Compliance Management Systems (CMS)

Development of compliance management systems (CMS) and corporate governance consulting incl. effectiveness review

For most companies by now, Compliance Management Systems (CMS) are part of standard operations. We have found the structure and distinctiveness of the CMS to vary, depending on the degree of maturity.

With regard to describing a CMS, most models are similar, with few exceptions. Most of them contain standard elements such as tone from the top, codes, guidelines, standards and controls, third party due diligence, whistleblower system, help desk, training and communication, reporting, monitoring, effectiveness checks, and others.

equia and its employees possess deep understanding of all aspects of a CMS. Our compliance expertise has been gathered through expert activities for the U.S. DOJ and interactions with German-speaking law enforcement agencies, as well as its many years of own operational experience in the area of compliance.

Murat Üranüz
CEO

+41 44 585 35 55
mail@equia-ag.ch

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Our Services:

  • Development of a CMS

  • Compliance advice on individual CMS components

  • Transference of compliance requirements into operational processes

  • Integration of compliance-relevant structures into an overall system

  • Effectiveness check of your CMS (adequacy and efficiency)

Development and expansion of a CMS

We structure our compliance advice for developing a CMS and corporate governance based on an actual assessment and analysis of the existing compliance risks within the company. We offer our clients full support in the setting up and implementation of a sustainable CMS. In this process, we make sure to avoid standardized approaches as they might not be suitable for all companies. Rather, we tailor our approach to meet the individual needs of the client.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, we choose to work with the existing structures within a company. Most companies have a certain structure in place, and then it just becomes a question of formalizing, specifying and cohesively working on that structure so that it becomes a working CMS and can work effectively.

Compliance advice on individual CMS components

equia can also offer specific elements of a CMS, such as tone from the top, codes, guidelines, standards and controls, third party due diligence, whistleblowing, helpdesk, training and communication, reporting, monitoring, effectiveness checks, etc. rather than an entire package, should that be a client’s preference or need. When doing so, we take the technical system framework conditions of your current CMS into consideration and integrate our work results homogeneously into the existing structures.

Transference of compliance requirements into operational processes

Compliance guidelines are only effective in daily business, if they are deeply embedded in processes. This for us, is a hallmark of success. To achieve this, we support you in designing your compliance specifications in a process-oriented manner and embedding them in your daily business. This ensures that compliance in operational business is not viewed with fear and scepticism, but as an inherent part.

Our advice implements the compliance guidelines into the operative processes to the extent that we even analyze the features of account assignment methods in accounting and make recommendations where necessary to ensure an increase in efficiency of monitoring activities of compliance-sensitive transactions. Wherever possible, we use your system or ERP technical framework to automate process steps.

Our satisfied clients give us regular feedback, confirming that our suggested measures and recommendations for integrating compliance guidelines into their operative processes has led to more transparency and thereby to a gain in productivity.

Integration of compliance-relevant structures into an overall system

In some companies, corporate governance and in particular, organizational or accountability structures, do not consistently support an effective CMS. Our sources tell us that silo mentality remains strong within companies and realizing synergies is difficult.

We firmly believe that compliance-related areas such as risk management, internal audit, internal control, financial accounting, must all work together to achieve and maintain sustainable compliance.

It is with this in mind that equia takes a holistic approach to compliance advice mandates, thereby avoiding sector-specific insular solutions. We offer you full support in integrating the necessary compliance elements of your CMS into your existing governance structure, and to connect it to other key parts, such as internal audit, risk management and ICS responsibility. We believe this is the key to a sustainable and effective CMS.

Effectiveness check of your CMS (adequacy and efficiency)

For companies keen on assessing the effectiveness of their CMS structures, equia offers customized effectiveness checks, with the audit scope of compliance procedures and transactions being determined together. equia can analyse right up to the transaction level if the compliance guidelines in place have been met or not.

We can subject your entire CMS to a so-called stress test as well. This goes well beyond an IDW PS 980 assessment, as thanks to equia’s forensic expertise and highly stringent testing, a more accurate status is achieved. Interviews of management and analysis of transaction data is part of the CMS effectiveness review.

A comprehensive written report containing the results of the effectiveness check as well as accompanying documents and recommendations for action will be handed over to you, giving you the opportunity to track the results on a transaction-by-transaction basis and prioritize any measures that may be taken.

Get in touch with us!

Questions about our consulting services? Want to discuss a specific case? Contact us!