Tools

The following tools were published on KnowledgeLeader this week:

Operational Risk Questionnaire

In a world where the unexpected can turn business operations upside down, how prepared is your organization to face the challenge? This Operational Risk Questionnaire is the key to uncovering hidden vulnerabilities and fortifying value chain against disruptions that could jeopardize business models. This tool is designed to provoke critical thinking among boards and management, helping them explore scenarios such as losing a strategic supplier, facing infrastructure breakdowns or managing sudden shifts in customer demands. By addressing these risks head-on, organizations can transform uncertainty into opportunity, ensuring resilience and continuity even in the most turbulent times.  

IT Data Management Audit Work Program

Improve your IT resilience and security posture with our IT Data Management Audit Work Program, evaluating data management and IT audit effectiveness. By outlining specific project steps, including tactical alignment and technology leverage, this work program enables you to assess the effectiveness of data governance, stability and reliability within your organization. It highlights critical risk indicators, such as the absence of a comprehensive data management plan and issues related to data integrity and availability, which can impact decision-making and operational efficiency. 

Vendor Payment Policy

Managing vendor payments can be a complex and high-stakes process, but our Vendor Payment Policy provides an essential roadmap to simplify and optimize these critical operations. Through a structured framework that promotes efficiency and compliance, this tool helps businesses navigate the complexities of financial transactions while minimizing risks. Its user-friendly guidelines empower teams to manage payments effectively, ensuring adherence to corporate policies and enhancing overall financial integrity. This audit tool includes two samples that provide insights into various facets of vendor payment management. Sample 1 focuses on the procedures for initiating automated clearing house (ACH) payments, detailing each step from proposal generation to final authorization, including anomaly detection and resolution.  

Audit Services Policy

This Audit Services Policy is designed to enhance the governance and oversight of external audits. Its primary purpose is to establish clear policies and procedures that facilitate effective communication between a company and its external auditors. By ensuring that all personnel are informed and engaged in the audit process, this tool promotes transparency and bolsters investor confidence through rigorous financial oversight. The structured approach outlined in this document aims to streamline audit activities, thereby enabling organizations to maintain compliance and uphold high standards of accountability.  

Journal Entry Policy

This Journal Entry Policy is designed to enhance the accuracy and integrity of financial reporting. With clear standards for preparing, reviewing and authorizing journal entries, this policy ensures compliance with accounting principles and fosters a culture of accountability and transparency. Implementing these guidelines will help mitigate the risks associated with manual entries, ultimately contributing to more reliable financial statements. It is an essential resource for finance professionals seeking to streamline their processes and maintain rigorous documentation practices. This document contains four samples that illustrate various aspects of journal entry management. 

Publications 

KnowledgeLeader has also published several publications this week.

Avoiding Compliance Panic and ESG Anxiety: The Solution Is Not More Controls, It’s Better Governance 

Businesses are being called to move beyond a narrow compliance-driven mindset and embrace governance as the cornerstone of their sustainability efforts. This shift is not just about meeting obligations under frameworks like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) or Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD); it’s about aligning sustainability initiatives with broader strategic goals. Companies that prioritize governance can better demonstrate their commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, satisfying growing expectations from investors and regulators while driving meaningful business outcomes. 

Zero Trust, IGA and AI in Next-Gen Telecom Networks: CISOs’ Convergence Approach 

The integration of zero trust architecture (ZTA), identity governance and administration (IGA), and artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a technical upgrade—it's a gamechanger for security. This powerful convergence creates a fortified framework designed to combat the ever-growing sophistication of cyber threats. With a staggering 94% increase in cyberattacks within the telecom industry over the past year, it has become imperative for leaders to rethink their security strategies to safeguard both digital and physical assets effectively. Emphasizing continuous identity validation and proactive threat detection, this approach also highlights the necessity for seamless collaboration across IT, security and network teams.  

AI Pulse Survey, Vol. 3: From Automation to Autonomy

It’s happening now — fast and furiously. The AI revolution is accelerating toward systems capable of both collaborating with humans in unprecedented ways and making autonomous decisions. Protiviti’s latest AI Pulse Survey shows nearly one in four organizations (23%) has already integrated agentic AI and multiagent AI into core operations, and another 27% plan to do so within six months. At the executive leadership levels, C-suite and board members are more inclined to support AI-driven decision-making than employees at lower levels.   

Recommended Resources 

This list of recommended resources from the web may be of interest to you. Click each link to learn more. 

1. Where Were the Directors? Why Investors Want to Know How Boards Act in a Corporate Scandal
2. FASB Update Refines Reporting Scope for Derivatives
3. AI Maturity: How to Turn Early Adoption into ROI