How to Ensure Regulatory Compliance in Manufacturing Industry?

Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) management is an integral part of an organization’s management strategy. Once the management identifies the benefit of adopting a GRC platform, the next question that comes up is that how to choose the best GRC platform suitable to your organization? Not all platforms are the same. The key is to set the right expectations and perform the due diligence before you choose your vendor.

Growth is something that organizations have their eyes fixed on. They are cautious of wasting precious time and money in costly lawsuits, compliance risks resulting in penalties, or reputational damage. Internal controls help establish procedures and policies to keep the organization compliant, prevent employees from committing fraud, and improve the organization’s operational and financial efficiency.

When the internet and technology are the lifeblood of modern business operations, it is no wonder that data privacy has taken the center stage. According to a Pew Research Center report, 79% of consumers have raised concerns about personal data that organizations collect. These concerns have as much to do with discrimination and law as they do with ethics and policy. Across the EU, UK, USA, China, Singapore, and virtually every other location on the planet, the regulatory landscape for data privacy has changed and continues to evolve. In the EU, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR enforceable in 2018) and its policies have effected change worldwide.

A holistic GRC management is incomplete without policy management. In an ideal world, policies guide an organization to follow the rules and regulations, prepare for internal and external audits, and finally keep the organizations away from risks. However, the reality seems to be different. Many of the organizations seem to have only very basic policy management system in place. It can cause severe consequences as it leaves you at the risk for financial losses, security breaches, and overlook the improvement initiatives.

The primary role of auditors is to help the organization remain compliant and meet its objectives efficiently. The growing and changing needs of stakeholders, crisis management requirements, and uncertainty have widened the scope of internal audits. In response to these requirements, new trends have emerged in the field of internal audit that will add value to the organization and guide it through the landscape of risks.

According to an analysis by Atlas VPN, credit card fraud cases surged by 104.7% when you compare Q1 of 2019 and 2020. Likewise, Julie Conroy, a research director at Aite Group, reported that by the end-2020, credit card fraud losses in the US amounted to a staggering $11 billion! These facts make it clear that the digital payment ecosystem is rife with vulnerabilities. After all, security gaps can emerge at various points of handling, storage, and transmission, such as at POS devices, e-commerce apps, Wi-Fi hotspots and personal computers.

The importance of good corporate governance for an organization’s success has been a topic discussed across. However, even though organizations keep in mind the principles, the different models and all the aspects of good governance, there is always scope for error and that is why issues in corporate governance are in abundance. Especially accountability issues.

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Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and managing risks in an organization. In times of uncertainties, the organization looks to risk managers to make crucial decisions about risk management and mitigation. Risk officers are required to bring all stakeholders on the same page and decide on the organization’s risk appetite. Risk appetite and risk tolerance are the two essential concepts in risk management around which misconceptions and confusion are prevalent.

In the modern-day market and workplace, risk is a part and parcel of business operations. Considering the shift to remote working, threats and potential vulnerabilities are ever present, which is why risk management is now a top priority. As a matter of fact, in 2021, General Data Protection Regulation fines rose by around 40%. Big names like the Marriott and British Airways incurred fines of $23.8 million and $26 million, respectively, for data breaches. This is the cost of poor risk assessment and management controls in today’s economic climate. Thankfully, auditors and risk management teams can get ahead of such problem areas with clearly defined key risk indicators (KRIs).