Powerful Data Analytics Integrated with GRC: The Complete Continuous Monitoring Solution

The complete Data Analytic and GRC solution doesn’t exist? Think again! With the extremely powerful Data Analytic capabilities of Arbutus Analyzer, fully integrated with BarnOwl’s risk, compliance and audit software solution, you get the complete solution.

This article focusses on the features that make Arbutus Analyzer integrated with BarnOwl GRC, arguably the best continuous monitoring solution on the market. With the depth, scope, flexibility and functionality that these two powerhouse solutions offer in their own right, integrating Arbutus Analyzer and BarnOwl GRC brings you the very best in integrated GRC with data analytics:

• Data Import – Virtually any file type\ data source and no file size limit
• Powerful Data Analytics – Comprehensive data analysis to determine exceptions as well as risks
• Automation – Repeat complex analytics easily by automation
• Exporting\ Integration – easily send the data to different file types and systems for easy consumption and reporting, such as BarnOwl
• BarnOwl – a fully integrated risk, compliance and audit software supporting best practice frameworks such as KING IV, COSO, ISO31000, National Treasury Framework, GACP, IPPF
• BarnOwl integrated with Arbutus provides a real-time, strategic early warning system informed by continuously updated key indicators

By diving into these features, we will discover that Arbutus Analyzer can manage all kinds of data with massive sizes. Run powerful Analytics on your data to determine exceptions and risks associated with your data\ Company and then integrate seamlessly these results with BarnOwl for the ultimate GRC \ Audit continuous monitoring solution.

Please note: That all data shown here is fictitious and is used for demo purposes.

Source Data, Bring it on

Arbutus Analyzer has a vast array of options that allow you to import data from different sources easily and quickly, as seen below:

There is an extensive list of static file types you can import as well as direct connections to Databases and Database tables via ODBC connectors. These connectors allow you to import table or tables of your selection into Arbutus Analyzer.

Arbutus Analyzer can connect to Microsoft SQL, Oracle DB, SAP (Direct connection) and cloud-based solutions\ Databases. See the list of data sources below:

• Microsoft Access [ACCESS]
• Microsoft Excel [XLSX, XLS or XLS21] and CSV
• Delimited text [DELIMITED] – requires user to specify field separator and optional text (string) delimiter. If either delimiter is missing, command defaults to comma as field separator and/or double quotes as text (string) delimiter.
• Tab delimited text [DELIMITED (TAB)]
• dBase III PLUS [DBASE]
• XML [XML]
• Plain text [PLAIN TEXT]
• Pdf
• Windows clipboard for pasting into Windows applications [CLIPBOARD]
• [ODBC] Compliant Databases
• SAP

Below is a list of the Connectors (continuously updating) available in Arbutus Analyzer:

Arbutus Analyzer is Read Only, maintaining data integrity at all times, during imports, analysis and exports.

Powerful Analytics

A few key features of Arbutus Analyzer are:

• Over 200 Pre-Built, Audit-Specific Functions and Commands
• Easily Combine, Harmonize, and Restructure all your Disparate Data
• Comprehensive High-Performance Analytics for Power Users
• Intuitive Interface and accessible data analysis capabilities for newer or less technical users

With these key features your data analysis objectives can be easily accomplished. Exceptions, Reports and Risks can be formulated by running a host of predefined routines making analysis efficient and fast. You’ve got the Power.

Seamless Integration, Wholly… Smokes

With BarnOwl’s top down approach to risk management ensuring that you focus on the most important risks and with Arbutus Analyser continuously monitoring live data linked to these risks, the BarnOwl / Arbutus integrated solution provides a highly effective continuous monitoring and early warning system.

With the many options that Arbutus Analyzer has, to export your data, being Flat files or directly into a SQL database, seamless integration with BarnOwl is achieved effortlessly.

List of Export options below:

Choose an ODBC connection to export your desired results\ data\ Risks to a desired database and table.

The exported results automatically update BarnOwl’s key risk indicators and key control indicators, triggering the dynamic re-assessment of risks and notifying risk and control owners of a changing environment.

BarnOwl provides extensive reporting capabilities, generating flexible, system-wide reporting across your risk management, compliance and audit universe.

Continuous Monitoring

Now that you’ve created the desired output, your activities and analysis in Arbutus can then be automated by creating a Procedure\ script or even a Workflow (visual Script) ready to be scheduled at a time and date of your choosing.

By creating a reoccurring schedule, you can implement a Continuous Monitoring solution that seems effortless when run. This will give end users great insight into their Company and alert them if any thresholds have been exceeded. Ultimately changing the unwanted behaviour of processes and actions to be more aligned with the values of your Company.

Below is an illustration of the Automated Continuous Monitoring Solution enabled by the seamless integration between Arbutus and BarnOwl.

In Closing

This is a brief overview of the integration and automation of Arbutus and BarnOwl.
As mentioned previously, with the depth, scope and power of these two giants, Arbutus Analyzer and BarnOwl, you can rest easier knowing that Continuous Monitoring is possible giving you the assurance and time needed to act on the information at hand.

Thank you for reading our article. We would love to hear from you to discuss and Demo our Continuous Monitoring Solution to you. Should you interested in this exciting offering, please feel free get in contact with us. See you in the near future.

Author’s\ Consultant’s Bio:

Terence Olivier has been in the BI\ Data analytics world for 15 years. He has worked with a vast array of BI and Data analysis software. He has enjoyed being involved in projects in the Mining industry, Logistics, Retail and many more. Data Analytics, Fraud detection and Data Analytics Training is his specialty as well as visually displaying the data into trends that tells a story about your data and ultimately your company.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, challenges or obstacles you would like to overcome. Thank you for reading! www.betasoftware.co.za