Frequently Asked Questions

IMS-Audit Cloud is a web-based audit management software (SaaS) for integrated management systems. It covers the complete audit process: planning, conducting, and evaluating audits, tracking actions (CAPA), creating 8D reports, and assessing risks. The software runs in the browser without installation — including on tablets right on site — and is hosted GDPR-compliant in Germany, with a dedicated, separate database per customer. It is built by Simon-Softwareentwicklung, based in Marktheidenfeld, Germany, with around 25 years of experience in audit software.

IMS-Audit Cloud is aimed at QM teams from owner-managed mid-sized companies to international corporations — across industries, including automotive, medical technology, and mechanical engineering. Typical use cases are internal audits, supplier audits, and preparing for certifications to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, or IATF 16949. Thanks to multi-tenancy, several plants, sites, or departments can be managed cleanly separated within a single licence.

Ready-made question catalogues are available separately, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, IATF 16949, ISO 50001, ISO 13485, EN 9100 / AS9100, ISO 22000, ISO 27001, and ISO 17025. You can create your own catalogues free of charge at any time or import them via Excel.

The ready-made standard catalogues are available separately. Just get in touch — an informal email to service@ims-audit.de naming the catalogue you would like is all it takes, and we will get back to you with the details.

Yes. Master data (e.g. people, processes) and question catalogues can be conveniently imported via Excel.

Yes. Every customer gets their own database, and IMS-Audit Cloud is multi-site capable: each site, plant, or even department can be assigned to its own tenant within your database — keeping everything cleanly separated in a single system.

The IMS-Audit Cloud interface is available in seven languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Czech, and Polish — ideal for international teams and sites.

Yes. Answers in the audit question catalogue are automatically translated into each user's display language. For example, the auditor in India can answer in English and their colleague in Germany can read the answer in German — and vice versa. Your company only needs to store its own DeepL API key in the settings once; without a key, everything works as before. Translation is economical: each answer is translated only once per language and stored, and re-translated automatically when it changes. The original is always preserved — when editing and in all reports you see the unchanged original text, and translated answers are marked as “machine-translated”.

Yes. The complete IMS-Audit Cloud manual is available as a free PDF download — in English and German. It walks you step by step through every part of the application: from your first login to master data, question catalogues, audits, actions, reports, administration, and the training environment.

• Download manual (PDF, English)
• Handbuch herunterladen (PDF, Deutsch)

You pay per user per month — with volume discounts: 1 user €49, 5 users €245, 10 users €400, 20 users €749 (each per month, billed annually, net plus VAT). All modules are included in every plan — no hidden module fees. Larger teams on request.

The training environment is a self-contained practice area with its own separate database alongside your production environment — ideal for training sessions and onboarding new team members. Your administrator assigns separate credentials (login and password) for it, so your team can sign in and explore all features freely without touching real audit data. The administrator can reset and re-initialize the training environment at any time.

From the 20-user plan onwards, the training environment is included. In the 5- and 10-user plans, you can add it for €29 per month (net, billed annually).

Yes. In a personal meeting we show you IMS-Audit Cloud live, focused on your topics — and you can put your questions directly to the developer. Simply schedule a meeting or request a quote via our quote assistant. There is no setup fee.

The minimum contract term is 12 months from the provisioning of your access. After that, the contract automatically renews for successive 12-month periods unless it is cancelled in due time. Please note: contracts and our terms and conditions are concluded in German.

With three months' notice to the end of the current contract term. Cancellation simply requires text form — an email to service@ims-audit.de is sufficient; a hand-signed letter is not required. What counts for meeting the deadline is when your cancellation reaches us. Please note: contracts and our terms and conditions are concluded in German.

You can reach our support team by email at support@ims-audit.de and by phone at +49 9391 916621 — Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (German time, except on public holidays in Bavaria). Support is fully included in the cloud price: there are no additional charges for questions about usage, incidents, or your contract.

All IMS-Audit Cloud data is hosted exclusively in Germany — on our own dedicated server hardware in a certified Hetzner data centre. No shared cloud hosting: the machine is not shared with third-party customers — it is used exclusively for IMS-Audit Cloud. Your data never leaves Germany and is fully subject to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Every customer gets their own separate database — your data is kept isolated from other customers' data. All traffic between your browser and the server is encrypted throughout (TLS).

As a data processor, we conclude a data processing agreement (DPA) with you in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR, which sets out in detail the technical and organizational measures protecting your data. We are happy to provide it before you sign, on request.

We provide IMS-Audit Cloud with an availability of 98.5% as an annual average. This is based on operation in a German Hetzner data centre with an assured network availability of at least 99.9%. Scheduled maintenance windows are excluded and are announced in advance.

Your database is backed up automatically every day. Backups are stored on separate, physically remote storage — so your data survives even if the server or the entire server location fails (e.g. due to a hardware defect, fire, or theft). In the event of a failure, we restore operations from the most recent available backup.

You can export your data yourself as an Excel file at any time — including during the contract term. That way, your audit data is always available to you independently of the cloud. After the contract ends, your database remains stored in a locked state for another 30 days, so you can catch up on an export or request a copy. Once this period expires, your database is completely and irrevocably deleted. On request, we are happy to provide you with a full copy of your database as a PostgreSQL backup before deletion.

If you wish, you can protect every account with two-factor authentication — using Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator, or any TOTP app. Roles and granular permissions additionally control who can see and edit what.

No. IMS-Audit Cloud runs entirely in your browser — on PC, laptop, and tablet. You can conduct audits on site, and if needed even offline via Excel with a subsequent re-import.

Yes. IMS-Audit Cloud is a pure web application and runs in all common browsers (e.g. Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari) — with no installation. You can work platform-independently: on Windows, on Mac, and on the go on a tablet (e.g. iPad), which is especially convenient for conducting audits directly on site.

For comfortable work, we recommend a device with a sufficiently large screen, such as a PC, Mac, or tablet. Due to screen size and the amount of data displayed, a smartphone is less suitable for daily work.

No. As a cloud solution, IMS-Audit Cloud is maintained centrally by us — new versions, feature enhancements, and security updates are rolled out automatically. You always work with the latest version, without having to install or update anything yourself. These software updates are included in the cloud price; the ready-made standard catalogues are the exception and are available separately.

Existing customers can continue to use IMS-Audit Desktop; downloads are available in the existing-customer area (German). For new projects, we recommend the cloud version.

Yes. Your existing data from IMS-Audit Desktop can be converted to the cloud environment by us — so you don't have to start from scratch, but keep working with your familiar audit data, catalogues, and history. Just talk to us when you switch; we will agree the migration process with you individually.