SAP GRC software should address three key areas

SAP governance, risk management and compliance (GRC) shouldn’t feel like a never-ending challenge. With the right SAP GRC software, passing audits should be a given, and remediating segregation of duties (SoD) conflicts should be pretty routine.

If you’re struggling to keep up, it’s time to look for better software and vendor support. Here are some of the challenges your vendor should be able to solve.

1. Meeting the requirements of all stakeholders
   Your SAP GRC software needs to be able to provide different information and controls for different users. Unfortunately, many SAP GRC applications have a single stream of idiosyncratic output. It’s very difficult for users to even understand the output, let alone zero in on the information that’s relevant for their jobs. The ideal solution should address these challenges – with out-of-the-box reporting that delivers the right cut of data to all constituents in a clear, comprehensible manner. It should enable business users to self-assess for risk; technical users to perform root-cause analysis, quickly addressing SoD conflicts and other issues; and auditors to perform period-to-period delta analysis and validate controls.
   
   
2. Time-to-value
   By the time companies find the right SAP GRC solution, they may already be way behind in their compliance needs, struggling to keep up with audits and remediation, despite heavy resource investments. A long implementation is too costly; they can’t afford to wait six-to-12 months to solve a compliance issue, while propping up their outdated GRC program. That’s why it’s important to look for a SAP GRC solution with excellent time-to-value, backed up by high-touch customer service.


3. Continuous control monitoring
   Even with some SAP GRC software solutions, there can still be a lot of unnecessary work in running your GRC program. Look for SAP GRC software that automatically executes compliance reports, routes them for workflow approval, audits and records your review process, and allows you to go quickly from risk to remediation. A solution with continuous control monitoring (CCM) will make staying compliant easier and less expensive, by automating everything from review and approval tracking, to user and role change management.

Successful SAP GRC takes the right software, with the right vendor

SAP GRC should be a routine process, not a constant headache. Achieving success takes the right combination of functionality, stakeholder-specific output and vendor support. Don’t just look for a solution that makes it possible to solve GRC challenges – choose a solution that makes it easy.

Our ControlPanelGRC software suite provides a comprehensive compliance automation solution for SAP environments. Powerful, flexible, and quick and easy to implement, ControlPanelGRC keeps SAP users Always Audit Ready^TM.

Want to learn if ControlPanelGRC is right for your business? Let’s talk.

Scott Goolik is the vice president of SAP security and compliance at the Managed Services division of NTT Ltd.