Concepts and Terms Used by ANSI Compliance Solutions

Each of the concepts listed here is explained in more detail in the subtopics below.

Settings:
ACS (ANSI Compliance Solutions) gives you a great deal of flexibility in defining the way it functions. Configuring the tool to your company's needs is done by editing "settings." Usually, only a subset of users in your company will be allowed to alter the settings.

Reviews:
A "review" is ACS' basic work unit. Once set up, you can determine which requirements apply to that review, assess the non-compliance risks involved, write tasks to promote compliance, and create outputs. The review applies to a set of "jurisdictions" and to a selection of "locations and operations." The jurisdictions determine which requirements might apply, and the locations/operations are the units for which you will evaluate each of these.

Review Setup:
Before you begin a review, you need to define the parameters which limit the review and the team of people who will implement it. This is done in "review setup" (for more information, please see Help on Specific ACS Pages > Reviews > Setup).

Screening:
"Screening" is the term used to describe the process by which you decide which of the requirements for your jurisdictions apply to your review. Screening starts with a "high level" screening that is available in ACS, and consists of two steps: answering qualifying questions to eliminate requirements, and answering high-level applicability questions to determine if each remaining requirement applies. The second part of the screening, available with ACS, is called a "detailed screening" in which you review each high-level requirement you indicated was applicable, and select detailed requirements (actions) that apply to your review.

Assessment:
"Assessment" is an optional step, usually performed between a high-level screening and a detailed screening. It is used to determine which high-level requirements are most urgent. You can then prioritize and do a detailed screening and task writing for high-risk subjects, first.

Tasks:
"Tasks" may be written for each detailed requirement you indicate is applicable within ACS. These tasks provide the mechanism for implementing compliance activities that your review indicates are necessary.

Worksheets:
At any stage of your review, you may generate worksheets that contain various ways of looking at the review's data. These may be used directly or can be a mechanism for importing results into other programs.

Updating (Versions):
Since the requirements in our database are constantly being updated, your review will eventually become out of date. "Versioning" is a powerful tool for keeping your review current with minimal effort.