Publications

January 30, 2012
Poll: Top Priority Risks in 2012
This week's poll question asks: "Which of the following risks is top priority for your organization in 2012?"
CONTENT AREA: Polls
TOPICS: Information Technology Risk, Social Media Risk, Strategic Risk, Communications Industry, IT Infrastructure

January 23, 2012
Additional Governance Considerations
This section of the "Guide to Public Company Readiness – Frequently Asked Questions" focuses on additional governance considerations. Topics covered include: How can a pre-public company ensure that it has in place a sufficient set of corporate governance, risk management and compliance capabilities? Are public companies required to maintain an internal audit function? And, how many corporate directors do boards typically contain?
CONTENT AREA: Questions & Answers
TOPICS: Corporate Governance, Audit Committee & Board, Internal Audit, PCAOB, Change Management, Initial Public Offering

January 23, 2012
COSO Issues Exposure Draft for Updated Internal Control – Integrated Framework
On December 19, 2011, the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) issued an exposure draft detailing proposed updates to its Internal Control – Integrated Framework, which was first introduced in 1992. In this podcast, Protiviti Managing Director Jim DeLoach summarizes COSO's proposed changes to the framework.
CONTENT AREA: Podcasts
TOPICS: Risk Assessment, IT Controls, COSO, Internal Controls, Entity-Level Control

January 23, 2012
Lean Management
One of the concepts that is gaining popularity is called “lean management” or “lean performance.” It’s based on the principles from Toyota’s production system (TPS). These concepts helped take Toyota from a small car company to one of the market leaders in the automotive industry in terms of quality and efficiency.
CONTENT AREA: Articles
TOPICS: Materials Management & Inventory, Change Management, Cost Management, Project Management, Performance Management/Measurement

January 23, 2012
Mobile Applications Present Opportunities and Challenges for the Hospitality Industry
The pace of change in mobile device technology is rapid and unpredictable for firms that manufacture and distribute tablets and smartphones – and it is no slower for industries using mobile technology to attract, serve and retain customers. One emerging aspect of the rapid evolution of mobile devices is the race across all industries to publish mobile applications that allow customers to interact more directly with their favorite brands – and empower brands to better connect with their customers. This article suggests tactics for reducing risk.
CONTENT AREA: Articles
TOPICS: Information Technology Risk, Social Media Risk, Hospitality/Gaming Industry, IT Strategy

January 23, 2012
Poll: Smartphone Security
This week's poll question asks: "Regardless of industry, is addressing smartphone security a top priority for your organization in 2012?"
CONTENT AREA: Polls

January 23, 2012
Salesforce.com uses ERM to support ‘V2MOM’: Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles and Metrics
Salesforce.com is an enterprise cloud computing company that provides comprehensive customer management and collaboration applications and an application development platform to businesses of all sizes and industries worldwide. John Beeler, salesforce.com’s Senior Vice President of Internal Audit, discusses internal audit’s performance-oriented role in ERM. “Our team’s performance is measured by meeting the objectives outlined each year in the company’s goal-setting process, which we refer to as the ‘V2MOM’ process,” Beeler says. “This stands for Vision – what we want; Values – what is important about it; Methods – how we achieve it; Obstacles – what prevents us from achieving it; and Metrics – how we know when we have it.”
CONTENT AREA: Performer Profiles
TOPICS: Enterprise Risk Management, Technology Industry, Internal Audit, Performance Management/Measurement

January 16, 2012
2011 Internal Audit Capabilities and Needs Survey - Telecommunications Industry Point of View
Protiviti’s Internal Audit Capabilities and Needs Survey assesses the current skill levels and areas for improvement of internal audit executives and professionals. This publication reviews specific data from respondents in the telecommunications industry and provides findings on how they compare with the overall results of the survey, top areas for improvement, and the broader telecommunications industry trends they represent.
CONTENT AREA: Survey Reports
TOPICS: Communications Industry, IT Controls, Continuous Auditing, IT Audit, Change Management, France

January 16, 2012
COSO Framework Update Strives for Incremental Change
The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations' proposal to modernize its landmark framework to govern internal controls is finally here—and is being praised just as much for what it doesn't change as for what it does. "I don't see companies that have already used COSO having to change anything very much," says Norman Marks, Vice President at SAP. A look at the tech-centric, globalized overhaul is inside.
CONTENT AREA: Articles
TOPICS: COSO, Process-Level Control, Internal Controls, Entity-Level Control

January 16, 2012
Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance
This section of the "Guide to Public Company Readiness – Frequently Asked Questions" focuses on Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Topics covered include: What are some of the leading practices among Sarbanes-Oxley compliance efforts at pre-public companies? Does an external auditing firm need to verify a company’s Sarbanes-Oxley compliance readiness prior to the IPO? And, moving forward after an IPO, what resources does a public company require to sustain Sarbanes-Oxley compliance?
CONTENT AREA: Questions & Answers
TOPICS: Sarbanes-Oxley Act, External Auditor, Section 404-Internal Control Reporting, Change Management, Initial Public Offering