Client
Testimonials
Moeketsi Khoahli
South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)
As other like-minded subscribers to the system, I recommend BarnOwl as an ERM, compliance and audit solution based on its capability, periodic upgrades to align the solution to the perpetually changing risk, compliance and audit environment, and a customer centric technical support team.
Highlights
As other like-minded subscribers to the system, I recommend BarnOwl as an ERM, compliance and audit solution based on its capability, periodic upgrades to align the solution to the perpetually changing risk, compliance and audit environment, and a customer centric technical support team. The regular Information Sharing sessions and online Tips ensure that all users remain up to date with the functionality of the system. Staff are available for quick telephonic consultation and are willing to do onsite assistance.
Challenges
The Governance, Risk and Compliance management and reporting requirements increased due to the organisational growth geographically. Thus a more efficient system was necessary for an integrated management approach to satisfy the demands of business stakeholders.
Benefits
As the software is endorse by National Treasury it was easy to procure and The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has been using BarnOwl software since 2015. BarnOwl is a single, integrated risk management, compliance and audit solution. The three modules (risk, compliance and audit) have assisted SANBI to strengthen the three lines of Assurance and inculcate the risk management culture across SANBI. Based on the systems Modularity we were able to optimally use it for Combined Assurance Model and thus reporting to the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC). Our outsourced Internal Auditors verified graphically enabled KRI reports on-line. BarnOwl Risk Management module enabled us to migrate from the excel based risk registers to a fully-fledged Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) functionality. The integrated management of the whole ERM processes including continuous risk identification, assessment, monitoring and reporting on objectives, action targets and controls were seamlessly achieved. The monitoring functionality of BarnOwl enabled us to track progress on any aspect of the business that has set targets. Though mainly a risk software we used BarnOwl to fully manage and report on Occupational Health Safety (OHS) across all National Botanical Gardens including Administration Buildings. Once targets and delivery dates were set and captured, they can be tracked such that risk owners’ and Risk Action Administrators’ targets missed (impending or actual) could be tracked real time. More beneficial is the system’s ability to escalate missed targets to higher authority. As a Government Entity SANBI also Used software compliance monitoring on National Treasury, National Departmental, parliamentary Portfolio quarterly reports as well as the Annual Reports to Parliament. BarnOwl Compliance module enables the maintenance of a database of various acts, legislations, policies and procedures that are required for compliance, as target dates with reminders can be captured. The system’s online reporting functionality enhanced real-time extraction of incidences for transparent reporting to the ARC, the Board and EXCO.