Key concepts
This page defines the core nouns you will encounter throughout Better Comply and this documentation. Each term links to the area where you can learn more about working with it.
Everyone. New users should read this before exploring the feature-specific guides.
Training
A Training is a piece of learning content assigned to employees. It has a name, a category, and one or more versions. Each training sits in the Training Materials library, managed by administrators.
Related: Training Materials
Version
A Version is a specific snapshot of a training's content and quiz. Content in Better Comply is versioned so that the audit trail records exactly which version an employee completed. A version moves through states: pending review, approved, and active. Only one version is active at a time; older versions are preserved for the audit record.
When an administrator publishes a significantly updated version, Better Comply can automatically re-enrol prior completers so they recertify on the new content.
Related: Training materials
Assignment
An Assignment links one employee to one training. It carries a status (Not started, In progress, Completed), a due date, and - when configured - an overdue flag. Assignments are created automatically by campaigns and onboarding rules, not one by one.
Campaign
A Campaign is a named batch of assignments. An administrator creates a campaign, selects a training, picks the target employees (or uses attribute filters), and launches it. Campaigns are the primary way to assign training at scale - a new quality procedure, a regulatory refresh, a one-off annual recertification.
Related: Campaigns and assignments
Onboarding rules
Onboarding rules are attribute-based auto-assignment rules. When a new employee is added, or when their job attributes (activity, plant, line, workstation) change, the system checks every rule and creates the matching assignments automatically. No administrator needs to remember to assign the forklift safety training every time a new operator joins the line.
Related: Campaigns and assignments
Evidence
An Evidence record is the immutable proof that an employee completed a training. It captures: who completed it, which training version, when, quiz score, and (when required) the electronic signature. Evidence records can never be changed or deleted - this is a compliance requirement. Auditors inspect evidence records to confirm that training was completed against the correct version of a procedure.
Related: Compliance and audit-readiness
Certificate
A Certificate is a PDF document generated from an evidence record. It includes the employee name, training name, version, completion date, and quiz result. Employees can download their own certificates from the History page. Certificates are generated from the immutable evidence record and can be regenerated at any time.
Related: For learners
Controlled document
A Controlled document is any document whose content is governed by the QMS: a standard operating procedure (SOP), a work instruction, a quality plan, a risk assessment, or a policy. In Better Comply, each controlled document has a code (e.g. SOP-QA-001), an owner, and a lifecycle state.
Related: Controlled documents
Lifecycle state
The Lifecycle state is where a controlled document sits in its governance cycle. The states are:
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being authored; not yet submitted for review |
| In review | Submitted; awaiting approval |
| Approved | Approved by a Quality Admin with an e-signature; not yet active |
| Effective | The current operative version; can be used as a training source |
| Superseded | Was effective but a newer version has been made effective |
| Obsolete | Withdrawn from use; no longer effective |
Only one version of a document can be Effective at any time. When a new version is made Effective, the previous one is automatically moved to Superseded.
Related: Controlled documents
Audit log
The Audit log is the immutable chronological record of every significant action in Better Comply. It cannot be altered. Each entry records: what happened, who did it, when, and any relevant details (e.g. which document version was approved, or what quiz score was achieved). The Audit page gives administrators a filtered view and a CSV export.
The audit log is fail-loud by design: if the audit record cannot be written, the underlying action is rejected. This ensures there is never a regulated event without a corresponding log entry. See Compliance and audit-readiness for the full design.
Related: Quality review and audit
Role
A Role determines what a user can see and do in Better Comply. Every user has exactly one role. The five roles are:
| Role | Short description |
|---|---|
| Employee | Completes own trainings |
| Team Lead | Manages a team; completes own trainings |
| Quality Admin | Full access to all QMS workflows |
| HR Admin | Full access focused on people and training compliance |
| Corporate Admin | All of the above plus system configuration |
For the full breakdown, see the Roles page. For the complete permissions matrix, see Reference.
Quality Review Queue
The Quality Review Queue (at /quality/review-queue) is where Quality Admins and Corporate Admins see work that needs human judgement: training versions waiting for approval, documents flagged because their source has changed, and recertification decisions. It is the central inbox for quality assurance tasks.
Related: Quality review and audit
Electronic signature
An Electronic signature (e-signature) in Better Comply is a 21 CFR Part 11 compliant identity re-verification that a user attaches to a specific completion or document approval. The user either re-enters their password or draws a signature on screen, and the system records their name, timestamp, IP address, and confirmation text. The signature is permanently attached to the evidence or approval record.
Related: Compliance and audit-readiness