The first step towards compliance is to acknowledge that marketing is not an ad hoc, creative only activity but a business activity that requires systematic and repeatable processes and controls in the areas of planning and budgeting, spend tracking, expense recognition and execution of marketing programs that meet regulatory conditions.

The Sarbanes-Oxley (SoX) Act requires companies to establish and maintain an adequate set of internal controls for accurate reporting that can be audited. The Act refers to automated alerts and management controls to highlight exceptions, KPI's and the need for daily performance monitoring. Even the editing of documents requires an audit trail for the workflow involved to produce it.

Many organisations have weak to non-existent systems, processes and internal controls and rely on the 'spontaneous invention' of these that differ at each instance and by the individuals involved.

Mi5 can assist in providing the necessary visibility and controls to address compliance issues be they required by law or for auditing purposes. Organisations need to reduce their risk when it comes to compliance.