Online regulatory compliance system and method for facilitating compliance
First Claim
1. A method for perpetual compliance auditing comprising:
- (a) providing a secured, interactive web-based system, accessibility to the web-based system limited to authorized users;
(b) identifying subject items specific for an authorized user;
(c) determining regulatory compliance requirements applicable for substantially each subject item identified in step (b);
(d) providing compliance requirements reports comprising specific subject items and their related regulatory compliance requirements to one or more persons responsible for compliance;
(e) generating repeated reminders to one or more persons responsible for accomplishing compliance until the compliance requirement is completed or no longer applicable.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for perpetually auditing compliance with rules and regulations emanating from government and other regulatory agencies comprising the steps of providing a secured, interactive web site system hosted by at least one computer server, accessibility to the web-based system limited to authorized users. Subject items specific for an authorized user are identified. The subject items preferably comprise facility sites, equipment located at the facility sites and operational activities occurring on the sites, the facility sites, equipment and operational activities being subject to regulatory compliance. Rgulatory compliance requirements that are applicable for substantially each identified subject item are then determined. The regulatory compliance requirements are continuously updated for the identified subject items and the status of each of the identified subject items is periodically checked to determine applicability of the regulations. Compliance requirements reports are provided to one or more persons responsible for compliance. To ensure compliance by company personnel, repeated reminders are generated to one or more persons responsible for accomplishing compliance.
101 Citations
50 Claims
-
1. A method for perpetual compliance auditing comprising:
-
(a) providing a secured, interactive web-based system, accessibility to the web-based system limited to authorized users;
(b) identifying subject items specific for an authorized user;
(c) determining regulatory compliance requirements applicable for substantially each subject item identified in step (b);
(d) providing compliance requirements reports comprising specific subject items and their related regulatory compliance requirements to one or more persons responsible for compliance;
(e) generating repeated reminders to one or more persons responsible for accomplishing compliance until the compliance requirement is completed or no longer applicable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17)
-
- 11. The method of claim 11 wherein the audit manual comprises a company profile, the profile comprising a specific facility site, equipment and operational activities for the specific facility site and the regulatory compliance requirements related to the facility site, equipment and operational activities.
-
18. A method for perpetual compliance auditing comprising:
-
(a) providing a secured, interactive web-based system, accessibility limited to authorized users;
(b) identifying subject items specific for an authorized user;
(c) providing one or more software programs comprising databases on the web-based system, the databases comprising subject items, the subject items comprising site locales, buildings, personnel, equipment and operational activities subject to compliance;
(d) identifying site locales, buildings, personnel, equipment, and operational activities specific to a facility site belonging to the authorized user;
(e) determining the regulatory compliance requirements for substantially each site locale, buildings, personnel, piece of equipment, or operational activity identified in step (d) based upon regulatory compliance data and subject items provided in the one or more databases;
(f) generating one or more reports for tracking compliance with requirements determined in step (e) for each site locale, buildings, personnel, piece of equipment or operational activity identified in step (d), the reports comprising a summary of compliance rules and regulations, tasks, permits, and required actions for the identified site locale, buildings, personnel, equipment or operational activity, the timing for completion of tasks, permits, and required actions, if any, and a listing of one or more responsible persons for accomplishing compliance for the identified site locale, equipment or operational activity. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method for perpetual compliance auditing comprising:
-
(a) providing a secured, interactive web-based system;
(b) inputting regulatory compliance data and subject items into one or more databases, the databases selected from a group of databases comprising relational databases, object oriented databases and combinations thereof;
accessibility to the databases limited to authorized client users;
(c) identifying one or more subject items input in step (b) that are applicable to a specific user with the use of a query, sort and find function;
(d) using a computer data processor, determining compliance requirements, required tasks for compliance and compliance triggers necessary to fulfill compliance requirements for substantially each identified subject item;
(e) using a report function to generate one or more reports;
(f) providing a summary of compliance requirements, timing, exemptions, required tasks and triggers to a responsible person for carrying out compliance tasks;
(g) repeatedly reminding the responsible person regarding compliance requirement data of specific actions required by specific compliance dates until the identified subject item is in compliance or the requirement is no longer applicable;
(h) repeatedly reminding the responsible person regarding compliance requirements for routine operations activities. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A method for generating a perpetual audit manual comprising:
-
(a) providing a secured, interactive web-based system, accessibility limited to authorized users;
(b) providing one or more software programs comprising a company profile of subject items, the subject items comprising one or more facility sites, equipment and operational activities related to the facility sites, the facility sites, equipment and operational activities subject to regulatory compliance, the software program further comprising regulatory compliance requirements for the one or more facility sites, equipment and operational activities;
(c) determining regulatory compliance requirements for substantially each specific facility site, equipment or operational activity identified in step (b);
(d) providing compliance requirements reports, the reports comprising one or more summaries of applicable compliance requirements for the specific facility site and substantially all of the equipment and operational activities at the site, the reports further comprising potentially applicable compliance requirements for the specific site and substantially all of the equipment and operational activities at the site locale;
(e) reporting the reasons for applicability of compliance data requirements for the specific site locale and substantially all of the equipment and operational activities at the site locale and reasons for potential applicability; and
(f) periodically updating compliance requirements reports with new regulatory compliance requirement data and updated subject item data;
(g) repeatedly reporting the updated regulatory compliance requirement data to one or more responsible persons for accomplishing compliance for the specific site locale and the equipment and operational activities at the specific site locale until the requirement is completed or no longer applicable;
(h) generating one or more check lists for task compliance and operating activities compliance based on steps (d) through (g). - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 43)
-
-
36. A method for perpetual compliance auditing comprising:
-
(a) providing a secured, interactive web site, accessibility to the one or more databases limited to authorized users;
(b) identifying specific subject items subject to regulatory compliance applicable for a specific user;
(c) determining regulatory compliance requirements for substantially each specific subject item identified in step (b);
(d) generating a compliance audit manual for tracking compliance with requirements determined in step (c) for subject items identified in step (b), the audit manual comprising identified subject items, a summary of compliance requirement data for identified subject items and a listing of one or more responsible persons for accomplishing compliance for the subject items;
(e) continuously updating audit manual with updated regulatory compliance requirement data and updated subject item data;
(f) reporting the reasons for applicability of compliance data requirements for specific subject items and reasons why potentially applicable requirements are not currently applicable; and
(g) perpetually reporting the updated regulatory compliance requirement data to the one or more responsible persons for accomplishing compliance for the subject items until requirement is no longer applicable. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A compliance system comprising:
-
a web-based system hosted by a server, the web-based system accessible by multiple computers;
a data structure located on the server comprising compliance data, a summary of compliance requirements and subject items subject to compliance;
one or more secured, interactive web pages accessible to authorized users for enabling users to determine applicable compliance requirements and potentially applicable compliance requirements for specific subject items;
means for notifying a responsible person of an authorized user about the applicable compliance requirements, the potentially applicable compliance requirements, one or more tasks and one or more required operating activities for specific subject items;
hyperlinks to one or more regulatory databases comprising full text of compliance requirements, permits and required tasks;
means for perpetually auditing the compliance of specific subject items to determine updated status of subject items and compliance with requirements; and
means for reminding the responsible person to comply with updated compliance requirements.
-
-
41. A compliance system comprising:
-
a web-based system hosted by a server, the web-based system accessible by multiple computers;
a data structure on the server accessible through the web-based system, the data structure comprising subject items, regulatory compliance data, the regulatory compliance data comprising compliance requirements, a summary of compliance rules, operating activities requiring compliance and tasks required for compliance;
hyperlinks to one or more government regulatory databases comprising full text of compliance requirements;
a software program for comparing the compliance requirements to the government regulatory database for updating the compliance requirements;
means for perpetually auditing the compliance of specific subject items with the updated applicable compliance requirements and potentially applicable compliance requirements to determine updated status of subject items; and
means for reminding one or more responsible persons of the authorized user to comply with updated compliance requirements. - View Dependent Claims (42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
-
Specification