A MAJOR UK TELECOMS COMPANY

In 2012, Whitehall Management implemented ICE control environment reporting at a major UK Media and Telecoms company. Our client had successfully implemented a SOX-compliant framework in 2004 using an internally developed database to act as a repository and reporting platform. This database provided storage for basic control information and related audit testing results across multiple locations.

Limitations in the technology were placing an increasing burden on the central SOX team and entrenched a mismatch between ownership of, and responsibility for, control environment information throughout the organisation.

The control database did not meet all their needs for the following reasons:

Substantial quantities of additional control framework information were stored outside of the main database in a variety of documents and spreadsheets
Continuous monitoring of control performance was difficult to support on an ongoing basis
Self-assessment of controls was problematic
Updating and ongoing review of SOX control information became tightly controlled by the Central SOX Team

With the implementation of ICE control, our client addressed all of these issues, streamlined their approach to SOX compliance and brought about a qualitative step change in their overall control environment framework. ICE provided:

An integrated control environment platform for the entire organisation
Enhanced transparency across the organisation’s processes & controls
Devolved ownership while maintaining effective central oversight
Increased efficiency and effectiveness.