Tools

The following tools were published on KnowledgeLeader this week:

Export Compliance Audit Work Program

Achieve export management excellence and evaluate your internal controls with our Export Compliance Audit Work Program. The primary purpose of this document is to evaluate the effectiveness of your company's export controls and compliance process, identify opportunities for internal control and process improvements, and assess the internal control environment against the elements needed for an effective export management strategy. 

Direct Charges Audit Work Program

This sample audit work program provides steps to review the direct charges process, including investigating the buildup of direct charge transactions (debits) in the direct charge clearing account. This tool reviews specific audit objectives, such as reviewing accounts payable, billing and financial reporting related to direct charges, while also assessing the control environment. The program emphasizes documenting procedures and developing process maps to visualize workflows and associated risks.

Contract Review Audit Work Program

The objectives of this sample work program are to ensure that all contracts are valid, properly authorized and the mitigate risk of loss and assess whether contracts are executed in accordance with agreed-upon terms. This audit program explores detailed steps for planning, fieldwork and reporting phases of the audit, ensuring thorough assessment of contract validity, authorization and adherence to agreed-upon terms. The document includes guidelines for understanding the legal risks, reviewing policies and procedures, and verifying the execution and approval of contracts.

Plant Operations Audit Work Program

Use this audit program to assess and improve your organization’s plant safety environment compliance. Divided into two main sections, the document covers the Plant Operations Safety Audit Work Program and the Plant Operations Security Audit Work Program. The Safety Audit section outlines steps to determine the plant's safety environment, compliance with safety regulations, and addressing previous safety issues, involving a preliminary review, interviews with safety personnel, and assessment of compliance with OSHA and other regulatory bodies.

IT General Controls Assessment Report

Discover the benefits of our IT General Controls Assessment Report, specifically focusing on critical areas such as logical access, operations management, change management and the system development lifecycle (SDLC). It provides an executive summary outlining the background, audit objectives, scope of work, significant findings and conclusions. The report offers detailed observations and agreed-upon action plans to address issues related to the above critical areas.

Employee Stock Option Termination Policy

Use the procedures and guidelines in this policy to handle stock options when employment is terminated. This policy ensures that terminated employees are aware of their rights and obligations regarding vested and unvested stock options. It mandates that terminated employees must exercise any vested options within 30 days, or they will be automatically canceled. The document also details the step-by-step process for HR representatives to manually terminate employees in various systems, update payroll, and manage the transfer of data to the online equity administrator.

Publications 

KnowledgeLeader has also published several publications this week.

Technological Compulsion: Understanding Its Impact on International Relations and Geopolitics

Technology plays a critical role in geopolitics today and is an active agent in international relations. The aim of this article is to explore what technological compulsion is and the reasons behind it. This article also examines how technological compulsion affects international relations and geopolitics and the conditions under which it arises. It uses historical anecdotes and contemporary events to point out that technological compulsion exists.  

Low-Code Applications Yield High Value, Big Change in Less Time

The urgent need to develop a successful competitive strategy and align your supply chain to it has become apparent in recent years. So why haven’t successful implementations of enterprise technology systems kept pace to support this critical need? Take a closer look at how low-code platforms can be used by almost anyone to develop the tools needed to improve processes and foster a competitive advantage.  

ISO 20022 Compliance Countdown

ISO 20022 was published in 2022 to create a common language for financial institutions and market infrastructures around the world which, in turn, will streamline payment processing and improved data analytics. The new global messaging standard provides a unified language for electronic data interchange between financial institutions. It is intended to result in increased transparency, speed and inoperability. It will also provide valuable enriched data to enhance financial crime compliance efforts. This article discusses how companies should prepare for migration and deal with the attendant compliance requirements and opportunities.  

Recommended Resources 

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

1. BOI Filing Requirements for US Companies, Persons Removed
2. Governance Intelligence Invites Professionals to Join Survey on Succession Planning
3. New Telco Network Guidelines Mirror Old Payment Card Standards, Offer Important Lessons for Operators