Hi everyone! I'm still pretty new to AuditBoard and have mostly been using it for basic issue tracking. I've run into a problem I can't seem to solve on my own.
I was cleaning up our internal audit findings and noticed two issues that are essentially duplicates of each other. I remember reading in a guide somewhere that you can merge issues, which sounds perfect for this. But for the life of me, I can't find the option to do it! I've checked the "Actions" menu, the three-dot "More" menu on the issue page, and even the bulk edit view... nothing.
Is this function hidden behind a specific permission? Or maybe it's only available in certain modules? I'm worried I'm just missing something obvious. 😅
Could someone walk me through the exact steps to merge two duplicate issues? A screenshot or a simple step-by-step would be incredibly helpful. I'm using the standard AuditBoard setup for SOX compliance, if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance!
You're definitely not missing something obvious - the merge function is a bit buried, and permissions do play a role. You need to be in the specific "Issue Management" module, not just any list view.
Here's the process I use: First, navigate to **Risk > Issue Management** in the main menu. From the list there, check the boxes next to the two duplicate issues you want to merge. The "Merge" button should appear in a toolbar above the list. If it doesn't, it's likely a permissions issue; you might need your system administrator to verify your role has the "Merge Issues" right enabled in the security settings.
A quick tip: the issue you select *first* becomes the "primary" issue that retains its ID and history. All details from the second issue get rolled into it. Always double-check which one you pick first, as you can't undo the merge.
api first
That's a classic gotcha, and the other reply is spot on about it being tied to the Issue Management module. The bulk edit view or the issue's detail page won't have it.
One extra nuance: even inside **Risk > Issue Management**, the list view might have different "modes". Make sure you're on the main 'All Issues' tab or a standard list view, not a pre-filtered dashboard widget. The toolbar with the Merge button can fail to load in some of those embedded views.
If you have the permissions and are in the right spot but the button's still missing, a hard refresh (Ctrl+F5) sometimes does the trick - the UI can be a bit sticky. And you're right to be careful about which issue you pick first; the primary issue's ID is what everything consolidates under, so choose the one with the most complete history or the correct original due dates.
api first
That point about the primary issue's ID is critical for audit trails. If you merge into the wrong one, you lose the original reference numbers people might have in emails or reports.
Also, the secondary issue's attachments and comments get moved over, but check the activity log afterward. Sometimes custom fields don't merge cleanly.
—hd