Tools

The following tools were published on KnowledgeLeader this week:

Code of Business Conduct Policy

This Code of Business Conduct Policy is a powerful resource for upholding ethical standards and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. It provides actionable insights to help you identify risks, address violations and foster a culture of accountability across all levels of management. It emphasizes the importance of transparency, proactive monitoring and consistent enforcement, helping businesses safeguard their reputation while driving operational excellence.

Invoice the Customer: Sales System Order Entry RCM

A successful risk management strategy requires a strong internal control environment. The risk control matrix (RCM) format emphasizes that strong and risk-oriented internal control environments are often optimized with automated/manual controls, depending on the situation. An RCM provides an overview of different control objectives that organizations should take into consideration and the corresponding controls to safeguard the company against risks, which may arise if not checked timely. Once customized to an organization, this document can help the user in assessing each control. The control assessment can then also be summarized to develop an action plan.
This document outlines risks and controls common to the 12.1.3 Invoice the Customer process in a risk control matrix (RCM) format.

Bank Branch Internal Audit Work Program

Our Bank Branch Internal Audit Work Program is designed to provide a structured approach for conducting internal audits in banking institutions. This tool serves as a valuable resource for bank branches aiming to meet regulatory requirements and maintain governance standards. It includes detailed audit procedures across 13 samples, each tailored to specific banking functions such as cash handling, account management and security protocols.

Corporate Responsibility Audit Work Program

This Corporate Responsibility Audit Work Program provides a detailed framework for conducting audits of a company’s corporate responsibility program (CRP), ensuring compliance with established benchmarks and regulatory requirements. It outlines the audit objectives, which include evaluating the effectiveness of the CRP, measuring adherence to compliance standards, and ensuring the implementation of the seven elements of an effective compliance program. The scope encompasses inquiries with the corporate responsibility officer (CRO); reviews of meeting minutes, policies and procedures; assessments of educational activities; and evaluations of environmental risk management processes. Additionally, it includes steps to examine excluded provider screening processes and ensure compliance with corporate integrity agreements or settlement agreements.

Accounts Receivable Policy: Cash Collections

Our Accounts Receivable Policy - Cash Collections outlines essential procedures and guidelines for managing customer credit and the collection of accounts receivable. It focuses on enhancing cash flow management while minimizing bad debts through systematic processes. This policy emphasizes the importance of timely collections, proper credit approvals and maintaining professional relationships with customers. By establishing clear roles and responsibilities, this document ensures that all personnel involved in the credit and collection processes are aligned in their efforts to optimize financial outcomes for the organization.

Physician Contract Compliance Review Audit Report

Navigating the complexities of physician contract compliance is a critical challenge for healthcare organizations. Our Physician Contract Compliance Review Audit Report is designed to help you evaluate and enhance your physician contracting and payment processes. This audit framework focuses on ensuring alignment with federal regulations such as Stark I, Stark II and the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute—laws that govern the design, documentation and execution of financial arrangements with physicians. The report provides actionable insights through a detailed review of active physician contracts and associated payments. It identifies key compliance risks, such as missing documentation, incomplete contracts, inconsistent payment practices, and nonadherence to regulatory requirements like one-year term lengths or fair market value provisions.

IT Security Policy

This IT Security Policy is designed to protect the information assets of an organization, addressing the pressing need for robust data security in a complex digital landscape. This policy outlines a set of standards, procedures and responsibilities that collectively shield the company's technical, financial, staffing and customer data from unauthorized access, use or destruction. It ensures that a number of  potential security concern is addressed systematically, from employee compliance to network security.

Publications 

KnowledgeLeader has also published several publications this week.

Auditor Changes Roundup: Q1 2025

Audit Analytics provides a detailed analysis of auditor transitions in the first quarter of 2025, highlighting trends in client gains and losses among major audit firms. The first quarter of 2025 brought notable shifts in the audit industry, with key trends emerging from auditor transitions. CBIZ CPAs led the charge, gaining 21 clients after acquiring Marcum’s attest business, while KPMG and Deloitte each saw net gains of 12 clients. These developments reflect the dynamic nature of the audit landscape, shaped by mergers, client reallocations and strategic adjustments.

Back to Basics: Why Sustainability Initiatives Persist Despite Challenges

Take a closer look at the enduring importance of sustainability in business practices, even amidst economic and sociopolitical pressures. Companies are not abandoning their sustainability initiatives but rather adjusting their strategies to align with evolving circumstances. The primary benefit of this focus is that organizations can enhance operational resilience and sound risk management, recognizing sustainability as a crucial element for long-term value creation. The current relevance lies in the need for companies to navigate climate risks effectively, as recent events have underscored the financial implications of neglecting sustainability. This information encourages leaders to reassess their sustainability efforts, ensuring that they remain integrated into core business operations.

AI Pulse Survey, Vol. 1: From Exploration to Transformation — What AI Success Looks Like

Uncover how organizations worldwide are adopting and optimizing artificial intelligence, with an insightful view into the evolving stages of AI maturity. This survey report, summarizing the results of Protiviti’s inaugural AI pulse Survey, takes you on the journey from early AI exploration to transformative, organization-wide integration, highlighting the nonlinear path to ROI and the varying challenges faced at each stage. These actionable insights can help you align AI strategies with broader business objectives, maximize data value, and develop the skills and infrastructure necessary to achieve sustainable, long-term success. This information is particularly valuable now as the pace of AI innovation accelerates, making it crucial for organizations to move beyond pilot projects and cost-saving initiatives toward scalable, strategic adoption that fuels innovation and competitive advantage.

Recommended Resources 

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

1. Auditing Standards Board Proposes a New Fraud Standard
2. Prevention Is Better Than Remedy: Majority of Investors Say Governance Gaps Attract Activists, Research Shows
3. PCAOB Chair Erica Williams Is Stepping Down