Outsourcing is essential for many businesses, with third-party service providers relied on for critical functions such as technology, finance and operations. While outsourcing offers benefits, it also introduces risk, including compliance with regulatory requirements (e.g., APRA Prudential Standards, Sustainability Standards, SOCI Act), reputational impacts, and operational vulnerabilities such as data breaches and service disruptions.
Management, boards and shareholders now demand greater confidence and transparency on the controls implemented by third-party providers, along with effective monitoring practices to oversee these partnerships effectively.
How we can help
PwC’s Third-Party Risk and Assurance practice is designed to help both organisations and service providers build trust with stakeholders, regulators and the broader market. This includes emerging areas such as operational resilience, cyber security, sustainability and artificial intelligence.
We assist service providers in offering enhanced transparency to their customers over their governance and control practices. By demonstrating sound control practices that have been independently examined, you assure customers of your commitment to secure, resilient and ethical operational standards.
Our assistance to organisations who are large consumers of services extends to advisory services on third party service risk management programs. We understand that all organisations are different – with unique risk appetites and cost constraints. We ensure that you have all the right levers in place to hold your service providers accountable for the commitments they have made to you whilst managing the key risks to your business, in an efficient way.
Services include
- Third-party assurance reporting
- Regulatory assurance
- Independent third-party audits/vendor assessments
- Benchmarking assessments
- Review and uplift of third-party risk management and vendor governance practices
Third-party assurance reporting
Independent examination of the robustness of a provider’s systems, processes, controls and compliance practices across a wide array of subject matters, including technology (including Software as a Service, Platform as a Service), Business Process Outsourcing, etc. This includes traditional controls assurance reports: GS007, ASAE 3402 (SOC 1), ASAE 3150 (including SOC 2 reports). It also includes the application of these standards to new and emerging subject matters, such as AI, operational resilience and sustainability, first in a readiness phase ahead of service providers commencing a reporting regime with their external stakeholders.
Regulatory assurance
Bringing the rigour and robustness of a PwC audit to ensure compliance with regulatory obligations to build trust with stakeholders.
Independent third-party audits/vendor assessments
Conducting one-off or periodic due diligence over your service providers to ensure they are appropriately managing the risks they pose to your organisation, including pre implementation reviews.
Benchmarking assessments
Conducting one-off or periodic due diligence over your service providers to ensure they are providing a service that is commensurate with other alternatives available in the market, from our unique perspective across the industry.
Review and uplift of third-party risk management and vendor governance practices
To enhance the maturity of practices, better align with regulatory standards and drive greater operational efficiencies.
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