Ethics leaders need to optimise operational efficiency to give them the best chance of success.

But how do you feel about your ethics and compliance program? Is it running as efficiently as it should be?

Is case management highly effective and streamlined?

Is compliance as straightforward and as quick as you’d like?

Harnessing the latest technology, such as case management systems, workplace misconduct reporting software, and whistleblowing platforms, can play a pivotal role in driving operational efficiencies, while cultivating a culture of active integrity.

In this article we share 10 tips on how tech can help you maximise your efficiency.

1. Embed AI in your programs

AI tools are able to streamline reporting processes, ensuring confidentiality, efficiency, and transparency. AI-powered voice-to-text transcription technology gives staff the option to report incidents via a short phone call, which is then converted into text format. Accuracy and confidentiality can be maintained throughout the reporting process, making it easier for employees to share their experiences and case managers to accelerate time to resolution. 

2. Give reporters direct messaging tools

Direct and immediate communication between reporter and organization can significantly increase operational efficiency by driving down the time spent in investigations by up to 50%. Direct messaging with reporters allows you to build and strengthen trust, encouraging them to come back to provide you with the necessary information for a resolution. Many legacy solutions for misconduct reporting do not offer this capability. Look out for software that provides reporters with the ability to message directly with their Case Manager after they’ve submitted their report – even if they submit anonymously.

3. Automate more tasks

It’s vital for reports of misconduct to be directed to the right Case Manager as quickly as possible, to swiftly start the investigation process.

Modern Speak Up solutions provide the ability to automate:

• Triage cases – pushing all cases to a single individual for initial assessment as soon as they’re submitted. This will empower your team to set detailed rules for automatic case allocation as soon as they’re submitted, ensuring a streamlined and effective process.
• Parts of your case management that fit into your business processes. That includes from your misconduct case categories to triaging and case routing – based on varied entities and case type – for safer and faster resolution.
• Audit trails with times tamped activity from report to resolution – including issues, actions and updates.

4. Give your teams translations in real time 

Language barriers should never hinder employees from reporting misconduct but these can cause delays and problems for your investigations. Implementing a tool that instantly translates reports into multiple languages can improve efficiency in case resolution and create a more inclusive environment.

5. Enable compliance with your tech stack

Ensuring compliance with legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) and the EU Whistleblowing Directive (EUWD) is paramount for organizations striving for operational efficiency.

With the right tools, you can minimise compliance risks by utilizing in-built investigation frameworks that ensure you comply with the active regulations in your geography.

The EUWD carries its own complications, with variations in local laws across the 27 different EU nations. These include internal reporting obligations, time tracking and record keeping, and anonymity requirements.

This can be a substantial task for organisations with offices across multiple locations. To tackle this problem and make compliance as efficient as possible it’s important for whistleblowing solutions to provide:

• advanced routing whereby you can configure reporting triage by geography. 
• broad intake channels which can be configured to meet the needs of the business in each geographic region and country
• native time stamping that feeds into integrated analytics
• one central system of record with read-only audit trails.

6. Centralize case management processes

Effective case management is essential for tracking and resolving reported incidents in a timely and efficient manner. A comprehensive case management system centralizes reported incidents and streamlines resolution workflows. This enables designated stakeholders to track progress, assign tasks, and collaborate seamlessly, enhancing efficiency and accountability throughout the organization.

By streamlining workflows and providing comprehensive oversight, businesses can speed up the resolution process, minimize disruptions, and demonstrate a commitment to accountability and compliance.

7. Collaborate more effectively

Ensuring case confidentiality and data security while enabling effective and efficient collaboration is commonly cited by Ethics professionals as a persistent challenge. With the right tools in place you can enable efficient collaboration, giving case managers a way to share specific elements of cases with fellow team members, so they can support, unblock and provide clarity to move the case closer towards timely resolution. These can set out exactly what your view and edit permissions are on that single case. In turn, this creates safe, controlled, traceable sharing and for the right people to review the right parts of sensitive documentation.

8. Leverage advanced reporting and analytics

Harnessing the power of data analytics is crucial for identifying trends, patterns, and emerging risks within an organization. This includes analysis of key metrics, such as incident volume and resolution times. Doing so will drive continuous improvement and informed decision-making, making operations more effectual.

9. Embrace streamlined reporting systems

Traditional incident reporting processes often involve cumbersome paperwork and inefficient communication channels, leading to delays in addressing ethical breaches. 

Embracing modern workplace misconduct reporting software empowers employees to report ethical breaches promptly, helping to build a Speak Up culture. This enables swift responses and proactive interventions, minimizing disruptions to daily operations while accelerating the resolution process.

With the right tech, employees can easily and securely make a report in real-time. This streamlined approach not only accelerates response times but also enables proactive intervention to mitigate risks and uphold organizational integrity.

10. Promote proactive risk mitigation strategies

Armed with insights from analytics, businesses can identify areas for improvement and allocate resources more effectively. Proactive measures help address potential issues before they escalate, minimizing legal and reputational risks while safeguarding organizational integrity.

How can Vault help?

In order to benefit from the efficiency-boosting measures outlined above, you need the right platform. Vault’s solutions can help deliver these and more.

If you’re missing out on any of the above, then come and talk to us.

Contact us and book a demo here.

The post Best-in-class Ethics programs: top 10 tips to drive operational efficiencies  appeared first on Vault.

Virtually every day we’re seeing news about incredible advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a wide range of new applications emerging across different industries.

Yet, so far, we’re not seeing a huge amount of use of AI among Ethics and Compliance professionals.

That’s despite the fact that peers in other departments are already using AI for a variety of tasks – from detecting cybersecurity anomalies, to HR teams hiring talent and automating employee relations.

Does that mean E&C professionals are more skeptical? And what do they really think about AI?

AI receives the thumbs up

I had the unique opportunity to learn directly from Chief Compliance Officers at the Consero Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer forum on 26 March when Vault hosted an expert panel discussion on ‘How AI Can Help Compliance Officers’. As the moderator, I had the chance to ask our panelists – Compliance Leaders from TikTok, Aura, Kayak, and Match Group – and an audience of 100 E&C professionals from the biggest global brands what they think about the advances in AI.

More excitement than the average business leader

There were a handful of skeptics, naturally. Yet, the overwhelming reaction we saw from the room was excitement. About 90% expressed enthusiasm for AI coming into the day-to-day of the compliance function. That’s compared to just 62% of business leaders who responded to a similar recent poll.

It makes sense from a practical perspective. Compliance is a lean team, regardless of company size. More often than not, these are small teams, wearing many hats, and like everyone in this moment, they are expected to do more with less. So they’re searching for solutions and AI could be the answer.

Humans or AI – who’s the final decision maker?

As the discussion unfolded, one of the big questions that proved to be on everyone’s mind – panelists and audience alike was: what are the boundaries of how we use AI in decision making?

We talked a lot about Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, how you vet the information you put in, and analyze the information you get out. How confident can you feel about the outputs? Which decisions will you let the machine make for you?

We heard from one large business that has developed their own internal LLM. They’ve been using it as a data source to present all of their internal information to employees, solving the problem of putting data into third party channels.

The panel discussed how you can use LLMs for decision making around investigations outcomes, with some of the key questions being:

• In terms of disciplinary actions, can you use AI to summarize an investigation and then use that data in order to make a decision?
• At which point do you need human intervention?
• Could you use AI to generate a decision without human input?
• Would you want to use AI to make that final decision for you?

And the consensus on the answer? In short, no! The experts agreed they would not want to use AI to make the decision for them. They want humans to continue doing that.

AI in disciplinary proceedings

That led us on to talk about the blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights that was published by The White House. Within it there’s a piece that essentially talks about how employees would have a right to appeal any decision that AI makes about them.

Applying this to a workplace context, if there was a disciplinary action decided by AI and an employee appeals, there’s no way for the company to prove how that decision was made. It would simply be the chatbot that had recommended it, which is not good enough to counteract an appeal from an employment law perspective.

The unclear implications around the appeals process was one of the reasons why the panel agreed they would not want to use AI to make those decisions.

AI translations popular among delegates

There were a lot of questions about the benefits of AI in compliance team’s day to day work. A number of speakers said they were capitalizing on AI translations for working with colleagues in other countries to remove language barriers in real time, both within conferencing tools and within speak up channels.

It was good to hear how powerful this has become, particularly given our AI-powered Dynamic Translations service we already offer and that our panelist at Aura is leveraging.

Advice for peers

Rounding up the panelists’ advice to peers was primarily: ‘Give AI a try’. If you’re curious, go to ChatGPT, play with it and you’ll begin to discover the potential value. It might be useful, for example, to draft a policy or write a message to employees.

Want to learn more AI and Vault’s applications?

New, innovative AI tools are developing to assist in Ethics and Compliance programs. And at Vault, we’re leading the way.Interested in learning more about AI and how Vault’s AI applications can help your organisation? Drop me a line. I’m here on LinkedIn and you can reach me by requesting more info about Vault!

The post AI sparks overwhelming excitement among E&C professionals at Consero appeared first on Vault.

The accolade, in its second year, recognises the tireless efforts and dedication of E&C professionals who are leading the charge to embed integrity and ethics as a core value within their organizations.

Nominated by the Ethics and Compliance and Vault Platform community, these individuals stand out as the movers and shakers of the ethics and integrity space.

The 2024 Integrity Innovators

– Amy Mertz Brown, Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, Boeing Employees Credit Union 

– Laurel Burke, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and In-House Leader, Axiom

– Candace Ciresi, Chief Compliance Officer, Mobileum

– Sam Craft, Global Director, Compliance Training and LMS Management, Alcon

– Claudia Curtis, Senior Vice Presidents, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, BD

– Rupert Evill, Founding Director, Ethics Insight

– Linda Frazier, Chief Compliance Officer, TripAdvisor 

– Adam Hunt, Leader (Senior Director) of Global Ethics and Compliance Org, Netflix

– Ellen Hunt, Principal Consultant and Advisor, Spark Compliance Consulting

– Sandhya Sharma Global HR Program Manager, MiQ 

– Joseph Philipose, Senior Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Emergent Bio Solutions

– Gitanjali Sakhuja, Fractional CCEO, GS Consulting

– Carolina Santos da Silva, Head of Ethics & Compliance EMIA, Bridgestone EMIA

– Sonja Sefrin, Associate Director, Ethics, ING

– Micheal Sheely, Chief Compliance Officer, Payoneer

– Monica Thurman, Director, Ethics and Legal Compliance, Intel

 – LaSalle Vaughn, Chief Compliance, Ethics & Risk Officer, Bestow

– Hitomi Walter, Legal Compliance Lead, Wellcome Trust

– Emma Williams, Director of European Risk & Compliance MLRO, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Promoting Active Integrity

At Vault, we believe that companies must be active in their pursuit of flawless integrity. And Vault’s core value – promoting Active Integrity – is at the heart of what Integrity Innovators is all about. 

Everyone selected embodies this value, and exemplifies a commitment and vision to make work a better place for everyone.

Their endeavours are serving as inspiration for the next generation of Ethics and Compliance leadership, showing that integrity is not just a buzzword, but a fundamental principle that shapes organizational culture and success.

Our Innovators have also been earmarked as thought leaders in their field, the ones to watch for the latest trends. 

In coming weeks we will hear from them about the projects they’re most proud of, their vision for creating better ethics programs, and their thoughts on the hot topics within the profession.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to find out more about how innovators are building active speak up cultures in their organizations, get in touch.

The post Revealed: 2024’s Integrity Innovators appeared first on Vault.

When productivity is also factored in, this increases further, and the impact on individuals can be devastating.

Furthermore, just over one in ten employees globally say that they work in a strong ethical workplace culture. Despite this, misconduct continues to go underreported, meaning that many of these challenges could be addressed before they become a crisis. 

In today’s ever-evolving corporate landscape, fostering a culture where employees feel empowered to report misconduct or any ethical breaches is paramount in order to build a robust speak-up culture that goes beyond risk mitigation and towards Active Integrity. This article examines how companies can effectively harness technology to cultivate a speak-up culture that tackles this issue head-on.

1. Modernize reporting channels for greater accessibility and inclusivity

Understanding employees’ diverse preferences in reporting misconduct is crucial. Each individual has their comfort level and preferred method of communication and this could range from reporting an incident via a voice call, speaking to their manager directly in a one-on-one meeting, or the choice of anonymity with the use of a mobile app or desktop-based tool.

Offering multiple channels for reporting ensures accessibility and inclusivity, demonstrating a commitment to hearing and valuing every voice. Furthermore, when you use a platform that captures reports consistently regardless of reporting method, you’re able to accelerate time to resolution

2. Use Artificial Intelligence-powered technology to streamline the speak-up process

AI is already playing an important role in fostering transparent, ethical, and compliant practices across diverse organizational functions. However, in ethics and compliance it has lagged behind. Until recently there has been a reliance on legacy hotlines for misconduct reporting and data analysis in the space has been more of a guessing game.

AI tools are able to streamline reporting processes, ensuring confidentiality, efficiency, and transparency. 

For example, language barriers should never hinder employees from reporting misconduct, so implementing a tool that instantly translates reports into multiple languages can improve efficiency in case resolution and create a more inclusive environment.

Another convenient solution is AI-powered voice-to-text transcription technology. By offering employees the option to report incidents via a short phone call, which is then converted into text format, accuracy and confidentiality can be maintained throughout the reporting process, making it easier for employees to share their experiences and case managers to accelerate time to resolution. 

3. Use Analytics Tools to Mitigate Risk

Transitioning from reactive to proactive risk mitigation requires aligning every aspect of the business towards integrity. Gaining insight into the ethical health of your organization and the effectiveness of integrity initiatives allows you to identify areas for improvement, ultimately driving accountability and contributing to a healthier work environment. 

Overall, these three strategies empower organizations to foster a culture of Active Integrity, where every employee feels supported in speaking up, and every decision aligns with ethical principles. By embracing technology and analytics, companies can position themselves for long-term success while prioritizing trust, transparency, and accountability.

How can Vault help?

Vault Platform is the operating system for corporate integrity. Find out how we can help you and how we can enhance your Ethics program by booking a quick demo with us.

And if you’d like to hear more about AI and automation in ethics and compliance, watch our on-demand webinar.

The post Three Steps to Build a Tech-Driven Speak-Up Culture appeared first on Vault.

That’s to ensure that people everywhere are treated with respect and without judgement or bias. 

Building on IWD’s core objective of creating a gender equal world, this year’s theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion.’ 

“When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world,” the official IWD site explains.

“And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.”

At Vault, the value we place on women’s inclusion is clear. It’s very rare to find organisations with all-female boards, but that is the case with Vault and it’s a fact we’re proud of.

What is the state of play?

Despite the progress made by organisations whose vision of the world aligns with Vault’s, there’s plenty of evidence to show how far society needs to develop to meet the goals of IWD. 

The World Economic Forum has estimated it will take another 131 years to reach gender parity globally.

The International Labour Organisation says: “Around the world, finding a job is much tougher for women than it is for men. When women are employed, they tend to work in low-quality jobs in vulnerable conditions, and there is little improvement forecast in the near future.”

Melinda Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation says “economic progress for women is stalling worldwide”, with COVID-19 one of the reasons cited.

United Nations sounds alarm bells

The UN, which officially recognized IWD in 1977, says the world faces a key challenge – “the alarming $360 billion annual deficit in gender-equality measures by 2030.”

The figures it cites come from a recent UN Women and UN DESA report.

The UN describes gender equality as “the greatest human rights challenge” and says just 5% of government aid is focused on tackling violence against women and girls, and less than 0.2% is directed to its prevention.

The UN says: “Achieving gender equality and women’s well-being in all aspects of life is more crucial than ever if we want to create prosperous economies and a healthy planet.” 

The Un Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last month highlighted gender equality as a key objective.

“We are promoting women’s full and equal participation and leadership in all sectors of society, as a matter of urgency,” he told the UN General Assembly.

What about workplace issues?

Due to the nature of what we do at Vault Platform, our team speaks to many people who are on the front line when it comes to dealing with bias, harassment, and discrimination in the workplace.

Our team hears some distressing stories about people’s day to day reality. Yet most of these situations could be avoided by putting more effective and user-friendly methods of reporting and resolving incidents of discrimination in place. 

How can technology help in the workplace?

When it comes to uncovering misconduct in the workplace and building a speak up culture to support a more inclusive approach for women and all employees, a modern system encouraging an approach of ‘active integrity’ is key. 

Tools like a traditional hotline are outdated. These legacy methods can do more damage in the long term by failing to contribute to the improvement of misconduct reporting. 

At Vault, we believe in using technology, not on its own, but as an enabler to rebuild trust between people in situations where the balance of trust is not always equal – such as employer and employee. By doing so, we are helping to tackle the problem of unconscious bias.

Want to learn more about how Vault is helping organisations and driving forward the goals of International Women’s Day? 

Follow our LinkedIn page.

The post International Women’s Day: at the heart of Vault’s mission appeared first on Vault.

One of the biggest miscarriages of justice in Britain’s history, the Post Office Horizon IT scandal has rocked the country, with recent revelations catapulting the saga to center stage in the media spotlight.

An ITV drama brought to life the astonishing accounts of hundreds of innocent people whose lives were ruined after incorrect data from Fujitsu’s faulty IT system had wrongly suggested they stole money. 

The TV programme captured the public imagination and sparked huge national outcry, applying pressure on politicians to act and move forward with proposed new laws to quash the wrongful convictions of hundreds of innocent Post Office sub-postmasters.

Around 900 were prosecuted and more than 200 sent to prison from 1999 to 2015. 

It’s taken a very long time for the truth to surface. But would it have ever emerged without whistleblowers?

The critical role of whistleblowers

The role of those with inside knowledge of what was really happening behind the scenes has been cited as crucial, alongside the incredible efforts of campaigners.

Whistleblower Richard Roll’s crucial contribution in unveiling the truth about the flawed Horizon software was highlighted in the TV adaptation. His testimony was key in the 2019 High Court Case, which helped prove the innocence of many victims.

An ex-Fujitsu engineer, he was part of a team who had access to Horizon terminals remotely. He’s been giving evidence to the ongoing Public Inquiry in recent weeks.

Mr Roll went on camera in 2015 to tell the BBC’s panorama what had happened behind the scenes.

The challenges of speaking up

The dramatisation showed the difficulties for a potential whistleblower of speaking up. It highlighted the fears and anxieties that come with going up against such large organisations.

And as the full details continue to emerge in the glaring spotlight of the ongoing inquiry, further startling revelations emerge.

More whistleblowers have come forward – with the latest via the Guardian newspaper regarding possible destruction of evidence that might have cleared wrongly accused victims.

How could things have been different?

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak,  The Criminal Cases Review Commission, and even the Post Office itself, have described the scandal as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice ever seen in Britain.

Could it have all been prevented before it escalated to this stage?

It’s not clear if misconduct reporting systems were in place within the organisations at the centre of this case at the time. But Mr Roll, in his written evidence, describes certain problems being “hushed up” by managers at Fujitsu during his time working there. 

Mr Roll blew the whistle years after leaving the company by going directly to campaigners.

Hugely damaging for businesses

The enormity of the scandal that has engulfed both the Post Office and Fujitsu is unquestionable.

It illustrates that businesses can easily have blindspots to potentially disastrous headline-grabbing business risks. 

The reputational damage is likely to be gigantic, analysts have said.

Fujitsu Europe Director Paul Patterson acknowledged the damage to the firm’s reputation when speaking to UK MPs recently, as he issued a company apology.

Then there’s the financial implications, with compensation claims in this case still far from resolved but estimated at more than £1bn.

The saga offers a sobering case study for all modern day organisations who aren’t actively seeking to uncover risks and misconduct at source.

How can other brands avoid such a scandal?

One study from The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission estimated up to 75% of workplace misconduct is never formally reported.

And an Ethisphere research paper found nearly half of employees who observed misconduct in the past 12 months failed to report the matter.

So, there could be many problems bubbling under the surface that organisations are not being made aware of.

For companies seeking to avoid a scandal like the Post Office, the key is to uncover wrongdoing and risks early before they escalate into something far larger. 

Developing an advanced Speak Up culture

To achieve this requires developing an advanced Speak Up culture within the business, empowering employees to report misconduct. And backed by a robust misconduct reporting solution.

Traditional one-size-fits-all channels – like legacy hotlines are not fit for purpose and most incidents are either not reported or surfaced through anecdotal feedback.

Businesses risk compliance failings if processes to surface concerns, investigate cases and report progress are not connected and the workflows are inefficient. Instilling a modern, sophisticated, fully equipped modern case management and whistleblowing system is essential.

It empowers everyone in your ecosystem – investors, employees, vendors, customers – to help you uncover unreported incidents, contribute to resolving them faster and enable you to prevent future wrongdoing. 

How can Vault help?

We believe companies can be protected from major risks – perhaps the next big crisis scandal or lawsuit – if their people are protected too. Our platform delivers the true opportunity to Speak Up.

Uncover risks early by: 

– Enabling the people in your ecosystem to gain access and speak up about incidents by offering multiple reporting channels, including the mobile app and Vault Talk, our AI-powered hotline.

– Capturing actionable insights (rather than unstructured reports) that lead to credible investigations through tools that make reporters feel psychologically safe, including anonymous reporting.

Book a call with one of our specialists to find out more.

The post Why brands risk a Post Office scandal without a speak up culture appeared first on Vault.

Artificial Intelligence is not a nebulous concept for the future anymore. It’s right here and now.

And it’s adding value to organisations and their risk management practices by:

• Reducing costs
• Increasing operational efficiency
• Advancing the Speak Up culture

Ethics professionals are set to reap the benefits.

1. AI-powered hotlines

Seven out of ten ethics professionals across the world have indicated their speak up and hotline processes are not a strong element of their Ethics programs. That’s according to LRN’s 2024 Ethics & Compliance Program Effectiveness Report. And 40% of the 1,400 surveyed say it’s an area they must focus on improving this year.

Are you operating an outsourced call centre as a solution for employee reporting and whistleblowing?

You may have pondered how to cut through the drawbacks and high costs this outdated legacy hotline incurs.

You can save money, increase efficiency and build a better speak up culture by harnessing the power of AI. AI can power an alternative internal hotline – cutting out the costs of employing staff or third-party operators. 

2. Breaking down language barriers

Artificial intelligence is making great breakthroughs in assisting communication between people in different countries by cutting through language obstacles. This very much applies for global businesses seeking solutions for misconduct reporting. 

With AI translations, companies operating in multiple countries can get instant reports in dozens of different languages. This means case managers can quickly move the process forward without the help of external translation services, thereby substantially reducing costs and time. The average SLA for report translations by humans is two days.

Chief Ethics and Compliance Officers should look at solutions that not only apply to reports, but also to asynchronous communication “chat”. That means you can converse with reporters (even anonymously) and interview them in their own language, without relying on translators.

3. Automatic case assignment

Modern case management tools offer Advanced Routing capabilities, which greatly increase efficiency and speed for assigning cases. Reports can automatically be sent to a predetermined team or individual. 

Depending on the established set of rules and categories, reports can all go to central or local or regional teams and to specific people. In other words, tailored to the set-up each business wants. Look for software that can route to different teams based on the category of the report (distinguishing between compliance and HR cases, for example), site and location of the report’s origin, and other parameters.

4. Connecting to messenger platforms

To build an enhanced Speak Up culture, it’s vital to make reporting as easy as possible. To do so requires reaching staff where they most commonly operate and communicate – such as apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams. AI-powered reporting bots can now be embedded in these mainstream communication platforms to achieve just that.

How do organisations get these AI and automation benefits?

Vault Platform provides the AI and automation capabilities described above and more.

We believe companies can be protected from major risks – perhaps the next big crisis, scandal or lawsuit – if their people are protected too. Our platform delivers the true opportunity to Speak Up.

And with increasing needs to meet an evolving list of regulatory demands, such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission, EU Whistleblower Directive and Sarbanes-Oxley Act, it’s clear that business leaders must act now.

Want to learn more?

Delve into the details and see how Vault can enhance your Ethics program by booking a quick demo with us.

And if you’d like to hear more about AI in ethics and compliance, watch our on-demand webinar.

The post AI and automation: 4 ways to enhance your Ethics program appeared first on Vault.

We’re moving into a new era of corporate ethics underpinned by voluntary disclosure against the backdrop of an evolving regulatory landscape.

As a result, Ethics managers have an increasingly vital role to play today within their businesses.

But with growing demands from regulation and the many examples of scandals surrounding misconduct that we see emerging, Ethics officers need to up their game.

How can they achieve this in 2024? Let’s take a look at some key steps.

1. Review your organisation’s approach

First things first. It’s time to take stock. Do you feel that your organisation’s approach, processes and infrastructure supporting your ethics and compliance is match-fit and equipped for 2024 onwards and the decade to come? Have you got the right tools and technology in place or are you lagging behind? The following points may help you determine the answers and give you food for thought. 

2. Infrastructure fit for purpose

Even if your organisation has the best ethics officer, you can’t build a system purely on their shoulders. You need to think of developing a top class ethics program, underpinned by leading technology and the right infrastructure. Think of it in a similar way to building a super fast train. You can build the fastest, most impressive train imaginable, but if you’re running on the old tracks it won’t fit or work. That is what the traditional hotline is – an old rusty track that we need to replace with updated, modern materials.

3. Capitalising on Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Those new tracks described above mean a digital platform – a modern hotline powered by AI. Finding an effective AI platform can cut through the outsourced call centre as a solution for employee reporting.  This, in turn, helps Ethics and Compliance Directors to enhance their own value to their organisations by reducing costs and increasing efficacy. AI can provide a company with its own internal hotline without needing to employ a single person. The tech can operate it for you.

4. Enhancing efficiency

There’s always room for improvement when it comes to making your department (and the processes that flow from it) more efficient. Technology is the key here. Here are some questions to help determine whether more efficiency is possible in your program:  Are your current methods for reporting up quick and agile? Are you able to instantly, automatically triage all case management for allocation and assignment? Do your HR applications and software speak to each other seamlessly and integrate well?

5. Build a Speak Up culture

Arguably at the heart and centre of it all is the need to build and advance a speak up culture within your organisation. Not simply to issue instructions, build policies and enforce them, but to encourage, cultivate and stimulate an ethos throughout the business where employees are empowered to expose where wrongdoing is happening – be it bribery, conflict of interest, fraud or something else. Having a system that puts employees first is essential for this so the culture spreads throughout, reaching every individual.

6. Catch up with regulatory trends

We promised five steps, but here’s a bonus sixth – and it’s one that really can’t be ignored. There is an increasing and evolving list of regulations across North America and Europe covering workplace misconduct, such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission, EU Whistleblower Directive and Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We’ve also seen the UK’s financial services regulator, the FCA, begin an investigation into the non-financial misconduct of banks and insurance firms.

Staying on top of this increasingly regulatory scrutiny is critical for Ethics and Compliance Officers.

How can Vault Platform help?

Our solutions can help your organisation with all of the steps outlined above. There are many ways we can support your business and as you build your Speak Up culture, including our AI-powered hotline – Vault Talk – or our new Advanced Routing feature, which supercharges efficiency in case management. 

We believe companies can be protected from major risks – perhaps the next big crisis, scandal or lawsuit – if their people are protected too. Our platform delivers the true opportunity to Speak Up.

Book a call with one of our specialists to find out more.

The post 5 steps Ethics professionals should take this year appeared first on Vault.

Whether you’re encountering an issue that requires a technical solution, or you’re looking to get the most out of Vault’s Active Integrity Platform, you are more than likely to meet Poppy on your journey. Find out more about why she chose to work here and how her personal values align with Vault’s.

A People-Oriented Problem Solver

Poppy has spent over 10 years working in customer service roles with a specialized focus on technical problem-solving and support. She is focused on delivering user experiences and creating business value through technical enablement. 

“I was drawn to the tech world by its dynamic nature and the constant opportunities for learning. My inclination towards customer support is driven by a genuine desire to directly assist and engage with users, ensuring their success and satisfaction with products. I find joy in interacting with customers and serving as a subject matter expert for technical products.” 

As the Customer Support Engineer, Poppy’s responsibilities are key in enabling Vault’s goal of providing seamless, positive customer experience, and reinforcing the company’s values of customer-centricity and technical excellence. 

A New Challenge at Vault

Over the past decade Poppy has primarily maintained roles revolving around customer support, and since 2020 she’s expanded her expertise to include more technical capabilities. “I have an analytical mindset, I am passionate about software development and thrive on solving problems through technical solutions. Fortunately, my career path has allowed me to strike a harmonious balance between technology and customer service,” adds Poppy. 

Her typical day, beyond direct customer interactions, includes curation of both external and internal documentation for product enablement and process improvement. A key part of successfully executing her responsibilities is to share valuable customer feedback with relevant teams. This ensures that Vault takes a comprehensive approach to product and service enhancements. 

Empathy in a Tech-Driven Environment 

Fostering an environment where teams are encouraged to understand and be sensitive to the feelings, thoughts and experiences of others is no easy task. For Poppy, Vault’s commitment to excellence while maintaining an empathetic, supportive culture make it an exciting place of work. “I appreciate the collaborative and innovative environment. Everyone here works to share their knowledge with others, cares deeply about our customers and works hard to welcome every new Vaultie into the team,” she adds. “Our mission is to shape the way misconduct is handled within the workplace, focusing on empowering the reporter and employer to adopt a speak up culture.” 

“Balancing human connection with technical expertise involves active listening and effective communication. Understanding the customer’s perspective while leveraging technical knowledge allows for a more empathetic and efficient resolution of issues.” 

If you are keen to transition into a Customer Support Engineer position, Poppy advises that you remain curious, embrace continuous learning, and continue to develop your communication skills. “Building a solid foundation of technical knowledge while cultivating empathy for users is key to success in a technical support role.” 

The post Vault Spotlight: Poppy Allen, Vault’s Customer Support Engineer appeared first on Vault.

It’s vital for reports of misconduct to be directed to the right case manager as quickly as possible, to swiftly start the investigation process.

Here at Vault, we also realise it can be a tricky and inefficient manual process without the right tools.

That’s why we’ve built our new Advanced Routing feature.

A game changer for case management

This enhancement will help evolve your organisation’s operational efficiency, supporting Ethics and Compliance Managers and all teams involved in investigations.

Get started with Advanced Routing to:

• Automatically assign cases as soon as they’re submitted
• Push all cases to a single individual for initial assessment
• Get case management moving in a swift, speedy, and effective manner

For more details on how it works, check out Advanced Routing HERE.

What does Vault Platform’s case management system do?

Vault’s innovative all-in-one case management system helps internal investigators gather and structure case data so it can be read, understood, and acted on easily and effectively.

Reports submitted by employees (or indeed suppliers, contractors or customers) are routed to the most appropriate case manager, who is then notified to begin the investigation process. 

All incident information, including evidence, is gathered and stored in the Vault Resolution Hub to streamline the investigation process. Then, case managers can directly communicate with reporters from within the report itself, maintaining anonymity.

All of this feeds into an active approach to integrity that can maximize your resources, resolve your hotspots and prevent further wrongdoing.

What do ethics and compliance professionals say?

To understand a little more about the benefits of Vault’s case management system, it’s useful to read what Will Randle, OVO Energy’s Director of Risk & Compliance, says of Vault:

“The ability to add manual reports, surface our Speaking Out policy, and use modern case management tools allows us to generate extremely granular insight into our ethics and compliance position. It’s really boosted our credibility and trust amongst employees.”

Read the case study in full

Want to learn more about quicker, more efficient case management? 

Book a demo with one of our specialists.

They will help you discover much more about the benefits of Advanced Routing and how it works, and why many leading brands, such as AirBnB have chosen to trust Vault’s operating system for managing and maintaining their corporate integrity.

The post Automatically assign cases with Vault’s Advanced Routing appeared first on Vault.