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The expanded scope of audit committee responsibilities is daunting. More than ever, top management and boards of directors are being held accountable for identifying, managing, and monitoring company risks. Audit committees need to oversee accurate financial reporting and disclosure, and help to sustain regulatory compliance, strengthen internal controls, and improve risk management. The increasing stakeholder expectations, along with the desire to make better use of organization monitoring and risk management, call for audit committees to marshal resources in the best ways possible. One resource at which audit committees should be looking for help is internal audit. Here are 10 ways to help audit committees get the most out of internal audit.

A simple question from a board member, such as ýWhat are we doing about ERM?ý can be intimidating. Enterprise risk management means different things to different people. Since it is an organizationwide process, its successful development is complex and takes time. The best way to develop an appropriate answer is to start by understanding the context of the board memberýs question and why itýs being asked now. What is the directorýs perception of ERM? How might it differ from your own view? Consider at a high level what the value of ERM might be in your organization and how you could reach consensus to obtain optimal value from the sustained effort required. ERM is a multiyear journey, and drawing up a strategic road map is a more appropriate response to the question than hurriedly compiling a comprehensive and detailed inventory of risks.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act proved to be an arduous process for many public companies, yet these requirements cover only a slice of the total risks facing businesses. The starting point is to identify the effectiveness of risk-related activities the organization has already put into place. Gaps are then identified and prioritized, thereby making signficant progress on the journey to a more integrated, efficient, and value-driven approach to risk management.

To improve risk management, CEOs and CFOs need to set the appropriate tone at the top. The CAE is an often overlooked resource for improving ERM and enhancing governmance. If the capaibilities of current auditors are perceived as inadequate, then it is up to company leaders to support upgrading skills, hire a more experienced CAE, seek outside assistance, or take other steps to address this criticall business issue.

Business transactions can be thought of as ýconversations,ý where information is exchanged as documents, email messages, instant messages, and fax transmissions. Effectively communicating with your customers, partners, and suppliers through any combination of these can be a significant challenge. Therefore, it should be no surprise that companies around the globe struggle to solve this problem without increasing their labor costs. This white paper proposes a five-step approach to automate an accounts payable operation, describing the typical costs of processing invoices manually and the saving that can be achieved with each of the incremental steps.

Roadmap to Success: Driving Bottom-Line Results with People Performance Finally, a roadmap for large companies to help ensure that employee performance drives positive bottom-line results! Download the eGuide ýRoadmap to Success: Driving Bottom-Line Results with People Performanceý and learn from the insights of todayýs leading HR experts. Youýll discover: * How employee performance and aligning personal goals to company objectives deliver tangible value and cost savings * A simple, but effective model to drive higher levels of employee productivity, motivation, and retention * How your organization compares to other large companies in maximizing employee performance to drive results

Reap the Benefits of Automated Performance Management More and more, small and mid-sized companies are enjoying huge time and cost-saving benefits from automating their performance management and review processes. Isnýt it time your company enjoyed the same benefits? To learn more, download the complimentary eGuide ý9 Critical Reasons to Automate Performance Managementý today. Inside this valuable eGuide, youýll discover how an automated system can help your company: -- Streamline painful paper-based review processes -- Boost employee performance and morale -- Implement a true pay-for-performance culture, and more Youýll also learn about the leading web-based automation solution designed specifically for small and mid-sized businesses.

The Missing Link: Driving Business Results Through Pay-For-Performance It's no secret: leading businesses have discovered the power of linking compensation to employee performance. The results? Greater productivity, employees focused on company goals, and higher performance at all levels. Now it's your turn. Learn how you can drive amazing results through Pay-for-Performance by downloading this complimentary eGuide today. What you'll learn: -- Scenarios where Pay-for-Performance is most effective -- What business benefits you can expect -- 3 critical steps to developing a successful Pay-for-Performance culture

Eliminate performance review headaches Small and mid-sized businesses: Discover how to make your companyýs employee review process easierýand more effectiveýwith the free eGuide, ýThe Secret to Effective, No-Hassle Performance Reviews.ýIn this eGuide, part of the HR Insider Series, youýll learn how you can: ý Simplify your review process and reduce paperwork ý Deliver higher quality reviews using writing and coaching tools ý Link and track individual goals against company objectives Discover the faster, easier way for small and mid-sized businesses to tackle employee reviews. Download your free eGuide now.

Many segments of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) market have traditionally been considered as horizontal service offerings with a value proposition driven by cost-savings and efficiency gains. However, as market requirements intensify, BPO solutions are increasingly becoming more industry-specific. The nature of these changes can range from the adoption of industry-specific terminology to more asset-intensive approaches in the form of dedicated industry-specific platforms. As the demarcation between horizontal and industry-specific offerings blurs the BPO value proposition is expanding beyond the bottom-line to more directly target clientsý top line performance. This piece takes a close look at how this movement toward industry-centric BPO is unfolding in the case of the finance and accounting outsourcing (FAO) market.

This whitepaper examines how organizations can meet the challenges of a down economy by extending capital asset performance, reducing maintenance costs and providing decision support guidelines around capital allocation.

Banks and financial services organizations of all sizes are now more concerned than ever about risk and compliance management. New banking products, increased government scrutiny and intense focus on operating efficiencies bring forth greater risks and a larger set of rules and regulations. This white paper discusses the current risk and compliance environment for banks and financial institutions, strategies for successfully implementing Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) programs and how technology can be leveraged to adopt a holistic approach to risk and compliance management.

Organizations charge their CFOs, controllers, and other business users with meeting governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) requirements for their business processes. However, while there are general computer control and IT security systems, these users have no readily-available, automated way to carry out their application-level GRC duties. The result? Internal and regulatory audits are conducted manually, exacting a high price in time, money and aggravation.

Pearl Meyer & Partners’ Executive Pay in the New Economy surveys in February 2009 and November 2008 examined the changing executive pay outlook among boards, executives and human resource professionals across a broad range of industries, organization sizes and ownership structures.

Midsize organizations can break their dependence on error-prone spreadsheets for key processes like planning, budgeting, forecasting, analysis, and reporting. Read this IBM Cognos white paper to learn about a modern performance management solution made for the cost-conscious midsize organization.

As part of an ongoing research program, the Beyond Budgeting Round Table (BBRT) teamed with the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) to conduct a study entitled “Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting: A Best Practices Snapshot.” The study examined five industry-leading companies that each used markedly different approaches to planning, budgeting, and forecasting. While each of the companies approach was different, the study identified ten best practices that were continued in and vital to the overall success of these best in class organizations. This white paper will outline these best practices and illustrate each lesson learned.

In an ideal world, you’d like your staff to spend less time on data collection and more time on business analysis. You know you need a better solution for financial performance management – planning, budgeting, forecasting, consolidations, analytics and reporting. But during the current economic downturn, cost-cutting measures and making the most of existing resources have become the order of the day. So, if you’re like most midsize businesses, you probably think financial performance management applications are beyond your means. And you continue to rely on the familiar spreadsheet for just about all of your financial performance management needs.

Even in the best of times, few companies are consistently adept at implementing strategies. This paper addresses the specific challenges top leaders are facing in today's very difficult environment. The continuing struggle to effectively implement new strategies continues to place at or near the top of every CEO's list of concerns.

High-profile corporate scandals and ensuing regulations—especially Sarbanes-Oxley—have focused corporate attention upon compliance and risk management. But many organizations seem to be following the letter rather than the spirit of the law, taking a procedural (or check-box) approach rather than a management (or cultural) approach. In the sixth article of a series, Jeremy Hope, of the Beyond Budgeting Roundtable, suggests that CFOs should regularly review key pressure points for excessive risk taking, provide a framework of effective strategic controls, and demand the highest standards of transparency and ethical behavior.

Without the right tools, however, it is difficult, if not impossible, to see how money is being spent in your company -- what’s been committed, as well as what’s in the pipeline awaiting approvals to be spent. Download this report from Ventana Research to learn how automating company spending processes will improve accuracy, promote visibility and empower you to control all company spending.