the comment and selecting the attachment name from the drop-down list:
- Attachments may be accessed by a reviewer, may be carried forward for future years and they are attached to the rolled-over PDF version of the job
Where a paperless file is not required (for a printed file that does not require audit evidence to be uploaded), a placeholder may be added to the index for items physically filed in the hard copy audit file:
- In this case, type the name of the work paper in the attachment box then select the hard copy document check-box and select add to create
- The reference will again show on the index referenced with the work item on the parent page but with an icon identifying it as a shared copy attachment (an empty page rather than with a paperclip included):
- Third-party users may also add attachments where the auditor has shared a page for gathering information for the audit