Turning Regulatory Compliance Into a Competitive Advantage

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced business environment, regulatory compliance often carries a stigma, viewed as an unnecessary burden rather than an opportunity. However, embracing compliance can unlock significant advantages for organizations, setting them apart from competitors. As we navigate the complexities of compliance in 2018 and beyond, it’s crucial to explore how adhering to regulations can enhance operational efficiency, foster customer trust, and ultimately drive profitability. This article delves into the transformative potential of compliance, shedding light on its role as a strategic asset that can propel businesses forward.

Putting more pressure on Regulatory Compliance

To begin, let us take a look at the legal stresses that businesses are having in 2018.

We all know how important it is to have a good compliance program in place so that you don’t get prosecuted, don’t have to pay fines, and don’t get harsh sentences if you do break the rules badly. We’ve also seen, though, that good legal processes can have big, positive side effects on how a business runs and even give it a competitive edge.

Better handling of information leads to better choices.

Regulation can lead to better data control, research, and reporting, which can give us some useful information. The following are some of the best information management techniques that are often driven by the need to comply:

• Are getting rid of a lot of old content, including personal information that should have been thrown away when it was no longer needed.
• the standardisation of how unorganised content is named, tagged, and grouped so that it is clear what things are, what they’re called, and how they’re described.
• System harmonisation and the creation of uniform files, which make it easier to get rid of old legacy apps
• Putting in place good record-keeping and legal records management methods

When businesses handle their data well, they can find more useful information that helps them make better choices.

Showing leadership in compliance will boost customer trust.

People who want to do business with partners and suppliers who share their beliefs and attitude of compliance are easy to find. As an example, we are learning that social and environmental duty are becoming more important to the growth of businesses.

The Natural Marketing Institute polled more than 53,000 customers and found that 58% of them think about a company’s effect on the environment when deciding where to buy goods and services, and they are more likely to buy from companies that do things that are good for the environment.

It can also go the other way. Losing customers’ trust and the image of your brand can happen if you don’t show good business practices. A lot of people (64%) say they won’t do business with a company that had their personal or banking information stolen.

Companies that comply win.

Following the rules can sometimes mean the difference between winning and losing a business. From a legal point of view, protecting private data is important, but if a cloud services seller or managed services provider doesn’t follow the appropriate security and data privacy standards and laws, that’s probably the one thing that stops you from choosing them.

The research firm Forrester says that DPOs and CISOs will make sure that all vendors who handle client data, such as device IDs and social security numbers, follow GDPR and ePrivacy rules. Those needs will be put into each RFI and RFP.

Being careful in the supply chain helps the bottom line.

A well-thought-out compliance program includes not only the company’s own actions but also those of its partners. There are more problems and disruptions caused by suppliers, such as problems with privacy, quality control, and information security. Also, regulators are paying more and more attention to supplier risk, which means companies need to do a better job of managing their supply chain risk. Third-party risk management is still one of the hardest things for chief compliance officers to do for these reasons.

To figure out what your third-party suppliers are doing, you have to look deep into your supply chain and be patient as you follow the trail to the source. A company that does this well not only makes their own supply chain more clear, but also the supply chains of their providers. And being able to see and keep track of things leads to better working conditions, higher efficiency, and lower costs, all of which affect the bottom line.

You now know

With the help of technology, a full compliance program can bring in more money, improve performance, and make an organisation more resilient.

You can be sure that starting or improving a safety program will cost money. On the other hand, many businesses have found that spending in compliance gives them a competitive edge and increases shareholder value. It also makes good business sense. Have a great 2018!

Conclusion

In conclusion, regulatory compliance should not be seen merely as a set of obligations to be fulfilled but as a powerful catalyst for growth and competitive advantage. By effectively managing compliance initiatives, companies can improve decision-making, enhance customer relationships, and streamline their supply chains. Investing in a robust compliance framework not only protects businesses from legal repercussions but also positions them to thrive in an increasingly complex marketplace. As organizations prioritize compliance, they pave the way for a more sustainable and profitable future, ultimately turning regulatory challenges into strategic opportunities.