Future of Controls

Article

Future of Controls

A bold and positive vision

In this global perspective on the Future of Controls (“FoC”), we examine the evolving risk landscape and key trends that are influencing internal controls. We offer a clear Future of Controls vision aligned to a wider business strategy, share relevant case studies, and dive into the three levers that help you assess your current state and shape your journey to achieve your vision.

The global risk landscape is in a constant state of flux, making it a moving target for controls efforts. Consequently, addressing risk is never a “one-and-done” job. In fact, it requires constant vigilance and a bold and positive Future of Controls vision to keep organizations safe as they strive to drive value.

Informed by industry trends, Deloitte has developed a strategic vision and road map for Future of Controls that provides an opportunity to rethink what controls can and should be, both for today and tomorrow. Understanding and applying this vision cannot only be instructive to the process but can also help organizations create a structured approach to their own controls journey. This point of view takes the next step, providing the leading practices and guidance to help organizations make the bold moves required to begin their Future of Controls journeys.

Challenges and trends influencing the Future of Controls

Now more than ever, organizations are operating in a world of unknowns. Understanding the challenges and leveraging the trends can help businesses navigate through these uncertainties and transform them into opportunities for growth and success. To do so, we have examined the evolving risk landscape and key trends that are influencing and reshaping the future of internal controls.

Explore the Future of Controls

Global Benchmarking Survey Insights Deloitte's 2024 Global FOC Survey, with over 500 participants from leading organizations worldwide, reveals key themes and actionable insights to enhance your controls strategy. Discover how to advance your organization's controls maturity. 

Click here to access the full survey.

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Creating a bold and positive vision

Controls can be challenging for organizations that struggle to get even the basics right. However, the role that the risk and controls community has played during the pandemic gives us hope. Today, we see clear trends and individual cases of creativity and innovation that help us to imagine a bold and positive future for internal controls.

In our paper, we demonstrate how a robust risk and controls environment can help organizations become more agile and resilient, and support accelerated digital transformation—all of which help companies better utilize automation in operating and monitoring their controls. We offer a clear vision that is aligned to a wider business strategy and links to the underlying business purpose and goals to assist organizations in embedding a robust controls environment, and help them thrive in this volatile and complex business environment.

Reimagining the Future of Controls

Our paper describes three key levers that help drive the internal controls journey: 

  1. Reconstructing the internal controls framework - building a true data-driven agile framework that mitigates known risks, anticipates and apprises the organization to emerging risks, delivers value, and drives focus
  2. Designing the next generation controls operating model - reimagining the key principles of the operating model and the enablers that can help change mindsets, develop capabilities, and assist businesses to embrace, operate, and embed controls as part of the organization’s DNA
  3. Establishing the controls technology ecosystem - leveraging the digital transformation and utilizing controls automation to help alleviate some of the pressure on the internal controls functions in cost reduction, efficiency drive, and effective management of risks and opportunities. And at the same time building confidence, intelligence, and performance—three key elements of a successful FoC journey

We explore these levers in detail and provide examples from global organizations that demonstrate the trends and successful business engagements that help achieve the Future of Controls vision.

A typical journey

The Future of Controls journey may vary from organization to organization based on the maturity of the controls environment, the level of regulatory compliance pressure they endure, and the specific industry trends they need to manage. However, irrespective of the level of maturity and transformation, the vision, mission, goals, and key levers we discuss can help organizations customize a controls road map that fits their specific business goals. To that extent, we have outlined a typical six-step road map for a successful FoC journey.

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● Define your Future of Controls vision and aspirations

● Define your FoC business case with clear qualitative and quantitative values and effort

● Define your success factors, key performance indicators (KPIs) and governance mechanism

● Design an integrated controls framework covering the key operational, compliance, and financial reporting risks across the end-to-end value chain

● Develop a risk-based framework with due consideration to the risk appetite

● Integrate risks and opportunities linked to business performance

● Leverage the ERP system and utilize controls configuration-based automation

● Establish controls technology ecosystem, utilizing technologies outside the ERP and data harvesting through outlying systems to utilizethe benefits of digital transformation

● Focus on preventative and a “hindsight to foresight”-based controls automation

● Integrate risks and opportunities linked to business performance

● Establish a clear first-line ownership and accountability

● Integrate the second line, bringing consistency and helping to create value across the risk domains

● Maintain a shared ambition supported by data, capability, culture, and incentives

● Promote integrated assurance through a risk aligned second and third line of defense

● Create a positive culture by winning hearts and minds

● Provide continuous support to the first line

● Introduce appropriate incentives with strong consequence management

● Create an automated continuous-controls monitoring framework

● Document a clear set of controls health indicators supported by smart reports with dashboarding facilities

● Make use of a comprehensive fit for purpose governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) platform for comprehensive controls monitoring

Download the print-ready version or interactive report to read the full report.

We are in a period of unprecedented uncertainty with the confluence of technology revolution, global pandemic, merger and acquisitions and private equity funded disrupters. Organizations should not passively search for answers—they should take action now or they may face a chasm so wide and deep, between their pace of customer-facing innovation and their controls programs, that legacy programs may stifle growth and prevent them from realizing their prospects. The time to act is now.

To further explore the key themes and trends, and for more information about how Deloitte can help you succeed with your Future of Controls journey, please connect with us.

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