Many organizations today must navigate a complex web of compliance requirements. They use multiple frameworks, standards, and certification regimes - each with their own audit processes and methods. While this may fulfill individual compliance objectives, it can create significant operational inefficiencies and risks.
A significant problem is duplication of effort. Organizations end up maintaining separate systems, processes, and documentation for each compliance program. There are cross-references, mappings, and workarounds to try to integrate these siloed approaches. But all this complexity makes everything more difficult - for both the organization and the auditors.
The temptation is to just accept the burden and keep running parallel compliance tracks. This allows organizations to check the boxes and get the necessary certifications. But is that really the best approach? What's more important - certification or true compliance effectiveness?
Streamlining multiple compliance programs can reduce duplication, waste, and operational risk. But it requires taking a stand that may make life harder for auditors. Auditors often want to see compliance done their way, according to their specific methods. Changing that dynamic can jeopardize certifications.
Organizations must decide - are they willing to optimize for compliance effectiveness, even if it means a more challenging audit process? Or will they continue to maintain the compliance status quo, no matter how convoluted and expensive?
There are better approaches that integrate multiple compliance needs, but they require rethinking audit methodologies and their role. It's a difficult cultural shift, but one that can pay major dividends in efficiency, risk reduction, and better overall compliance. The choice is up to each organization - optimizing for auditors or optimizing for results.