A compass helps you to stay on course as you head towards your destination provided the world is flat. However, a compass can never prevent you from losing your way when you have as many dimensions as there are compliance programs. To maintain your direction across multiple dimensions you need a gimbal rather than a compass.
A gimbal is a pivoted support that allows rotation of an object about an axis. It is specifically designed to handle multiple dimensions and always let's you know which way is up no matter how much the world around you has changed its direction. In today's changing landscape knowing which way is up is what helps keep organizations from falling outside the lines and risking their businesses.
When you have three of more gimbals you can turn in any direction and you will always know your orientation in relation to a particular direction (i.e. the direction you have targeted). And knowing this is precisely what you need to properly adjust your course to make sure that you reach your destination and why organizations need an effective navigational system.
Each component of GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) functions like a gimbal oriented across the dimensions of each compliance program: quality, safety, environmental, regulatory, and ethics. Each GRC gimbal works together with the others to always let you know where you are relative to your compliance obligations when the landscape is always changing.
It might be time to upgrade your navigational system to one that can handle all the dimensions of your compliance obligations.
