Internal audit can help companies determine how quickly to automate business processes. That role grows more consequential as AI takes on work that requires clear controls and accountability.
At Newell Brands Inc., auditors combine governance responsibilities with process optimization. Their involvement helps the business consider controls as adoption advances, according to Keri Tracy (pictured), vice president and chief audit executive of Newell Brands.
“Audit has a seat at the table for any major AI implementation, which I think is probably unique to our company,” Tracy said. “In other companies that I’ve worked at, that has not been the case. It’s very challenging for audit to get a seat at the table.”
Tracy spoke with theCUBE Research’s Krista Case and co-host Alison Kosik at Workiva’s Amplify event, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed audit’s role in adoption, process improvement and organizational change. (* Disclosure below.)
Internal audit connects process discipline and people
Newell adjusts deployment speed to the risks involved. Customer order-status agents can advance faster than fixed-asset-accounting agents, which require closer attention to financial controls, according to Tracy.
“One thing I like to say in my company is ‘lean before AI,’” she said. “We apply a lot of lean and Six Sigma techniques to the work that we do on process before we go and start to layer in AI over top of that.”
Internal audit also helps connect business teams and technology specialists. Employees doing the work should help shape changes, with room to question proposed approaches, according to Tracy.
“I think a lot of companies don’t understand the concept of change management well enough to understand that if you don’t bring the people along with you, you could have the best plan, you could have the best technology, and it won’t work,” she said. “I think a lot of transformations fail because they don’t bring the people along.”
Here’s the complete video interview, part of theCUBE’s coverage of Workiva’s Amplify event:
(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Workiva’s Amplify event. Neither Workiva, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)
