Compliance = acting in accordance with the rules and policies

The word compliance usually means "being in harmony with the rules" or "acting in accordance with the rules". These are rules affecting the given entity (company, organization, public entity), consisting of both external (law) and internal rules (ethical values, standards and policies relating to the entire entity or its part). These rules then must be complied with by the entire organization, its employees, as well as its managers and representatives.

Compliance = team

The word compliance also refers to a team whose goal is to guarantee that rules are observed. The team may involve either an individual, a standalone team, or a number of coordinated positions across different work teams, depending on what is most efficient for the company.

Compliance Management System (CMS)

"Compliance with the rules" can be reached in many ways. Each organization uses resources and methods meeting their needs and internal structure. The common feature is a mixture of a variety of tools, measures, training, scheduled stages, which are altogether known as a Compliance Management System. It is actually a programme the goal of which is continuous maintenance of the „state of compliance“.

Functions of compliance:

Prevention (helps form an environment where being "in accord with rules" is considered natural)
Identification (identifies risks and suggests how to prevent them)
Response (responds to already materialized risks)
Consulting (helps apply changes to rules and controls across the company)
Monitoring (monitors existing controls and regularly reports to the management)

Why compliance?

Protection

Traditionally configured CMS protects organizations from sanctions imposed by authorities and associated inconvenience (e.g. deteriorated reputation, prevention of criminal liability of legal entities, criminal liability of managers). The goal of such CMS is to comply especially with external rules (i.e. the law). In layman's terms, CMS allows you to sleep well.

Increased business value

CMS configured in accordance with modern trends improves the original benefits of the system, adding value. It pivots around the point of its original purpose, supported with the actual will of the company to comply with rules and their own ethical values. This way, the company actually demonstrates their own determination and interior quality. That increases trustworthiness of the company in the eyes of external partners. For the employees, the company then becomes a more attractive employer, they are more loyal, stay longer and bring new job candidates with similar views and expectations. In the long term, such an organisation achieves higher return on investment. In layman's terms, CMS increases the business value of the organization.

Do you need more information?

Do you find compliance unclear? Are you striving to define the role of compliance? Are you deciding between different implementation options?

Are you considering implementation of compliance?

Are you dealing with the problem of making your employees comply with rules? Of how to achieve compliance with standards? Of how to adjust your existing compliance system? Of how to test efficiency of your compliance system?

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What is compliance