The Value of a Digital Code

Rethink Compliance first introduced our digital Code product in 2018. Five years and more than 25 projects later, we’re just as enthusiastic about the digital format.

Why? Here’s what some of our team members had to say:

What content or format advantages does a digital Code provide?

By Meghan Daniels

Digital codes are awesome for lots of reasons!? First off, they create a really modern look and feel for a Code. So many Code readers are used to reading material from websites (in both their personal and their work lives), and digital codes provide that same look, feel, and accessibility.??

On top of having a really modern look and feel, digital Codes also provide so much opportunity for interactivity. Depending on a company’s preference, digital Codes can include all sorts of interactive learning components — from videos, to ethical decision trees, to flip cards and click and reveal features.??

On a practical note, digital Codes are really easy to update. Unlike PDF’s, which often require a whole redesign if there is a need to update content or add or remove a section — digital Codes can be refreshed or updated quickly and seamlessly because of the way they are built.?

Another huge benefit of a digital Code? It’s accessible and easy to read on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. This makes digital Codes a great tool for companies with workers who are “on the go” or are away from their computers.?

When you’re taking a program view, what does a digital Code bring to the table?

By Jamie McKillop

When written and designed effectively, your Code acts as a fulcrum that supports almost every aspect of your compliance program. This is true for Codes in any format, but a digital format amplifies your Code’s impact.?

Your Code helps set the cultural tone for your organization, employees, and other stakeholders. “Analog” Codes achieve this through written words and images, but a digital Code allows you to engage your stakeholders in a multitude of ways. You can use messages from leadership, interactive decision trees, informational videos, and other engagement tools to further establish your tone from the top and compliance culture.

Using these same tools, a digital Code also allows you to highlight key messaging and policies related to specific risk areas and to further promote your speak up resources.

Additionally, having a digital Code allows you to leverage your Code in different ways. If built in the right format, you can use a digital Code to record your annual Code certifications or deploy it as a stand-alone Code training. You can also collect data on the usage of your digital Code to help inform other aspects of your compliance program, such as the design of your training program or annual risk assessment process. An “analog” Code doesn’t help you with these things.

What can analytics in a digital Code tell you??

By Andrea Falcione, JD, CCEP

A digital Code is a great opportunity to embed data analytics into an organization’s compliance and ethics program which, as we know, is a DOJ expectation. Analytics in a digital Code can tell you a lot — infinitely more than just general Code traffic.

In addition to tracking “hits,” Code analytics — specifically Rethink’s Drive Analytics? service — will illuminate the specific sections of your Code people are visiting; how long they stay with your Code; whether and how they interact with your Code (e.g., do they watch your CEO’s video? do they turn flip cards? do they access FAQs?); the policies and other resources to which they link from your Code; whether visitors travel to your helpline reporting site from your Code; and so much more. And, if you partner with Rethink on your Code analytics journey, we will analyze and report on all of that data for you, making recommendations for program improvement along the way.?

Is there any legal or regulatory requirement for Codes to be in a PDF format?

We’ve found that certain companies resist moving away from a PDF Code. They may claim that their employees wish to print the Code without the data to back up that assertion. They may face pressure from auditors to maintain a PDF Code — auditors who, conversely, pressure them to go digital and use data analytics in virtually every other aspect of their business and who seek to automate and digitize as much of their own business processes as they possibly can. They may be told by their IT department that a digital Code will be too difficult to post externally.

None of those objections or barriers hold water. There is no legal, regulatory, or audit requirement for a Code to be in a PDF format. Business and industry are becoming more and more digital and automated, and compliance programs simply must follow suit.?

How can a digital Code help you meet your culture goals and have a bigger impact with your audience??

By Becky Burtless-Creps

As the foundation of the organization’s culture of compliance, the Code needs to be accessed easily. If the Code is hard to access and information is challenging to locate, workers will quickly stop referring to it. Simply put, a Code can’t impact culture if no one uses it. Digital Codes are very accessible. The technology for digital Codes is similar to how modern learners search for information online, so finding what they need in a digital Code is intuitive. Also, today’s workforce is mobile. Digital Codes transition seamlessly to mobile devices for easy access. PDF Codes do not adapt as well to mobile devices.

Digital Codes also allow the use of helpful data analytics. You can see how users interact with the Code, not just how many people went to a PDF Code and how long they kept it open. More robust analytics give a window into what is effective and helpful. For example, tracking whether the embedded tools are being used allows you to replace an interactive decision tree that no one seems to use with different content to help better communicate the concept.

Finally, a good culture needs constant reinforcement. Since digital Codes are easy to update, you can keep the information fresh with updated examples, statistics, and videos. You can use email or other communication tools to easily drive people to new materials or remind them of existing topics. Driving workers back to the Code is a simple way to reinforce the basics of your culture.

How can going digital support usability and utility?

By Matt Altieri

The most effective Code is one that is embedded into the daily decision-making of company employees and other stakeholders. Of course, getting employees to read it at all is the first order of business at any company. But, from there, working to highlight the Code's "utility" as a resource that employees can consult regularly should be a priority.

One of the primary benefits of "going digital" includes enhancing the usability of what — at virtually all organizations — has historically been a long and dense document full of legalese. Digital Codes promote using concise, plain-language guidance that is logically organized, searchable, and accessible on any device. Folks can bookmark it in their web browser, add it as a tile on their phone home screens, and pull it up and search for a keyword anytime! An easy-to-find and use Code is far likelier to find its way into everyday business routines.

We believe that it’s ideal for employees to view your Code as a starting point — easy to find, use, search, and understand — that can point them in the right direction. Consulting another, more detailed policy, specialized reporting system, or company contact linked within the Code may be the employee’s best next step. Digital Codes allow for easy hyperlinking to such resources — and easy updating when those links need to change.?

And after three years of providing digital Code analytics to our clients, we have found that digital Codes make formidable policy and resource hubs. Our data has consistently shown high usage of resources linked within the Code. With one of our clients, we could even cross-reference their internal policy access data. This allowed them to understand what proportion of E&C policy traffic originated from Code — as many as 25% of visitors to some policies came via the Code! Data like that illustrates how a digital Code can genuinely be a cornerstone component of modern ethics and compliance programs — and a stepping-stone resource for employees needing guidance.

If you have any questions about what a digital Code of Conduct would look like for your organization, don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our Code experts above or email us at [email protected].?