Audit-ready CSV to XLSX conversion
In regulated industries (Finance, Healthcare, Legal), "I just opened the file in Excel" is not an acceptable data lineage procedure. Excel changes data silently (dates, numbers, formats).
If an auditor asks, "How do you know this Excel spreadsheet accurately reflects the source CSV export from the database?", can you prove it?
The Challenge of Determinism
Standard Excel conversions are non-deterministic. They depend on user settings, regional locales, and Excel versions. Two people converting the same file might get different results.
For an audit trail, you need a process that is reproducible and verifiable.
Hashing for Integrity
The best practice is to compute a cryptographic hash (like SHA-256) of the input data and store it with the output. This creates a permanent link between the source and the document.
Built-in Chain of Custody
SterileCSV is designed for audit readiness. Every conversion generates a Summary Sheet within the Excel workbook containing:
- SHA-256 hash of the input CSV.
- SHA-256 hash of the output data.
- Timestamp and version used.
Furthermore, the conversion is deterministic. If you convert the same file ten years from now on a different computer, you will get the exact same byte-for-byte output.