Sarbanes-Oxley Ongoing Compliance Guide: Key Processes and Summary Checklists

Preface

Without dispute, the number-one issue surrounding Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 compliance is cost. The experience of most organizations is that initial compliance costs grossly exceeded estimates, and the cost of sustaining compliance has been just as burdensome. The expectation that organizations would experience a significant decline in compliance costs subsequent to initial certification has not manifested itself. Most organizations are searching for compliance cost-reduction solutions. My objective for this book is to share with readers vital considerations and components of a detailed ongoing compliance plan, including the use of technology that will assist in reducing ongoing compliance costs, as well as demonstrating how compliance can be utilized to build an effective enterprise risk management program that can assist organizations with strategy execution and achievement of overall objectives. The process checklists and task summaries outlined in the guidebook focus on key areas. It is my hope that they will lead to a more efficient compliance process, ongoing compliance cost reduction, and increased shareholder value.

Anne M. Marchetti