White paper: From projects to life cycles
Compliance strategies for long-term competitive advantage in the utilities industry
Published: November 18, 2005
This Microsoft white paper looks at how the chief technology officer for a utilities company can turn growing regulatory compliance requirements into a business advantage. The paper examines the need for a compliance strategy in which investments in compliance solutions deliver greater value to the firm and become a business enabler, not an inhibitor.
Microsoft hosted a round table of regulatory compliance officers in April 2005. The round table examined how an integrated culture of compliance can preserve business value and become a virtuous life cycle instead of just another short-term project.
Although there is no easy answer to solve compliance issues that confront utilities companies of all sizes, technology offers the best safety net to protect a business from legal difficulties. Soon utilities and energy company boards of directors might have to confront criminal proceedings if they continue to ignore the need for better and more robust compliance throughout the enterprise.
Key sections in the white paper include:
| • | The challenge of sustainable compliance |
| • | Creating value in the business |
| • | Holistic solutions to compliance |
