Internal audit’s role in strategic transactions
During M&A and divestitures, internal audit provides a critical perspective – assessing and monitoring program management, reviewing controls and providing insights while maintaining independence and objectivity.
Driving performance with global business services
Leading companies are achieving sustainable growth through multifunctional shared services. Find out how in our report.
Ten IT considerations for internal audit
Want to increase confidence in your IT internal audit risk assessment? We outline the IT trends to consider.
Unlocking the power of SAP’s GRC technology
A robust GRC technology solution can act as assurance for the entire organization. Learn about the solutions of SAP.
Eurozone is slowly picking up the pace
Our spring 2013 eurozone forecast predicts a mid-year turning point, but this fragile confidence still faces challenges. Learn more.
CFO Disrupt or be disrupted: the CFO perspective
5 challenges of the brand new order in consumer products & how CFOs can address them.
Pulling forces: looking for growth opportunities
Your competitors are looking for new ways to innovate and grow. Are you keeping up? Explore the risks and opportunities in our latest Performance journal.
Business Pulse: top 10 risks and opportunities
Globalization and lingering effects of the financial crisis have intensified the competitive landscape. How can you mitigate risks and maximize opportunities in 2013 and beyond?
Smart Control: growth, reduced costs and a safe business
Many organizations view their control environment as expensive, of limited value or a hindrance. Make sure to get the full potential benefit with our approach.

Advisory Services

Evolving your business. Globally.

As the world evolves, so do your business issues. The catalysts vary: from geopolitical events to regulatory reform, from new technologies to emerging markets.

And their impact can be swift and far-reaching. Our approach — grounded in industry-specific experience and committed to delivering measurable, sustainable results — can help you adapt and succeed. Even in an uncertain environment.

We can help you with:

Information security in a virtual world

Business is moving into the virtual world as more and more data is transmitted over the internet, and cloud computing, social networking and mobile devices become more prevalent.

Our 14th annual Global Information Security Survey confirms that information security is one of the most important issues facing organizations today.

Overall, we have identified three trends with a significant impact on the role and importance of information security:

Physical boundaries are disappearing as more business data is transmitted over the internet
The pace of change continues to accelerate
Companies are moving from the more traditional outsourcing contracts to cloud service providers

Are you prepared for the risks?

2012 Global Information Security Survey

As the speed and complexity of technology accelerates, the gap in your information security program grows. Is your organization doing enough to close the gap?

Privacy trends 2012

To achieve greater accountability, many organizations will have to rethink their approach to privacy.

Attacking the smart grid

Learn about the changing landscape in control system architecture and how to perform a penetration test safely and effectively to benefit your organization.

Mobile device security

We explore methods to assess and mitigate the risks related to today’s most popular mobile device platforms and technologies.

Data loss prevention

The blurry line between work and personal use of data can result in leaks – unintentional or malicious. Learn to identify and address these leaks.

Managing risk — for opportunities

We know you’re concerned about the risks of regulation and compliance – especially if you’re in banking or health care.

Meanwhile, as market volatility and pricing pressures unsettle the landscape, those forces are stimulating competition and creating opportunities.

To strike that balance between risk and opportunity, our research suggests that many leading firms are developing an overarching strategy that balances both.

Our work with clients reveals that there is a need to re-engineer the risk processes across the business, just as was done with finance, manufacturing, and supply chain processes.

The goal is to get better coverage on the risks that matter.

Learn more about turning risks and opportunities into results.

How mature is your risk management?

Advisory Risk Leader Michael Herrinton shares with Harvard Business Review why organizations with greater risk management maturity outperform their peers.

Turn risks and opportunities into results 2013

We explore the top risks and top opportunities for businesses in light of the current economic environment.

Turning risk into results

Companies with more mature risk management practices outperform their peers financially. Find out how leading companies are turning risk into results.

How to respond to catastrophic events

Black swans are unexpected unpreventable and catastrophic events. You need to be able to respond as quickly and effectively as possible.

Internal audit: enhancing and sustaining business performance

Companies value the role Internal Audit plays. But they are looking for more.

Executives want Internal Audit to not only see what has gone before, but also what comes next. They want Internal Audit to provide insights into strategic initiatives, and to share ideas that improve business performance. And they want it now.

Internal Audit as strategic advisor

As a strategic advisor, Internal Audit can:

Identify company-wide cost improvements
Offer recommendations that improve business performance
Provide key insights that focus on risk

We can help you:

Assess your Internal Audit function and identify areas of improvement
Identify opportunities to enhance the strategic value of Internal Audit
Accelerate improvements through cosourcing

Think beyond your annual audit plan

Chief audit executives often lose focus on long-term strategic planning for the internal audit function. Is your plan aligned to the organization’s broader business priorities?

Convey the health of your internal controls instantly

A clear picture of risks is a challenge for internal audit teams. A three-dimensional control rating system helps you better gauge effective or ineffective controls.

The future of internal audit is now

We explore actions internal audit can take to realize strategic alignment, increase business relevance and achieve a risk maturity that accelerates financial performance.

What is internal audit's role in preventing corruption?

Executives face personal liability for the corrupt activities of their employees. Here we look at anti-bribery and anti-corruption analytics to help you manage this risk.

Unlocking the value of internal audit

Read our report to learn why Internal Audit should be involved in all strategic decision-making to grow or improve your organization.

A clearer vision for finance

An effective Finance function that is best suited to the organization can be a critical factor for growth.

Yet 98% of companies feel there are opportunities to improve their Finance function.

The challenge is in marrying conflicting priorities:

Driving the business forward
Protecting the organization’s financial assets

Our research suggests 80% of companies are planning to better align Finance with overall business strategies.

To do that, we see three key priorities for finance which involve striking a balance between control, effectiveness and efficiency.

Control: promote strong governance and control in the organization.
Effectiveness: drive the business forward, challenge the business and strengthen decision-making throughout the organization.
Efficiency: drive costs down, integrate acquired teams.

See more about a clearer vision for Finance:

Finance: get with the business or get out of the way

Finance has finally earned a seat at the decision-making table. Are you able to grow and keep pace with rapidly changing business priorities?

Finance: be strategic or become irrelevant

To have a valued seat at the table, finance must ensure their skills and goals align with business needs and priorities.

Three opportunities for finance to add strategic value

Finance must up their game in three important areas to stay a valued member at the boardroom table.

Getting information technology right

Information technology functions need to strike a balance between risk and performance.

But reality often falls short of this goal.

That’s because IT’s influence on the business has evolved so quickly that many IT functions are still struggling with how to marry their technical expertise with a new business perspective.

Top IT leaders are now facing broad challenges, including:

Increasingly complex IT and business operating models
Cost efficiency and transparency demands
New regulations and new forms of threat
Corporate responsibility expectations

Our research suggests that successful firms are focusing on these key issues and formulating their response at the enterprise level.

Learn more about getting IT right:

Protecting and strengthening your brand

As social media reinvents business relationships, we look at the rise of consumer media, understanding its risks, holistic social media governance, and brand protection.

Ready for takeoff - Preparing for your journey into the cloud

Organizations are looking at cloud computing to increase effectiveness of IT initiatives, reduce costs, increase operational flexibility and generate a competitive advantage. Are you prepared?

Keep pace with change using hybrid IT models

CIOs increase their strategic value as IT becomes a more critical function in business strategy.

New risks redefine the role of the CIO

The pace at which technology is changing is an ongoing challenge for CIOs and presents new risks.

Bringing IT into the fold

A coordinated, strategic response that addresses the dynamic nature of cybersecurity and the rapidly changing operational technology (OT) environment demonstrates responsible risk management.

Shaping effective supply chains

Responding to a business environment that’s more complex and fluid than ever, many companies are adapting their supply chains in two key ways:

They’re rapidly expanding to capitalize on the growing number of middle-class buyers in emerging markets.
They’re driving cost efficiencies to boost margins in their mature market operations.

Our research suggests that either way, seven interconnected items come into play.

In growth markets, considerations include:

Managing operational, tax and regulatory risk
Enabling new revenue sources
Establishing an effective supply chain model and infrastructure

In mature markets, considerations include:

Reconfiguring the supply chain to create cost competitiveness
Optimizing global spend
Improving operational agility and responsiveness

In mature and emerging markets, environmental and sustainability matters emerge.

Managing indirect taxes in the supply chain

Effective management of indirect taxes, grants and incentives is essential to support growth and reduce the costs and risks of doing business internationally.

Improve supply chain: standardize operating processes

Through standardizing operating processes, IT systems and data management, companies can minimize operating stumbles and improve service level performance by focusing on simplicity and reliability.

Improving business performance? Look to your supply chain

Finance executives are making aggressive performance promises that operations functions are expected to keep. Are you taking a holistic view of business performance?

Patterns of international trade evolve

How well positioned are you for an Asia-centric future in international trade? Examine the trends you can expect from now to 2020.

Driving improved supply chain results

Companies are adapting their supply chains to respond to increasingly competitive market conditions. Learn how to improve supply chain results in emerging and developed markets.