Customer Overview
NuStar Energy L.P., headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a leading independent pipeline and liquid terminal operator in the United States. The company operates approximately 9,490 miles of pipeline and 65 terminal and storage facilities, storing and distributing crude oil, refined products, renewable fuels, ammonia, and specialty liquids. With a workforce of over 1,000 employees, NuStar’s Internal Controls and Compliance Team, Internal Audit Team, and Leadership Team, including the Controller and CFO, sought to enhance operational efficiencies by addressing challenges in their compliance and audit processes.
The Challenge: Bottlenecks, Visibility Gaps, and Limited Scalability
Before implementing Connected Risk by Empowered Systems, NuStar Energy relied on Excel spreadsheets and SharePoint to manage its Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance and internal audit workflows. These manual processes were prone to inefficiencies, with spreadsheets requiring constant updates, leading to discrepancies and outdated information. The approval workflow—spanning preparation, manager review, and SOX review—was difficult to track and often caused delays.
The lack of centralized visibility compounded the problem. Without a dedicated dashboard, teams struggled to monitor task progress, identify aging items, and assign clear ownership. This was especially problematic during peak audit seasons, when tracking accountability became a significant burden.
Furthermore, NuStar Energy’s existing tools were not scalable. As compliance requirements evolved, particularly with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting, integrating new processes and teams proved increasingly difficult.
The Solution: Connected Risk by Empowered Systems
To address these challenges, NuStar Energy implemented Connected Risk, a cloud-based compliance and audit management platform. The system provided automation, real-time tracking, and seamless scalability, revolutionizing how the company managed its internal controls.
Key Features and Benefits
- Workflow Automation and Real-Time Tracking
- Eliminated the need for manual spreadsheets, replacing them with automated workflows.
- Provided a centralized dashboard to track task statuses, including items “in progress,” “ready for review,” and “returned for corrections.”
- Enhanced accountability with clear ownership tracking and prioritization of bottlenecks.
- Flexibility and Customization
- Offered configurable templates that aligned with existing processes, minimizing the need for operational overhauls.
- Allowed for the creation of new fields and workflows to support evolving business needs, including ESG reporting.
- Supported both backward and forward workflows for seamless review cycles.
- Scalability Beyond Compliance
- While initially deployed for SOX compliance and audit workflows, Connected Risk’s adaptability enabled expansion into ESG data management.
- Delivered cost savings of approximately $60,000 by allowing internal teams to build an ESG module, avoiding the need for third-party tools.
- Streamlined Reporting
- Enabled quick data exports to Excel for deeper analysis.
- Provided instant access to key metrics via dashboards, reducing manual reporting efforts.
- Introduced advanced visualization and reporting features in newer product versions.
Implementation and Results
The initial user base consisted of a three-person internal controls group and a 20-person internal audit team, with extended access granted to 100–150 end users who periodically completed questionnaires or provided updates.
- Efficiency Gains
- Eliminated the weekly administrative burden of manually updating spreadsheets.
- Improved coordination and transparency across departments with real-time tracking.
- Enhanced Decision-Making
- Leadership and managers gained immediate insights into task progress, ownership, and bottlenecks.
- Enabled seamless communication and collaboration across hierarchical levels.
- Cost Savings
- Reduced reliance on external tools by leveraging Connected Risk’s capabilities for expanded functionalities.
- Avoided costly system upgrades by using in-house customization features.
Customer Feedback: A Resounding Success
NuStar Energy rated Connected Risk a 10/10 for functionality, flexibility, and ease of use. Empowered Systems provided ongoing support, ensuring a smooth user experience through responsive service and regular engagement. Customers highlighted the platform’s exceptional flexibility in adapting to evolving business needs and its comprehensive workflow automation capabilities. Additionally, Connected Risk empowered internal teams to develop new use cases without requiring external consultation.
Future Recommendations
For organizations evaluating solutions for SOX compliance, audit management, or ESG reporting, Connected Risk emerged as a top-tier choice due to:
- Its ability to adapt to complex business processes without necessitating major operational changes.
- A high return on investment achieved through operational efficiency and scalability.
- The robust support and training provided by Empowered Systems, enabling internal teams to manage and customize the platform independently.
Closing Insights
The implementation of Connected Risk transformed NuStar Energy’s fragmented, manual compliance processes into a streamlined, automated system. Its scalability and customization options made it an indispensable tool not only for SOX compliance and audits but also for expanding into adjacent areas like ESG reporting. While external factors eventually influenced the company’s transition away from Connected Risk, the team overwhelmingly emphasized the platform’s unmatched value, flexibility, and efficiency in meeting their compliance and audit needs.
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