When employees shifted to remote working as a result of the pandemic, companies had to rethink data and technology policies written for a typical office working space. Some organizations scrambled to make updates, while others already had a policy management program in place to guide them through a major event like this.

Policy management is the act of documenting, distributing, and revising your organization’s stance on how situations, functional areas, and management should operate. Policies help create a consistent experience across customers, employees, and the general public by documenting how your organization executes critical activities. Well-written policies also communicate expectations for audit activities and provide a benchmark for organizational success.

The policy management process typically starts with drafting new policies or revising existing ones. To do so, there should be a clear reason why that policy is being created or updated. Policies may be used to ensure security, reduce risk, implement culture changes, or comply with regulations. Regardless of their purpose, it’s important to track revisions or versions of the policy so that you can be aware of what policies were in place at any point in time while completing audits and reviews.

Read more insights on creating your policy management program in the full article, 6 Steps to a Mature Policy Management Program.