Submitted by: Submitted by Tortoh
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Category: Business and Industry
Date Submitted: 04/12/2014 04:58 AM
Utilities Fact Sheet
Enterprise resource planning reviews
How Internal Audit can help utilities get the most from their enterprise technology investments
Unless properly managed, complex technology implementations may miss the mark on the delivery of strategic business benefits.
In the current economic environment, utilities are under tremendous pressure to ensure continuity of key operations with fewer resources. Some are reducing head count, while others seek to better manage costs and squeeze new efficiencies from critical business operations. Many are shedding noncore businesses to stem losses or reduce risks. These goals to reduce costs and enhance organizational integration can be impeded by the limitations of legacy software applications, prompting many organizations to implement enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems such as SAP, Oracle and PeopleSoft. However, for many executives, ERP conjures images of multimillion-dollar investments, extended implementation schedules, and organization-wide changes. include checkpoints for measuring progress. Internal Audit should be involved at these checkpoints to evaluate and communicate project status and any unmitigated risks facing the implementation.
How PwC can help
We partner with client's Internal Audit departments to provide the deep system and process expertise needed to assess these large implementations. Our services focus on project risks and outcomes in three areas, which can be performed individually or in combination to meet specific project objectives. Business outcomes: Is there confidence that the business benefits will be appropriately identified and realized? Project outcomes: Is there confidence that the projects will be completed on time, on budget, and to the required quality? Controls outcomes: Is there confidence that the internal control enviroment can be enhanced to more effectively and efficently meet operational, regulatory, and financial reporting requirements?
Focus on...