Fraud Detection & Deterrence - A major threat to corporate earnings comes from fraud and malfeasance, which on average accounts for 15% of corporate expense. This astounding statistic seems to fly in the face of managers' typical cautionary attitudes towards people. Fraudsters know how to disguise their guile and game the system until the time and opportunity are right for them to strike, and they don't tend to look like criminals. Fraudsters do not only work in the mail room or the bookkeeping pool; the high dollars associated with fraud stem from the fact that they are often found on the executive floor. ValuePoint assist management identify fraud risks that are associated with process weaknesses and cultural factors, and shore them up with appropriate controls. We also can help you identify behaviors that can be associated with fraudulent activity, or the potential for fraud.
Operational Performance Improvement & Employee Engagement - Process weaknesses can be both cause and effect of ineffective employee performance, but there is always interaction of dynamics that lead to unacceptable results. Process improvements can be very helpful in bringing outcome measures into alignment with business objectives. However, improvements will be effective only if the people involved remain and increase their productivity. Employees who are engaged with their work typically provide a 30% output bonus to employees who are not performing to expectation.
ValuePoint assists managers and employees to identify and overcome issues that are impeding engagement with their roles and performance.
Legal Liabilities - The expense from legal liabilities can easily be in the millions of dollars, and the "soft costs" can include lost time, unwanted turnover, lowered productivity, and negative PR. Depending on the company and industry, top liability expenses can come from employees charging discrimination, harassment, sexual abuse, toxic work environment, and ADA and OSHA infringements. Product liabilities, conflicts over partner relationships, and complaints brought by neighbors or environmental groups, are also part of the expense of doing business. However, there are numerous ways to mitigate or manage these risks, beyond the traditional utilization of insurance products.
ValuePoint assists companies to identify operational risks that lead to high legal liabilities, to make intelligent cost/benefit decisions on potential strategies and tactics to reduce risk and costs.
Corporate Governance & Compliance - Software has made a tremendous improvement in the development and reporting of appropriate controls and good business practices. Unfortunately, it still requires the attention and activities of many people in the organization to ensure that the processes in place are managed and maintained. It is also imperative that compliance is a program that cuts across and through the organization, and there all employees are appropriately oriented and trained to perform their required piece of the controls. Governance must ensure that management roles in compliance are clear and that everyone knows what is a liability, what is misconduct, and what is good business.
ValuePoint assists HR with the design and roll-out of effective control processes, including orientation and training programs, to ensure compliance.
Culture, Trust & Ethics - Operational risk, including fraud and legal liability, can stem directly from an organizations culture and the behaviors of its managers and workers. Corporate values can be too theoretical and may not relate directly to "how we do business around here." These inconsistencies can be quite costly, and it is well know that conscious attempts to change cultures range from very difficult to impossible. However, changing individual operational processes and individuals' behaviors are indeed doable.
ValuePoint assists management to identify risks and the people, process, and systems that may be abetting them. We them work with a risk management team to identify modifications that are time and cost effective.
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