Sarbanes-Oxley Services

The Bottom Lines … On Top

1. SOX is here…and it is real.
2. SOX is about real "controls" in the day-to-day operation of your company.
3. SOX Compliance is an executive-level leadership initiative.
4. SOX can be taken as merely a regulatory requirement ...or as part of your company’s competitive strategy
5. SOX is a Risk Managment-intense exercise ... at both the company and project level.
6. Complaince with SOX is NOT "a writing project" but a real organizational change to be managed from the top down.

What is needed for SOX Section 404 compliance?

• Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that companies have key financial, accounting, and information technology (IT) procedures documented. Many companies are finding that their compliance with this documentation requirement is spotty at best, with many processes completely undocumented and some documented procedures hopelessly out of date.
  • SOX requires that key financial and accounting processes must be clearly stated and presented.
  • All financial software applications must be documented.

© Copyright 2004. Endeavor Management.

• Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that companies have tools in place to track the effectiveness and timeliness of key policies and procedures as well … including content configuration control. For many companies, fulfillment of this requirement will require the selection and implementation of content management software as well as the comprehensive change management needed to get such applications into full operational use.

© Copyright 2004. Endeavor Management.

Critical Success Factors for Success SOX Compliance Projects

For some companies, the approach as been to “get some people in here and get this stuff taken care of right now.” While speed might be desirable, getting it done takes some work … in a SOX project that has key Critical Success Factors in place:

1. Manage SOX like a Business Governance Project, not a regulatory change
2. Manage SOX as a "controls" engineering, not "documentation"
3. Manage SOX as a “Work Process project,” not a writing project
4. Use IT as a tool, not the SOX Solution
5. Engage the Right certified technical talent to supplement internal resources
6. Use mature audit/control business professionals, not journeyman tech writers

What Services Do We Supply?

1. Complete Business Project Management for SOX Compliance
2. Planning and Execution of Remediation Services
   1. Assess SOX implications for the client, identifying precisely what work must be done for compliance
   2. Develop a complete action plan with resources and budgets
   3. Research, compile, and organize informal office practices into clear and concise procedures with controls
   4. Define both “as is” and “new” work processes and controls
   5. Edit and revise existing procedures to improve and expand them, ensuring control effectiveness is built in
   6. Provide resources to companies who don't want to increase headcount in order to complete process documentation
   7. Analyze and document business impact, data quality, data security risks
3. Helping the client company ensure they are fully ready for SOX compliance evaluations

© Copyright 2004. Endeavor Management.

What Is Our Approach to SOX Compliance Projects?

Our approach takes the client through the following key phases of SOX compliance work:

• Preparation
• Assessment
• Recommendations
• Implementation
• Verification
• Readiness

© Copyright 2004. Endeavor Management.