Increasing Risk Liability and Pressure Mounting on Franchisors

Audit Management, blog, Compliance Management, Compliance Monitoring Software, Risk Management

The movement in the US for a higher minimum wage has taken a new angle in attacking large franchisors, and it could threaten to rip apart the franchising industry as we know it. There are now consolidated cases going before the National Labour Relation Board which claim that a franchisor – such as McDonald’s, one of the companies being attacked – is actually a joint owner with its franchisees.
If the board rules against McDonald’s, it would mean that the corporation could be liable for wage underpayments or other violations, even things that aren’t related to the franchise agreement. The franchise owners would also basically lose their “business owner” status and be more subject to corporate policies. They would become, essentially, corporately-controlled outlets instead of franchises.

Earning China’s Trust through Auditing and Compliance

Audit Management, blog, Compliance Management, Compliance Monitoring Software, Risk Management, Supply Chain, Trust

If you were to try and imagine a new business opportunity that could literally double or triple your revenues quickly (or more), most business owners would get fairly excited. Opportunities like that don’t come along very often, but a great deal of Australian business owners are now looking head-on at one later this year.
The free trade agreement with China that will come into effect by the end of 2015 will undoubtedly affect many different industries over time, but the fresh food industry is first in line to reap big rewards.

How Technology is Helping Organisations Manage Compliance

Big Data, blog, Compliance Management, Compliance Monitoring Software, Risk Management

Technology is changing the way businesses, and the world, operates at an almost blinding speed, and for many companies the struggle to keep up with the constant changes demanded by new developments can be extremely burdensome.
A simple example in the case of customer-facing assets is the emergence of social media as a platform for sales, marketing and customer service. This requires a new skill set, as well as a reimagining of business policies and processes.

Fleet Maintenance Safety and Compliance, Keeps Your Wheels Turning

Audit Management, blog, Risk Management, Transport & Logistics36 Comments

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Having worked in the transport and logistics industry sector for the past 20 years, and auditing thousands of small, medium and large transport operators across Australia, I can say with confidence those transport operators who choose to take a systematic and preventative approach to Fleet Maintenance Management outperform and win more business than those who choose to stick with reactive type maintenance regimes.

What is the Role of Compliance in Managing Corruption?

blog, Risk Management31 Comments

what-is-the-role-of-compliance-in-managing-corruptionIn today’s world we are seeing a crackdown worldwide on bribery and corruption.  Organisations around the world charged with this task include Australia’s ICAC, whilst in the USA there is the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the UK has the Serious Fraud Office and there is also Transparency International – fighting corruption worldwide.

There is a very high likelihood of prosecution and subsequent fines or even jail time is higher than ever if your conduct is suspected to be corrupt. Businesses must be confident that their systems currently in place to prevent corruption are strong enough to stand up in court.  

5 Ways A Compliance Officer Is Like A Swiss Army Knife

Audit Management, Big Data, blog, Compliance Management, Compliance Monitoring Software, Risk Management35 Comments

bigstock-Red-Army-Knife-multi-tool-on--53358448It will come as no surprise to any compliance officer that the skill sets they must possess often stray far from any “textbook” definition of the job. What they may not consider is that, at times, their job may have a lot in common with the more exotic skill sets required of spies, gamblers, and diplomats.

Compliance officers are often treated as the corporate equivalent of a Swiss Army knife—a multi-disciplined tool ready to handle any problem shuffled upon them.  The compliance officer is expected to be multi lingual in the sense that he or she is speaking the languages of lawyers, regulators, HR, auditors, bankers, investors, and whatever other specialists populate the marketplace and supply chain.

8 Steps to Help Compliance Officers Audit Their Mass Management System

Audit Management, blog, Risk Management, Transport & Logistics34 Comments

bigstock--D-Render-of-a-Fleet-of-Delive-14487167-1

Whether you are a Mass Management accredited operator or not you should be striving to maximise the capability of your fleet (return on investment) whilst ensuring continued compliance with the Road Transport and Safety laws.  

On a daily basis we come across operators (large and small) who for one reason or another have not invested in formalising their approach to Mass Management. These operators, miss out on the immediate productivity and efficiency gains and ultimately become less competitive in this thriving transport and logistics market. The freight task is growing at a rapid rate and if you want to continue to be a player you need to demonstrate to your supply chain that you have the required systems in place to give them assurance that you can deliver best value for money.