Sarbanes-Oxley for Smart People

There’s a dummy standing in the lobby of a library in a moderately sized city in the Midwest. He wants people to read up on familiar topics so they can’t be considered a stiff with a plastic complexion like him.

A friend of mine recently alerted me to the clever use of a mannequin in a public library that is used to promote the popular series of books “for Dummies” published by Wiley Publishing and covering a vast range of topics from business to sports. The library uses the escapee from a retail store menswear department to display a new “… for Dummies” book each week, drawing attention to different reference topics for readers to explore.

I’ve not always been appreciative to the title references to “dummies” or the similar approach of the “Complete Idiots Guide to …” books published by Alpha, because I initially thought that a person is not a “dummy” or an “idiot” if they’re making an effort to learn more about a certain topic. That actually makes them smart. However, I can see where a series of reference books written “… for the Culturally Enlightened Yet a Little Vague on Some Topics” might not be best sellers.

By reading a whole bunch of these reference books through the years, I’ve come to appreciate their intent at simplifying complicated topics and spurring interest toward learning more. The title that has captured my attention lately is Sarbanes-Oxley for Dummies, written by Jill Gilbert Welytok, proving that there are few topics these books don’t cover. This reference book to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX), now in its second edition, accurately captures the technical side of the law, emphasizing that SOX is directed at ensuring the accuracy of information that appears on financial statements.

SOX is very important to Redemtech and its customers because IT departments face the challenge of creating and maintaining a complete and cost-effective corporate records archive that satisfies compliance requirements put forth by the law. Three rules particularly affect the management of electronic records. These regulations combine to justify one of the most important objectives of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which is the assurance that company directors and officers remain aware of the financial condition of the companies they manage and are financially accountable.

Compliance with all federal and state regulations pertaining to financial and asset management reports is central to Redemtech’s work as a Technology Change Management company that helps companies handle their IT assets. We have the technology and services to track and document every asset movement, physical operation and every penny of value gained.

Sarbanes-Oxley for Dummies isn’t exactly the kind of book one snuggles up with in a comfortable chair by the fire on a rainy evening, but it emphasizes the significance of a very important law, and how businesses and IT departments must work to comply.