Why GRC needs a 360° perspective: Balancing vertical and horizontal visibility

In today's interconnected business landscape, governance, risk and compliance (GRC) teams face the complex task of managing risks across multiple functions, levels and regions. But effective GRC management requires more than isolated snapshots; it calls for a comprehensive view that spans both vertical and horizontal dimensions across the extended enterprise. Here’s why GRC professionals should prioritise both types of visibility and how it leads to a more resilient, compliant organisation.

Vertical visibility – top down, bottom-up insights across hierarchical levels

Vertical visibility refers to the clear view of risk and compliance activities from the top of the organisation down to the front lines. This perspective is essential because:

1. Leadership sets the tone and strategic direction for risk and compliance efforts. When executives have a clear, top-to-bottom view, they can ensure that risk policies align with business goals and risk tolerance.
2. With vertical visibility, every level of the organisation—from frontline staff to senior management—understands their role in GRC. This helps foster accountability and ensures that risk-related information flows up and down seamlessly.
3. With a structured flow of reliable and real-time GRC information, executives and boards get precise, relevant reports, enabling data-driven decision-making and more accurate risk forecasting.

“Vertical GRC visibility connects employees at all levels with executive leadership, ensuring that everyone understands and engages with GRC principles. When GRC insights travel seamlessly from the ground level to the C-suite, decision-makers are equipped with real-time insights to make informed, timely decisions. This level of transparency also enables leadership to set clear expectations and accountability standards, helping to foster a culture where compliance and risk management are integral to daily operations,” comments {Name] at GRC software specialist, Decision Focus.

“Clear vertical communication means that emerging risks or compliance issues identified by employees can be escalated quickly, minimising response times and reducing potential impacts. Conversely, strategic GRC directives from leadership become actionable and effective when they reach those who handle day-to-day processes.”

Horizontal visibility - cross-functional insights and coordination

Horizontal visibility, on the other hand, spans departments and functions, providing insights across the organisation’s silos. This broader perspective is vital because:

1. Compliance requirements can vary by department, especially in complex organisations. Horizontal visibility allows GRC teams to coordinate across functions, ensuring that compliance standards are met organisation-wide without redundancy or gaps.
2. Risks are rarely isolated. Horizontal visibility helps GRC teams spot interdepartmental dependencies, ensuring that a risk in one area doesn’t interconnect and cascade into others. This proactive approach prevents minor issues from growing into major events.
3. When GRC teams have a clear view across functions, they can coordinate faster, more effective responses and tighten controls. Collaboration between departments becomes streamlined, making it easier to avoid, or address and recover from potential threats.

“The horizontal view ensures that risk and compliance data flows freely between departments,” explains [Name.] “This interconnected perspective allows GRC professionals to spot cross-functional risks and align departmental activities with enterprise-wide risk objectives. For instance, a security issue flagged by the IT team might have compliance implications for HR or legal, and financial reporting risks could impact operational processes.

“By fostering collaboration and data-sharing across departments, horizontal GRC visibility makes it easier to identify interconnected risks, prevent redundancies and optimise resource allocation. This integrated approach not only strengthens compliance but also promotes a unified and robust risk culture.”

Vertical depth plus horizontal reach equals enterprise-wide insights

By combining both perspectives, organisations can see not only how risks and compliance issues move through the chain of command but also how they affect different parts of the business. This integrated approach allows for quicker adaptation, stronger compliance alignment and better-informed strategic decisions.

“Seeing the full picture, the risk landscape in its entirety, enables proactive management of emerging risks, helping companies to stay resilient against both external pressures, like regulatory changes and internal challenges, like operational risks. If risks are on your radar, you can be proactive, responsive and agile in their management.”

Achieve 360° visibility with Decision Focus

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