Internal fraud and theft remain a serious problem for companies across the United States. On average, employees steal $50 million annually, which amounts to 7 percent of revenue each year lost to theft or fraud, and 75 percent of workers admit stealing from their employer “at least once” during their career.
While some of these thefts are minor — a stapler here or package of printer paper there — others are much broader. More worrisome are the evolution of technology-based crimes that are difficult to solve using traditional, paper-powered case management tools. Now, tracking and prosecuting guilty parties requires the use of similarly advanced case management software — here is a look at the process from start to finish.
Collect and Retain
The first job of any case management software is to collect all data pertinent to an investigation. This data could be stored anywhere on a company network — call logs, login attempts, emails sent and even documents sent for printing may all have a role to play in identifying and effectively prosecuting internal thieves. Yet without proper data collection and retention, seemingly open-and-shut cases start to fall apart and guilty parties may walk away with little more than a reprimand.
To avoid this outcome, case management software must be able to search all connected sources — from Web documents to attachments, forms and documents. What is more, this potentially relevant data must be securely stored and audited in such a way that companies can show no outside agents were able to modify or remove it once entered. Once collected, companies need the ability to visualize this data and draw connections that may not be readily apparent. Look for tools that link people, locations, property, vehicles and even other organizations to create a holistic view of fraudulent activity; they may help you uncover motive along with mere identity.
Improve Access
Once you’ve collected pertinent data, it’s time to grant limited access and let professionals —internal and external — get to work. Case management software must not only allow those with the right credentials to access all data collected, but also keep a record of all access requests along with who made the request, at what time, and for how long. Detailed logs of which records were accessed must also be retained. Here, the value of a case management solution is twofold: First, investigators have all the information they need in one place, all accessible from a single Web portal, allowing them to examine visualizations, pull out specific pieces of data, and draw new conclusions that may lead to a break in the case.
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