Many organizations identify the need for a program to help them meet all their compliance obligations. They will then procure a computer program (or a suite of them) that claims to be the best solution to their compliance challenges and help them achieve compliance success.
After implementation, they may observe the solution has helped them report on data and metrics, store and manage procedures, keep track of controls, and remind them when to get ready for their next audit.
However, many will also discover their quality, security, safety, sustainability, or environmental outcomes have not improved. They are still just as uncertain as they were before that their compliance efforts are making a difference to what really matters.
What they most likely thought they purchased was a compliance program; something that could actually advance outcomes and help them stay ahead of risk.
A computer program while necessary to manage information and may help to achieve certification is not enough for compliance success.
If you want to make a qualitative difference to compliance outcomes you need a compliance program and preferably one that is operational.
Don’t make the mistake between computer and compliance programs. Make sure you have what you really need for mission and compliance success.
