What is corporate compliance?

Businesses devote considerable resources to ensuring compliance with rules and regulations related to a myriad of security and reporting requirements.

But with dynamic changes taking place in the workplace that emphasize open spaces and fast-paced, informal, networked workflows, corporate leaders are re-examining where their business compliance stands. This is both to cover the new ways of doing business as well as to more easily manage the process.

As today’s workplaces undergo a specific transformation in how they protect their people, property, and ideas, companies need to contend with the following shifts that all influence compliance considerations:

• Adoption of new, cloud-based workplace technology
• The latest design trends
• Growing workplace security dangers

Corporate compliance are the protocols by which organizations ensure they are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws, policies, and regulations relating to their operations. With rapid changes in modern businesses, workplace technology has become an important means to help them keep pace and achieve compliance.

How to improve your visitor management compliance

Visitor management applications are emerging as a key resource helping organizations create or carry out corporate compliance policies. Starting at the front desk, these systems can track visitors, and serve as a digital log of all visitors authorized to be in the workplace. Visitor management software also:

• Documents who your visitors came to see
• Keeps track of who is on the WiFi network to better protect company data privacy
• Ensures visitors sign any mandatory legal documents such as NDAs or liability waivers
• Confirm when visitors leave the building

As organizations realize the value of secure visitor management, many are moving from paper and pen sign-in sheets –– where personal data is vulnerable because it’s left out for anyone to see –– to a digital visitor management system that can automate many of these tasks.

A visitor management platform ensures the maintenance of meticulous visitor logs with advanced features, including:

• Secure iPad sign-in ensures visitors’ details get saved digitally, with no extra managing and storing of paper records.
• Flexible information collection through customizable office sign-in, lets guests answer questions, fill out forms, and even take a photo to include on a visitor badge.
• One-click exports enable the export of years of guest logs with one click, making reporting painless and easily available for third-party auditing.

Protection of data and privacy

Companies pursuing SOC 2 and other security certifications often need additional measures that restrict access and keep their buildings safe. Visitor management with visual compliance allows verification of every visitor’s identity with instant digital records that let you record proof that their ID matches their photo. A visual compliance integration can automatically deny access for unwanted visitors with pre-registration and identity verification.

Most major compliance regulations — like ITAR, FSMA, and PCI, just to name a few — require the collection of detailed information from everyone that enters the building. Make sure that your corporate compliance plan captures and securely stores all relevant data to be in compliance with these.

Major corporate compliance regulations to be aware of

Here is a list of a wide variety of types of compliance standards and regulations, all of which are important to achieve corporate compliance.

Service Organization Controls (SOC): Regulations established so that certified service organizations undergo regular audits involving the controls over information technology and related processes, policies and procedures, including operational activities. SOC 2 focuses on data security compliance around five trust service principles: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): A set of regulations designed to harmonize data privacy laws across Europe and strengthen privacy regulations for citizens of the European Union.

International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR): Controls exports and temporary import of defense articles and services.

FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): Aims to ensure food safety in the U.S., FSMA focuses on preventing intentional adulteration of the food supply rather than responding to contamination.

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): Ensures the safety of cardholder data. PCI compliance audits many components of an organization’s policies and procedures, including physical and data security.

Gramm-Leach-Billey Act (GLBA): Requires companies that offer consumers financial products and services—like loans, insurance, and financial or investment advice—to explain their information-sharing practices to their customers and to safeguard sensitive data.

Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT): Led by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, this voluntary public-private sector partnership impacts importers, carriers, consolidators, licensed customs brokers, and manufacturers who choose to protect the supply chain, identify security gaps, and implement specific security measures and best practices.

Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA): Created to protect government information, operations and assets, FISMA requires federal agencies develop and maintain information system security plans.

Compliance failures can threaten organizations with financial, operational, and legal risks. Understanding the impact that compliance requirements have on your business practices and processes is the first step towards reviewing and updating your corporate compliance strategy to avoid hefty fines.

Have you read the essential guide to workplace compliance? It’s chock-full of ways to avoid making common mistakes your company may be making that put your property, people, and ideas at risk.