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Compliance




### Terms and conditions (T&Cs) change at ever-increasing rates, especially for SaaS services and cloud-computing providers. But nobody enjoys sifting through the plethora of mind-numbing legalese the first time – better yet every time it changes.


Follow these simple steps to monitor terms and conditions by receiving email alerts with easy-to-read snapshots of the updates, conveniently highlighted for your perusal. 

A **Terms and Conditions Agreement (T&C)** is one of the most essential legal documents for companies to incorporate on their webpages and apps.

Software as a Service (SaaS) companies, where the majority of software is sold from nowadays, rely on terms and conditions to grant users [a license to use the software](https://www.websitepolicies.com/blog/what-are-terms-and-conditions) and to specify the rights and restraints pertaining to its use. User restraints include the user’s ability to copy, modify or redistribute it, as well as the limits on the liability of the developer.

## Terms and Conditions (Quietly but Surely) Change

As neither businesses nor laws are stagnant, an agreement drafted today between a company and their customers may not be the same agreement tomorrow. Websites updates their T&Cs due to, for example, updated business models, adding or removing product features, or to follow compliance requirements from new laws.

Some businesses reserve the right to **change their terms and conditions at any time**, [without informing their users](https://medium.com/@jlkoepke/we-can-change-these-terms-at-anytime-the-detritus-of-terms-of-service-agreements-712409e2d0f1). When you install new software for your company, you are not only agreeing to all of today’s ubiquitous terms, but to the future’s ubiquitous terms, too.

Yes, it's true: even if you take the time to read and understand the current T&Cs (most of us don’t), it could [change to a completely different agreement](https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-ridiculous-eula-clauses-agreed/) and **you wouldn’t even know**.

```cta
Start monitoring Terms & Conditions web pages now / Sign up with Visualping to monitor any T&C web page, and get notified when we detect a change. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. https://openai.com/policies/row-terms-of-use/ / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

For some companies, undetected changes to terms and conditions can escalate into serious problems. Visualping has many clients monitoring the T&Cs of the software they use. One example is a California state school district, who uses software in the classroom with 64,000 students. Their legal team needs to ensure they are notified of content restriction changes, as some content isn’t suitable for children under 13 years old. Just imagine all the angry parents.

Other clients include heavily regulated industries such as banks, insurance companies and attorneys from large corporations who do not have the time, energy nor patience to sift through hundreds of T&Cs used by staff and employees but, nonetheless, need to be aware of these changes.

## Admit It: You Don't Want to Manually Monitor T&Cs 

It doesn’t help T&C Agreements are often too confusing and complicated for the average reader to understand.

In March 2012, the PayPal End-User License Agreement consisted of [36,275 words](https://1025kiss.com/no-one-reads-the-terms-and-conditions-and-heres-why/) and, in May 2011, the iTunes agreement included [56 pages](https://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/05/06/itunes.terms/), with words like “mercantile agent” and “material breach”, written in HUGE BLOCKS OF CAPITALIZED TEXT THAT ARE SOMEHOW URGENT AND IMPENETRABLE AT THE SAME TIME, IN A LANGUAGE SO ELUSIVE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE READING AND SO users tend to simply opt for the **I Agree** button and never look back.

Even if those changes are significant to them and/or their company.

Many companies actually require customers to agree beforehand that they **will intermittently reassess their contracts** on the company's website for changes. One example is Network Solutions’ [service agreement](www.networksolutions.com/legal/static-service-agreement.jsp#general) that requires customers to agree to “periodically review [their] Web sites […] to be aware of any such revisions” before signing up for its services.

When pasted into Microsoft Word, the agreement is 102 pages of single-spaced text.

And while some services will notify users of changes, they often direct users to the updated T&Cs without marking or explaining the changes explicitly. With a 102-page contract, that’s **a lot of time manually checking for changes**.

## Monitor Terms and Conditions with Visualping

Put simply, it is imperative users and companies are aware of what they are signing up for, when this agreement changes and whether the change is material to their business.

But while monitoring terms and conditions is an arduous administrative task, with the proliferation of **free** and **easy-to-use** automation services like [Visualping](https://visualping.io/), you can forget about the painstaking endeavor of monitoring T&Cs, scanning the text yourself.

Visualping is the world’s leading change detection tool. A website monitoring service with 1.5 million users – out of which 83% are Fortune 500 companies – Visualping offers users different ways to monitor website pages, from visual to text webpage elements.

When monitoring changes to a T&Cs page, we recommend using our **[Text Compare](https://visualping.io/faq#:~:text=visual%20compare%20after.-,What%20is%20text%2Dcompare%3F,the%20changes%20in%20its%20context)** feature.

When there’s a change to the T&Cs page, Visualping will automatically send you an email alert. With **[Text Compare](https://visualping.io/faq#:~:text=visual%20compare%20after.-,What%20is%20text%2Dcompare%3F,the%20changes%20in%20its%20context)**, the email  will display a snapshot of all the webpage’s textual updates for you to view. Text that was added to the page is highlighted in green. Text that was removed is highlighted in red.

And if you want to view the highlighted changes within the context of the actual webpage you’re monitoring, you can select the **View Changes** option at the bottom of the email . You’ll be taken to your dashboard, where you can get a closer look at the screenshots within the context of the website.

![software tcs.png](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/software_tcs_2ed810230d.png)
Staying on top of these changes to your company’s software does not have to be as wearisome as it sounds. With Visualping, you can receive convenient notifications regarding changes to terms and conditions, conveniently highlighted through our change detection system.

Visualping will streamline the process, saving you from intermittently sifting through blockades of dense text. 

And setting it up is a breeze.

## How to Monitor Terms and Conditions Using Visualping

* **Step 1**: Copy and paste the URL of the T&C page you wish to monitor into the search field on the Visualping home page. Click **Go**.

![openaitcpage.png](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/openaitcpage_9fcdfe4770.png)

* **Step 2**: The page will appear our screen monitor. In **Advanced Options**, select **Text-Compare** to track textual changes on the T&C page.
* **Step 3**: Choose the frequency of checks you would like our system to check for T&Cs changes – every 5 minutes, hour, day, week, etc.
* **Step 4**: Enter the email you wish to use to receive change notifications.
* **Step 5**: Type in the name or label associated with the page.
* **Step 6**: After having clicked the link sent to your email to verify your address, complete the sign-up process.

After confirming your email, Visualping will deploy the notifications to your inbox.

You are now equipped to monitor terms and conditions and receive email alerts when your T&Cs change.

Our examptual play on [GameStation's April Fool's joke](https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/nobody-reads-terms-and-conditions-its-official), when hundreds of thousands of users could have benefited from Visualping’s notification system to avoid unknowingly agreeing to their sneaky T&C update. ; - )

![tcsample.png](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/tcsample_95eea824c8.png)

Happy monitoring!


Monitor terms and conditions (T&Cs) and receive email alerts with the changes highlighted for you to easily view. Save time by automating the task of tracking terms and conditions for updates.

How to Monitor Changes in Terms and Conditions (T&Cs)? | Visualping Blog

How to Monitor Changes in Terms and Conditions (T&Cs)?



#### What is MAP Monitoring?

**MAP monitoring** is when manufacturers and brands keep their eye on retailers’ and resellers’ prices, in order to ensure they’re abiding by their minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policy. 

The MAP policy defines the brands’ lowest price their sellers are allowed to publicly display. 

Manufacturers and brands have to continuously monitor individual retailer stores, marketplaces and price comparison sites. If a price dips below the authorized threshold, brands have to reach and communicate with the reseller to enforce the MAP policy.  

MAP monitoring is important because it: 
* Insulates your brand identity from price erosion
* Protects your profit margins 
* Establishes trust between you and your retail partners

The monitoring process is crucial. If the brand isn’t keeping on top of their resellers, then they can’t enforce their pricing policy when it’s being ignored, rendering it pointless.  

This post will cover what map monitoring is, how it works, and how brands can get started monitoring retailer pricing.

#### MAP Monitoring: How Does it Work?

##### Real-time monitoring 

To start, good retail partners respect your pricing policies because they care about their relationship with you and recognize that they benefit from your long-term success. 

But not every seller is a good partner. Some will test whether you conduct MAP monitoring to see what they can get away with. Using software to program pricing changes – and slip temporary cuts under the radar – is not unusual. 

That’s why MAP monitoring is not a periodic glance through the reseller landscape, or a one-and-done project. It’s continuous. Resellers change their prices constantly, so you have to constantly be on the lookout. 

As such, manually tracking your prices, or using MAP monitoring tools that only checks online prices a couple times a week, isn’t sufficient. 

Monitoring prices in realp-time allows brands to detect price changes immediately, rather than in a delayed manner, when damage to your brand and profit margins from price erosion may already be occurring. 

[Visualping](https://visualping.io/business/) is an example of a real-time monitoring tool that alerts brands of sellers' price changes online, so they can continuously stay on top of any discounts and promotions that violate pricing policies. 

```cta
Want to get set up with MAP monitoring? / Sign up with Visualping to stay on top of your MAP monitoring and track retailer pricing from any web page – before your brand is on the line. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.example.com/map-monitor-page / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

##### Monitor retailer stores, marketplaces and price comparison sites

MAP monitoring calls for monitoring the prices of all the web pages to which your products appear – whether that be individual retailer websites, marketplaces or price comparison sites. It’s likely a mix of all three. 

Monitoring the majority of your resellers increases your odds of detecting the price violation when it first happens. If you don’t, then sellers will probably notice this, and choose to ignore your MAP policy. And once retailers start ignoring your policy, others inevitably follow, in an effort to keep their prices competitive. 

Once many resellers violate your pricing policy, it’s difficult to decipher, and hold accountable, the original culprit. 

The resulting domino effect may also result in a pricing war: everyone starts lowering their prices lower and lower, until it becomes a race to the bottom in which your products are priced as low as the Marianas Trench, and nobody is making a profit. 

That’s why your monitoring needs to be continuous, in real-time, and you need to monitor as many of your resellers as you can. The more gaps there are in your tracking, the easier it is for rogue sellers to slip through the cracks and undermine your pricing policy.

Periodically glancing through the reseller landscape may result in you scrambling to reach out to the many resellers who’ve since violated your pricing policy. 

Instead, you want to catch it early and know who started it. Waiting passively for violations to pop up online increases your chances of price competitions, and the damage to your profit margins and reputation that follow suit.

Many brands use monitoring software tools to automatically keep an eye on resellers online. Instead of attempting to manually keep track of all your resellers, software tools automate the process of checking their prices, and alert you of changes, in real-time. Visualping is an example of a price monitoring tool that monitors online retailer prices and notifies you, right away, of changes.  

[Visualping](https://visualping.io/business/) crawls the web, and checks the web pages you’ve set it up to track. Once a price change occurs, Visualping detects it and automatically sends you an email, with a screenshot of the page, and the price change highlighted for you to see. 

#### What are the Benefits of MAP Monitoring?

MAP monitoring brings an array of benefits to your brand. As well as lowering the likelihood of price violations in the future, MAP monitoring can serve as a way for you to repair the damage that’s already been inflicted to you and your sellers. 

##### MAP monitoring protects your profit margins

MAP monitoring protects your profit margins because it helps keep your prices competitive, insulting your ability to sell your own product.

Often, resellers violating your MAP policy are just after a temporary advantage. 
They’ve got their eye on Amazon’s buy box, or they know other sellers offer a better product and they’re trying to cut ahead by dismembering the price. 

If they’re selling out of their garage and they’re the only employee, they can afford to go much lower than retailers. Other sellers may respond by lowering the price in turn, but the original violator will just keep dropping the price, unto; nobody is making a profit selling your products. 

It’s a race-to-the-bottom price war, and everyone loses – especially you. 
When paired with solid MAP enforcement, MAP monitoring protects your margins by keeping your prices where they’re supposed to be.

##### MAP monitoring insulates your brand identity

Price violations, accumulated together, over time, is bad news for your brand identity. Significantly low prices can indicate poorer quality products and services, degrading the customer perception of your brand. 

And when consumers encounter varying prices of your product, depending on where they look online, you’re creating a brand experience that’s varied and inconsistent. Consumers come away from encountering your brand with different and conflicting understanding of your brand value. 

Normalizing your prices with MAP monitoring helps consumers have a shared understanding of what your brand is worth, and ensures your prices accurately reflect its quality. 

##### MAP monitoring builds trust with your sellers

Just like you don’t want a price war, neither do your sellers. Your best partners are making the effort to follow your price policies, so it’s frustrating to them when their competitors are violating your price policies and getting away with it. 

A price war also threatens their own margins. And if you aren’t willing to put in the work to monitor and enforce your MAP policy, they may not be willing to continue putting in the effort to sell your product and deal with less scrupulous sellers.

##### MAP monitoring keeps sellers in line over time

Properly enforced MAP monitoring, over time, signals to sellers that you take your policies seriously, and will know when they’re violated. Sellers will be less willing to mess with your prices because they know that the consequences aren’t worth the temporary advantage it provides. 

#### MAP Monitoring is Difficult – When You’re Doing it Manually 

Even with just a handful of products and sellers to keep track of, manually trying to stay on top of your resellers is next to impossible. Violations can slip in between the cracks easily.  

If one seller violated your policy and the others followed suit to stay competitive, would you have any way of knowing who moved first? And, if it happened on different pages, are you monitoring enough different sites to detect the origin of the ripple effect? 

Even if you only focused on your most important SKUs, most brands would find manual MAP monitoring too difficult to keep up with. A human simply can’t watch enough places at the same time. Your company’s money could be much better spent paying this person to solve creative analytical problems, rather than fill the seat a robot could just fill, and do a much better job at – and at scale.

A seller can still violate your policy when your employees are off the clock. Humans are also bound to make errors, such as overlooking a change.

##### Automating the MAP monitoring process

MAP monitoring tools like Visualping are built for this job. Visualping is a website change detection tool that automatically checks web pages for changes, comparing each check to the last for any differences. 

Many website change monitoring and detection tools are only equipped to check web pages periodically. Or, they can only track a limited number of pages. Visualping can check your web pages as frequently as every 5 minutes, and can monitor hundreds of thousands of web pages across an unlimited number of online stores and marketplaces.  

Any time Visualping detects a pricing change, it sends you an email alert. Every pricing change is displayed in your user dashboard, where you can view all the alerts in one spot, and draw upon previous alerts, too. You can assess changes and violations over time, as well as violations associated with particular sellers or products. With the screenshot feature, you also have proof of the violation, if necessary.

#### How to Monitor Retailer Pricing: Visualping

To get started with a MAP monitoring tool that will alert you as soon as price changes amongst your resellers occur, simply navigate to Visualping’s homepage, and copy and paste the URL of the page you want to track. 

Next, you customize your monitoring settings, such as the part of the page you want monitored, how often you want the page checked, and the email address you want the alerts sent to.
 
And you’re done!
 
##### Step-by-step instructions on how to get set up with MAP tracking:
 
**Step 1**: Search your page. Copy and paste the product URL you want to monitor into the search field on Visualping’s homepage. Click Go.

**Step 2**: Once the page appears in the viewport, select the part of the page you want monitored. For tracking products, this is the part of the page surrounding the price.

**Step 3**: Specify the frequency you want the page checked – every 5 minutes, 30 minutes, hourly, daily, etc.

**Step 4**: Type the email address you want the alerts sent to. Click Start Monitoring, and that’s it! You’re set to get notified of deals.

**Step 5**: Visualping will send you an email, asking you to make a password for your account. Don’t forget to do this. The password completes your account, and allows you to login to your user-dashboard, where you can view all your Visualping monitors and email alerts in one location.

Perform these steps as many times as you wish to monitor many resellers at one time, and create a watch list.

Visualping takes automatic screenshots of the page at regular intervals – every 5 minutes, 30 minutes, hourly, daily, etc – and compares each image to the last to check for changes.

#### Level up your MAP monitoring capabilities

**MAP monitoring** is critical to your long-term success as an ecommerce brand. Protecting your price doesn’t just benefit you. It serves your customers and your sellers, too.

Visualping is an easy-to-use website monitoring tool that can track price changes, in real-time, amongst your resellers for you. The user dashboard makes it easy to view pierce change alerts all in one spot, and to go back and view changes over time to detect any patterns and associations. 

With Visualping, MAP monitoring is made much more manageable. 

[Get a demo](https://visualping.io/contact/?field22=Demo) to see Visualping in action.

Happy MAP monitoring!



MAP monitoring is when brands monitor their retailers and resellers prices, to ensure they’re following their pricing policies.

MAP Monitoring: How to Monitor Retailer Pricing | Visualping Blog

MAP Monitoring: How to Monitor Retailer Pricing?



“MAP” and “MSRP” are only a mere two of the hundreds of acronyms floating around in the world of eCommerce, and they’re two of the easiest to confuse. 

While a **MAP policy** is very similar to a **MSRP policy**, they play different roles with key distinctions that help them work in tandem to support and protect your brand from price violations. 

With dynamic pricing having become key to gaining a competitive advantage, eCommerce has become an ever-changing world of ruthless undercuts and price wars. 

Prices are constantly shifting – including those of your own resellers, who may or may not be abiding by your MAP and MSRP policies. 

It’s important, then, for manufacturers and wholesalers to stay on top of their resellers to ensure their pricing policies are being respected.  

But what’s the difference between a MAP policy and MSRP?

In this post, we’ll cover a MAP policy vs MSRP, including how they’re similar, and how they work in tandem to help brands protect their profit margins, brand integrity and establish trust with other sellers.  
 
Here’s everything you should know about **MAP policy vs MSRP**. 
 
#### MAP Policy: What is it?
 
MAP stands for Minimum Advertised Price. A MAP policy is a legal document that brands, manufacturers and wholesalers use to define the lowest price a reseller can advertise their product or service. 

It’s not the lowest price a reseller can sell the item – just the lowest price they can advertise, such as in an advertisement. That’s important.

For example, let’s say Walmart has a stereo with a MAP price of $99. If Walmart wants to make an ad, then it can’t advertise the stereo for lower than $99 without penalties. Print or online, the rules are the same.

A seller looking to move inventory might go rogue, mark the stereo down to $50, and leverage advertisements to try and push sales. Such a MAP policy violation makes the market less fair for you and your other sellers, and may prompt a seller to drop the price even further, edging on a price war that ultimately results in lower profits – if any – for everyone involved. 

MAP policies should only define the price that is advertised online or in-store for a product. They can’t attempt to fix the actual selling price of the product—that’s illegal—or recommend the actual selling price. That’s MSRP’s job.

Because MAP pricing only defines what a product can be advertised for, not what it can be sold for, it’s legal under U.S. antitrust statutes. 

#### MSRP Policy: What is it?
 
Now for the MSRP policy.

MSRP stands for Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. It’s also known as Recommended Retail Price (RRP), Suggested Retail Price (SRP) and sticker price.

An MSRP policy refers to the price a brand, manufacturer or wholesaler believes its product should sell for. It’s not a legal document officially setting the lowest a price can be or anything –  Resellers are free to sell a product above or below the MSRP. It’s the recommended sale price that the brand or wholesaler coordinates across online and offline retailers. 

It’s designed to be helpful for resellers. MSRP policies are determined by taking into account all of the costs associated with the distribution and manufacturing process for a product, as well as the margin amount resellers need in order to make a profit.

MSRP also establishes value. For example, if a brand wants to build a premium brand, the MSRP can reflect the actual or perceived value of their product.

Rather than leaving resellers to shoot blindly in the dark when trying to figure out their pricing, the MSRP policy is a helpful guideline that indicates what the retailers can realistically expect to sell the product for and make a profit. 

While they’re not legally binding, manufacturers do provide them in order to standardize prices and give resellers somewhat of a starting point. 

Like MAP pricing, MSRP has to be set up as a one-way policy and not an agreement between a manufacturer and a reseller to avoid landing a manufacturer on the wrong side of the law. 
 
#### What’s the Difference between a MAP and MSRP policy?
 
So, MAP policy vs MSRP: what’s the difference? 
 
While MAP prices only consider the lowest price at which the product can be advertised, MSRP is the selling price recommended by brands, to help them know how to remain competitive, while also make a profit. 
 
MAP policies are legally binding – they’re not just a recommendation. Advertising products lower than the MAP can be considered a breach of contract and even instigate a legal action by the brand. Sellers are expected to comply, or else there will be penalties. 
 
MSRP, in contrast, is only a suggestion, or a guiding point. In this way, MAP serves as the lower limit for a product’s pricing, while MSRP acts as the upper limit.
 
Retailers that ignore MAP policy can face repercussions. But retailers aren’t legally obliged to adhere to the MSRP, so there are no consequences for failing to implement it.

#### How do MAP and MSRP policies work in tandem? 
 
MAP and MSRP have different applications that prove useful in different scenarios. MAP policies, for instance, are typically more useful in marketplaces where competition is fierce and price erosion happens more easily if sellers are left unchecked. 

Setting a MAP policy lets resellers know you’re serious about controlling channel conflict, maintaining pricing equity and protecting everyone’s profit margins. 

Setting a MAP policy also lets you establish a sense of value around your product.

When resellers lower your prices and there isn’t anything to check them, it devalues both your product and, by extension, your brand. Consumers may think your products are of lesser value or that your brand can’t be trusted. Consistent pricing enforced via MAP guards against that.

But they also have similarities, too. Setting an MSRP, for instance, helps you, as well, establish value for your product, and lets resellers know you’re serious about helping them make profit – not by preventing a price war, but recommending the upper limit.

MAP pricing can actually protect and reinforce your MSRP pricing and, as such, they can work in tandem with each other.
 
If you’re a brand or wholesaler and you’re trying to create a premium brand known for its high-quality products, you wouldn’t want your products to be advertised at deep discounts. As MSRP policies are about setting the upper limit – what resellers can realistically expect to price their products to make a profit – then cheap prices can send a message to consumers that your products are not worth the MSRP at all. 

MAP policies, combined with MSRP policies, create a stronger level of brand protection, reinforcing your brand with more sustainable, profitable growth.

#### How to enforce your MAP policy?

Even though it’s important brands and wholesalers enforce their MAP policies, it can be difficult to do so. 

That’s keeping an eye on the majority of your resellers, and wherever your products are listed online. Not to mention, resellers adjust their prices all the time. 

That’s why automation tools are often used for MAP monitoring – to identify MAP policy violators right away when your policy is breached, so you can reach out and enforce your policy.

```cta
Want to get set up with MAP or MSRP monitoring? / Protect your pricing policy and sign up with Visualping to get set up with MAP or MSRP monitoring. Track retailer pricing from any web page. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.example.com/map-msrp-page / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

[Visualping](https://visualping.io/business/) is an example of a price monitoring tool, available online. Visualping automatically crawls the web pages you want it to, and checks them for changes. 

When it detects a web page change, Visualping notifies you, via email and in real-time, with a screenshot of the page, the changes highlighted for you to see.  

Tools like these help brands scale up their MAP monitoring, and monitor as many web pages for price violations as possible, making it easier to stay on top of your pricing policies. These tools also make it easier to react to violations as soon as possible, rather than reacting ina  delayed manner. 

Visualping can monitor pages as frequently as every five minutes. And it can track up to thousands of web pages. That’s more web pages than you ever thought you could stay on top of.

#### How to get started with Visualping 

To get started with the MAP policy monitoring tool, simply navigate to [Visualping’s homepage](https://visualping.io/), and copy and paste the URL of the page you want to track. 

Next, you customize your monitoring settings, such as the part of the page you want monitored, how often you want the page checked, and the email address you want the alerts sent to.
 
And you’re done!
 
Perform these steps as many times as you wish to monitor many resellers at one time, and create a watch list.

Visualping takes automatic screenshots of the page at regular intervals – every 5 minutes, 30 minutes, hourly, daily, etc – and compares each image to the last to check for changes.

#### Final Thoughts

While a **MAP policy** is very similar to a **MSRP policy**, they play different roles with key distinctions that help them work in tandem to support and protect your brand from price violations. 

Thanks to the increasingly competitive world of eCommerce, introducing, and effectively enforcing, your MAP policy is becoming increasingly more important for many brands. 

With Visualping, MAP policy monitoring is made much more manageable. 

[Get a demo](https://visualping.io/contact/?field22=Demo) to see Visualping in action. 

Happy MAP policy monitoring!


While MAP prices only consider the lowest price at which the product can be advertised, MSRP is the selling price recommended by brands, to help them know how to remain competitive and make a profit.

MAP Policy vs MSRP: What's the Difference? | Visualping Blog

MAP Policy vs MSRP: What's the Difference?



ECommerce has exploded. Everyone shops online. While it was well on its way to mass adoption already, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated everyone’s purchasing habits into the digital space, blessing retail brands with borderless shopping and expanding customer bases. 
 
But such a boost in online shopping comes with its pitfalls: a surge of unauthorized sellers and MAP violations. 
 
A partial explanation is the rise in third-party marketplace shopping, where background checks for authenticity tend to be lacking, as well as authorization to sell certain products. In 2019, a [Forrester survey](https://www.forrester.com/report/Digital+GoToMarket+Review+Home+Goods+Brands+2020/-/E-RES161596) indicates online marketplace sites in the U.S. made up 46% of online sales, and 61% of global e-commerce sales – and this was before the pandemic struck. 
 
With marketplaces increasingly gaining market share, more brands and manufacturers are coaxed into selling through these platforms. But, while beneficial for reaching consumers, marketplace sites are generally breeding grounds for unauthorized sellers and counterfeiters.
 
In this post, we will go through what a MAP violation is, why it is necessary to monitor MAP pricing violations, and some top tips for avoiding MAP violations across your channels in the future. 
 
#### What is a MAP violation?

MAP, or Minimum Advertised Price, is the lowest price a manufacturer or brand allows its resellers to advertise for their products.
 
A MAP policy is the document that sets this threshold for the advertised price. It provides a pricing guideline for resellers, so they have a starting idea of how to approximately price the product – they’re not shooting blindly in the dark. 
 
It’s also a strict rule, with a cascading list of protective benefits for both the manufacturer and all the resellers involved in the distribution channel. The policy specifies the scope of the policy on the internet (IMAP), electronic (eMap), and physical stores.
 
So, a **MAP policy violation**, or simply a **MAP violation**, is when a retailer breaches its agreement with the manufacturer, by advertising the product below the price set by the manufacturer in the MAP policy. 
 
MAP pricing violations are not unusual. A recent study by Harvard Business Review on manufacturers who use MAP policies found unauthorized retailers had violated the policies 50% of the time. Authorized retailers had a policy violation rate of 20%.
 
Just last year, Costco’s price violation with the popular shoemaker Birkenstock leaked into the public eye when Birkenstock told [The Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/costco-not-an-authorized-reseller-birkenstock-sandals-company-says-2020-3) Costco is selling its shoes for one-third of the authorized price – and that Costco isn’t even an authorized seller. 
 
In the competitive online space, MAP violations are more likely to strike when there are numerous sellers cluttering the market, and someone’s eager to scoop up more customers for themselves by lowering prices and offering discount coupons and codes. 

MAP violations are also common among non-compliant sellers who use automatic repricing software to stay competitive. These tools briefly violate MAP policies in a flash by automatically comparing the sellers’ prices to the competition, and then strategically dipping the price low to outcompete rivals. 
 
These kinds of pricing violation tactics trigger price wars among a manufacturer or brands’ resellers. Nobody ultimately wins. 
 
#### Why pricing violations should matter to brands 
 
With the explosion of eCommerce and third-party marketplace sites, numerous sellers are advertising and selling the products of brands and manufacturers online – whether authorized or not. The risk of price non-compliance is rising. 
 
As such, it’s important for you to track your MAP policy for violations across all your online channels. 
 
But what’s the point?
 
Not tracking MAP violations can cause some serious problems.
 
##### Pricing violations divert customers

While the issue isn’t limited to eCommerce, online shoppers compare prices on several retailer sites and marketplaces to scout for the best deal. They’ll even sign up for [price drop alerts](https://visualping.io/blog/price-drop-alerts-track-price-changes/) – it’s a part of the job of today’s savvy online shopper taking advantage of the online format of a new eCommerce-driven shopping world. 
 
Resellers violating the brand’s lowest pricing threshold, then, increase the chances of lost customers; customers wandering off from the brand’s store, and the stores of its complying resellers, to resellers offering prices below the MAP price – or, worse, unauthorized resellers who shouldn’t be selling the products at all.
 
##### Pricing violations damage brand identity 

From a customers’ perspective, cheaply priced products are not always attractive. And, in today’s digital shopping sphere, consumer impressions spread like wildfire – including the negative opinions that present your products as cheap, perpetuating a false impression of your brand image. 
 
When consumers see products of a brand at a very low price, it may bring into question the quality of the products, and have an impact on the customers’ perception of the brand. Low prices may poorly represent the brand value, and may even be a sign of a counterfeit or “gray market” in the eyes of consumers. 
 
A manufacturer or brand builds a pricing policy to protect their brand image and value in the marketplace. MAP policies stabilize the valid price of your products across individual reseller and marketplace sites.  
 
Tracking MAP violations helps protect your business from a damaged brand identity because low prices can indicate to customers poorer quality products. This is particularly a concern among brands seeking an air of luxury and premium quality, like Birkenstocks. 

Many brands will use [website monitoring tools, like Visualping](https://visualping.io/business/), to automatically monitor sellers' price changes on marketplaces, individual seller websites and price comparison sites. When prices drop, the brand gets notified and can continuously stay on top of sellers' discounts and promos that violate price policies. 

```cta
Want to stay on top of MAP pricing violations? / Sign up with Visualping to detect MAP violations from any web page – before your brand is on the line. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.example.com/map-violations-page / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```
 
##### Price violations eradicate trust with distributors 

Your distributors are important.  Brand owners are dependent on their distribution channels and, often times, choose retailers carefully. 

Your pricing policy protects your compliant retail partners from having to lower their prices to keep up with competition and, in the worst case scenario, engage in a price war. Your retail partners don’t want a price war. 

Your pricing policy, then, if properly enforced, helps prevent that from happening. It protects your retailers’ margins by ensuring no one has to sell at cost to stay competitive.

As such, when you don’t stay on top of your pricing policies, then violations are likely to crop up, and you risk potentially damaging the relationships in your brand’s partner network. 
 
Non-compliant distributors and unauthorized resellers trouble all stakeholders in the distribution chain, weakening the trust you’ve built with your carefully selected retailers, and causing you trouble down the road. 
 
Price violations shrink brands’ profit margins 
Protecting against MAP violations also insulates your profit margin, and the profit margin of your loyal authorized retailers, who wouldn’t have to worry about lowering their prices at cost so they can compete with the competition. 
 
You may sell your product on your own site. With resellers breaching your pricing policies, that deteriorates your ability to compete and lowers your profits from your store, as well. 
 
Diverted customers, reputation damages and non-compliant distributors are ultimately causing revenue losses too.  
 
#### Top tips for preventing MAP violations 

In order for the brand to protect itself against the above threats, MAP violation monitoring is essential. Ensuring pricing compliance requires staying on top of your resellers, and properly enforcing your MAP policies when there is a violation. 
 
Staying on top of your resellers for pricing violations requires technology-based tracking solutions, such as [Visualping](https://visualping.io/business/), to diligently monitor all your resellers, at scale, and help you respond as soon as possible when a violation occurs.
 
##### Communicate actively with distributors

If your response to a price violation is to do nothing, then your MAP policy is essentially useless. 

For upholding compliance, you need to keep in touch with your sellers. Authorized sellers need to be made aware that your brand actively and continuously enforces its MAP policy – that’s ensuring your resellers actually agree to the policy and, if a violation occurs, to make a point to remind them of the policy. 

As shown in a research taken out by Harvard business review, it becomes apparent that sending a notice to resellers, where jurisdictions allow, when they are found to violate MAP policies improves compliance. 

Secondly, demonstrate your willingness to act by enforcing rules through penalties. Otherwise, sending notices is not effective and might be perceived as empty threats.  

But you have to balance a fine line between laying out MAP violation penalties in such a way that they won’t come across to sellers as empty threats. But you also don’t want to come across as penalizing them too hard, unnecessarily – that you’re just blowing smoke to make them think you’re big and bad.

Kellogg Insights recommends a softer touch: Create a warning policy or nominal penalty. Hit them with a heftier fine on second offense, and threaten to sever ties with that vendor.

But it only works that way if you actually enforce your pricing policy. If there aren’t any consequences for not following your policy, the worst violators will lead even your best retail partners astray — because they’ll have to violate your policy to compete. Sending MAP policy violation letters will help curb this behavior and begin the MAP enforcement process.

When it comes to telling resellers about MAP policy violations, remember: less is more, and keep it professional. You don’t have to tell them every SKU they’ve violated—just give them a few, tell them how many days they have to correct the issue, and let them know what you’ll do if they don’t comply. 

##### Monitor your resellers

Monitoring your resellers for price violations can’t be an afterthought. You need a system for it. Some brands assign a team member responsible for manually keeping an eye and tracking resellers’ prices online. Others suit up an entire task force of employees to manually updating Excel spreadsheets and manually monitoring the internet for violations. 

But many companies do not have a workforce to delegate MAP violation tracking in-house. Even if they do have the resources to do so, this work is manual, tedious and constant; even with just a few resellers to look after, your product could still appear in numerous places on the internet. 

Prices are also ever-changing, and humans can’t help but take lunch breaks, and even make errors; having an employee or team manually try to stay on top of price violations may not be the most efficient and robust approach. Brands are increasingly coming to the conclusion these employees are better suited for getting paid for more creative, analytical work that they were actually trained to do. 

There are better ways to navigate the ocean of Big Data that is the web: using price monitoring tools, available online.

##### Track MAP violations at scale

To say the internet is huge would be a dramatic understatement. Every day, 2.5 quintillion new bytes of data are created, according to IBM. Sifting through this data in constant search for MAP violations is like searching for the needle in the haystack.

And to make matters worse, some of the biggest online retailers, such as Amazon, are hesitant to enforce MAP policies for fear of losing revenue, according to CPC Strategy contributor Tara Johnson. In other words, brand manufacturers are on their own.

Even a team of vigilant individuals working around the clock would be incapable of sniffing out MAP violations in a timely manner. 

By automating MAP monitoring through the use of a tool like Visualping, brand manufacturers can swiftly identify infractions and deal with them quickly and effectively.

MAP violations need to be tracked at large scales to be efficient. The best way to do so is by working with advanced technological solutions that can scan large amounts of data across marketplaces and platforms.

#### Next step: MAP violation tracking
 
To get started with a MAP monitoring tool that will alert you as soon as price changes amongst your resellers occur, simply navigate to [Visualping’s homepage](https://visualping.io/), and copy and paste the URL of the page you want to track. 

Next, you customize your monitoring settings, such as the part of the page you want monitored, how often you want the page checked, and the email address you want the alerts sent to.
 
And you’re done!
 
##### Step-by-step instructions on how to monitor for pricing violations 

**Step 1**: Search your page. Copy and paste the product URL you want to monitor into the search field on Visualping’s homepage. Click Go.

**Step 2**: Once the page appears in the viewport, select the part of the page you want monitored. For tracking products, this is the part of the page surrounding the price.

**Step 3**: Specify the frequency you want the page checked – every 5 minutes, 30 minutes, hourly, daily, etc.

**Step 4**: Type the email address you want the alerts sent to. Click Start Monitoring, and that’s it! You’re set to get notified of deals.

**Step 5**: Visualping will send you an email, asking you to make a password for your account. Don’t forget to do this. The password completes your account, and allows you to login to your user-dashboard, where you can view all your Visualping monitors and email alerts in one location.

Perform these steps as many times as you wish to monitor many resellers at one time, and create a watch list.

Visualping takes automatic screenshots of the page at regular intervals – every 5 minutes, 30 minutes, hourly, daily, etc – and compares each image to the last to check for changes.

#### Level up your MAP violation monitoring capabilities

Monitoring for price violations is critical to your long-term success as an ecommerce brand. Protecting your price doesn’t just benefit you. It serves your customers and your sellers, too.

Visualping is an easy-to-use website monitoring tool that can track price changes, in real-time, amongst your resellers for you. The user dashboard makes it easy to view pierce change alerts all in one spot, and to go back and view changes over time to detect any patterns and associations. 

With Visualping, MAP monitoring is made much more manageable. 

[Get a demo](https://visualping.io/contact/?field22=Demo) to see Visualping in action.

Happy MAP violation monitoring!



Check out these top tips for protecting your brand identity, profit margins and distribution channel from MAP pricing violations.

MAP Violation: Top Tips for Preventing Pricing Violations | Visualping Blog

MAP Violation: Top Tips for Preventing Pricing Violations



“Don’t advertise below this price if you want to stay out of trouble – That’s assuming I’m watching you at all times.”

Brands and manufacturers have to deal with the hurdles of staying on top of their minimum advertised pricing, or MAP, policies. It’s important – their profit margins, brand integrity and seller relationships depend on it.  

But what is **MAP pricing**? And how do brands and manufacturers stay on top of it?

Here's everything you need to know about MAP pricing policies, and why they’re so important in today’s ever-changing online world of eCommerce.   

#### What is MAP Pricing?

MAP stands for **Minimum Advertised Price**. MAP pricing a legal document brands and manufacturers use to define the lowest price a reseller can advertise a product or service for sale. 

Note that it’s not the lowest price a reseller can sell the product or service – just the lowest price they can advertise or show online, such as in an advertisement, or the listing on their website. 

For example, let’s say Walmart mas a MAP price of $499 for the PlayStation 5. If Walmart wants to make an ad, then it can’t advertise the console for lower than $499 – print or online, the rules are the same. 

MAP pricing doesn’t just set the minimum price. It also outlines penalties for violating the minimum advertised price, and the process to follow if a seller is caught in violation.

MAP policies should always be created with the help of a lawyer. They’re situation-specific, so brands should never use a generic, cookie-cutter MAP policy. A lawyer can help you craft a policy tailored to you, that suits your business goals and needs.

**The difference between MAP pricing and MSRP?** MSRP is another common price policy term, and stands for Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. It refers to what the manufacturer believes the product should sell for – it’s a suggestion for what the actual price of the product should be, while a MAP policy focuses on what the product should be advertised for. That’s the difference. 

Minimum advertised pricing only addresses the advertised price of a product or service – it does not dictate to a retailer what they can sell it for in their store. As such, MAP pricing is legal under U.S. antitrust statutes. 

There are MAPs for almost every product on the market, depending on where you are in the world, and these policies are extensive. Brands and manufacturers invest a lot of time in creating these MAPs, and have highly vested interests in monitoring the market for MAP violations – this is known as MAP monitoring. 

But why are they so important? What’s the point of setting a MAP pricing policy in the first place? 

#### Why is MAP Pricing Important?

MAP policies are important for various reasons, and come with a mountainside of benefits. 

Perks of MAP pricing include: 

* They insulate your brand identity from price erosion and price wars
* They protect your ability to sell and, hence, your profit margins 
* They establish trust between you and your resellers 

##### MAP pricing insulates your brand identity 

MAP policies are common with brands that rely on their brand identity, such as luxury goods, where much of the company’s value stems from the consumers’ perception of the lure of the product. Brands such as these have a vested interest in maintaining a certain level of exclusivity and quality.

Pricing plays a significant role in this. If one of the brands’ resellers drops the price down too low, then this can indicate poor quality to the customers. 

Resellers lowering the price of the products on certain sites, but not others, can also lead to different impressions of the brand’s product, depending on where the consumers come across it online. As such, price violations can lead to inconsistencies in how consumers experience the brand online, getting in the way of nurturing a unified, consistent brand experience. 

A properly enforced MAP pricing policy, then, can help protect the brand’s consumer perceptions. 

Brands can stay on top of their sellers' pricing with website monitoring tools, like [Visualping](https://visualping.io/business/). Visualping automatically monitors any web pages you want, and any number of pages, and alerts you of price changes, so you always keep an eye out for price changes that potentially violate your policies. 

```cta
Want to monitor your retailers’ MAP pricing? / Sign up with Visualping to monitor your resellers’ MAP pricing from any web page – before your brand is on the line. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.example.com/retailer-map-page / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

##### MAP pricing protects the brands’ – and retailers’ – profit margins 

MAP pricing protects the brand or manufacturer’s profit margins because it helps keep their prices competitive, insulting their ability to sell their own product.

Often, resellers who violate MAP policies are just after a temporary advantage; they’ve got their eye on Amazon’s buy box, or they know other sellers offer a better product and they’re trying to cut ahead by dismembering the price. 
If they’re selling out of their garage and they’re the only employee, they can afford to dramatically dismember prices. 

Your other sellers may respond by lowering their prices, in turn, in order to maintain their competitive advantage. But the original violator will just keep dropping the price, until nobody is making a profit selling your products. 

It’s a race-to-the-bottom price war, and everyone loses – especially you. 
MAP pricing, then, establishes a floor for the market, protecting your ability to sell your own product.  

But it just doesn’t benefit the brand or manufacturer – it also benefits the other sellers involved. MAP policies standardize price expectations across all marketing channels. 

Considering most resellers aren’t looking for a race to the bottom – everyone wants to make a profit – MAP pricing helps ensure you, and your resellers, that everyone is on the same playing field. 

Further, while MAPs have somewhat of a bad reputation for affecting sales, they only affect advertising – not sales. A MAP pricing policy does not touch the final sale price of a product. The brand and resellers are free to sell the product at whatever price point they like. 
 
##### Map pricing helps establish trust with your resellers 

Just like you don’t want a price war, neither do your sellers. Your best partners are making the effort to follow your price policies, so it’s frustrating to them when their competitors are violating your price policies and getting away with it. 

A price war also threatens their own margins. And if you aren’t willing to put in the work to monitor and enforce your MAP policy, they may not be willing to continue putting in the effort to sell your product and deal with less scrupulous sellers.

#### How to Stay on Top of Your MAP Pricing: Visualping

To get started with a MAP monitoring tool that will alert you as soon as price changes amongst your resellers occur, simply navigate to [Visualping’s homepage](https://visualping.io/), and copy and paste the URL of the page you want to track. 

Next, you customize your monitoring settings, such as the part of the page you want monitored, how often you want the page checked, and the email address you want the alerts sent to.
 
And you’re done!
 
##### Step-by-step instructions on how to monitor your MAP pricing 

**Step 1**: Search your page. Copy and paste the product URL you want to monitor into the search field on Visualping’s homepage. Click Go.

**Step 2**: Once the page appears in the viewport, select the part of the page you want monitored. For tracking products, this is the part of the page surrounding the price.

**Step 3**: Specify the frequency you want the page checked – every 5 minutes, 30 minutes, hourly, daily, etc.

**Step 4**: Type the email address you want the alerts sent to. Click Start Monitoring, and that’s it! You’re set to get notified of deals.

**Step 5**: Visualping will send you an email, asking you to make a password for your account. Don’t forget to do this. The password completes your account, and allows you to login to your user-dashboard, where you can view all your Visualping monitors and email alerts in one location.

Perform these steps as many times as you wish to monitor many resellers at one time, and create a watch list.

Visualping takes automatic screenshots of the page at regular intervals – every 5 minutes, 30 minutes, hourly, daily, etc – and compares each image to the last to check for changes.

#### Level up your MAP pricing monitoring capabilities

MAP monitoring is critical to your long-term success as an ecommerce brand. 

Protecting your price doesn’t just benefit you. It serves your customers and your sellers, too.

Visualping is an easy-to-use website monitoring tool that can track price changes, in real-time, amongst your resellers for you. The user dashboard makes it easy to view pierce change alerts all in one spot, and to go back and view changes over time to detect any patterns and associations. 

With Visualping, MAP monitoring is made much more manageable. 

[Get a demo](https://visualping.io/contact/?field22=Demo) to see Visualping in action.

Happy MAP pricing monitoring!



MAP pricing is what brands and manufacturers use to define the lowest price a reseller can advertise a product or service for sale. It protects brand identity and profit margins.

MAP Pricing: What is it, and Why is it Important? | Visualping Blog

MAP Pricing: What is it, and Why is it Important?



## Financial Services Compliance: A Comprehensive Guide


Financial services compliance is an inevitable part of working in the financial sector. Here’s a comprehensive guide to what financial services compliance is and how you can use tools like [Visualping](https://visualping.io) to stay up to date on regulatory compliance for financial institutions. The tools, techniques, and compliance systems will help protect not only your financial institution but your customers as well.


## What Is Financial Regulatory Compliance?


Financial services regulatory compliance is an umbrella term that covers the need to comply with the laws and regulations that impact a financial institution. These regulations and laws are specific to and and implemented by the government in the geographic location where the financial institution operates.

For example, a bank that has branches, employees, and/or customers in both the United States and Canada will have to maintain compliance with different laws and regulations in both countries. What is viewed as sufficient data compliance in the U.S. may not meet standards in Canada, and vice versa.

These regulations exist for a reason. They are in place protect financial services consumers (and providers), and helps establish both fairness and efficiency within financial markets.

Non-compliance with financial services regulations can result in detrimental consequences, including severe fines. 


## Financial Services Compliance Is a Constantly Changing and Evolving Landscape


Although financial regulations are critical for the fairness and safety of those participating in the financial markets, they can nonetheless be frustrating to navigate and stay compliant with. This is because laws and regulations are constantly changing and evolving.


For example, in 2018, the original California Consumer Protect Act was passed. This was a statute within the state of California designed to enhance privacy rights among consumers.


In the last five years, the Act has been amended twice. If you were operating your business in California, you would have had to adjust your systems and become compliant with new regulations three times in less than five years.


Since these laws are constantly evolving, it is critical for businesses to stay up to date on their local laws to maintain compliance. Some of the most crucial types of regulations that financial services organization must pay attention to include:


*   Data localization (storing regulated data within the borders of the country)
*   Cross-border data transfers (when sensitive data is transferred abroad)
*   The process of client consent (like the recent GDPR in the EU)
*   Possible penalties for non-compliance (such as fines)


So how are you to stay updated on these ever-changing regulations?


One option is to use [Visualping](https://visualping.io), a tool that can help you track any changes in regulations or legislation as long as those changes are published online.


With [Visualping](https://visualping.io), you input the website you want to monitor. Then, instead of you manually checking the website every so often, Visualping checks the web pages on your behalf and notifies you if there are any changes. This not only frees up your time and mental capacity but also brings you peace of mind.


## Major Issues and Concerns Within Financial Industry Compliance


Some of these issues have already been mentioned, such as data localization and client consent. This section digs a little deeper into some of the major types regulationss you should monitor to stay in compliance with the financial industry’s regulations.


### Data Privacy Rules


Data privacy is designed to regulate how companies collect information. In today’s world, information is critical for business operations such as online advertising, company branding, and business strategy.


Within the financial industry, data privacy dictates not only how financial institutions are allowed to collect their customers’ personal financial information but also how they can disclose that information.


### Cybersecurity Standards


Cybersecurity in the financial industry is important because it sets the bare minimum standard for data security. The goal of cybersecurity, especially within the field of banking, is to safeguard the assets of clients, whether data or cash.


Cybersecurity is becoming more relevant as society shifts to cashless, digital transactions. As quickly as technology evolves, so do hacking methods. Just as technological advancements to increase ease and convenience within the financial sector become more sophisticated, so do the methods criminals use to hack systems.


### Consumer Legislation and Regulations


Consumer legislation includes statutes, acts, laws, and regulations that are designed to protect consumers. Protection includes giving consumers more control over their online data and privacy, as well as protecting them from any potential deceptive or abusive actions on behalf of companies.


### Employee Misconduct Definitions


Employee misconduct within the financial industry comes with a variety of risks and negative consequences, from losing customer trust to weakening the institution itself. Misconduct also contributes to the public perspective on the banking center, potentially leading to instability in the system itself. Laws governing the conduct of employees in the financial sector must be


### Financial Crime Regulations


Crime is sadly present in every industry, and the financial industry is no exception. Crimes such as forgery, counterfeiting, tax evasion, embezzlement, and money laundering have all resulted in regulations that are intended to prevent these crimes from occuring.


### Corporate Governance Rules
 

Without strong corporate governance, an institution is at risk for a variety of problems and issues. Strong corporate governance, usually through the oversight of an executive board, helps maintain not only thorough risk management but also institutional stability.


## How Financial Institutions Can Improve Regulatory Compliance


There are ways for you to improve and stay in compliance with financial services, and you can get started now.


### Putting Preventative Measures into Place


One of the best ways to decrease financial crime, data breaches, hacks, and employee misconduct is to put preventative measures in place. The Financial Stability Board offers a toolkit to help provide suggestions on measures you can take to strengthen corporate governance frameworks while reducing risks of misconduct.


### Effective Compliance Monitoring Strategies


Staying updated on changes in regulatory laws is critical to improving compliance. Again, simple tools like [Visualping](https://visualping.io) can do this for you so you don’t have to worry about whether you’re missing a critical update.


### Structured Oversight Within the Organization


Financial industry compliance should include how operating under rigorous oversight can help minimize problems before they begin. A competent board that is able to provide oversight to your organization is a valuable tool.


### Integration Between General Risk Management and Compliance Solutions


Every business should have general risk management systems in place to help better the outcomes of their work. Integrating general principles of risk management with specific financial compliance solutions can help keep your company stable and secure.


## How to Use Visualping to Get Notified of Regulatory Changes


[Visualping](https://visualping.io) is a versatile tool used to monitor website changes. Visualping not only monitors updates to regulations and legislation posted online, but can also help you compare current regulation language with previous versions so you can get a clear understanding of compliance changes.


Here’s how you can use Visualping to monitor financial regulatory compliance changes:


#### Step 1: Copy the URL Where the Legislation or Regulations Are Published Online, Then Paste Them into Visualping’s “Search” Field on the Homepage


Locate the URL of the page you want to monitor and paste it into the search field on Visualping.


#### Step 2: Select the Part of the Page That You Want to Monitor


You can monitor an entire webpage or just a section of text.


![Select the part of the page to monitor, the entire page or a section, for changes.](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-134-img2.png)


#### Step 3: Decide How Often You Want Visualping to Check the Page for New Changes


Determine how often you want Visualping to run a scan of the page to check for any changes.


#### Step 4: Enter Your Email Address


Enter your email address into Visualping’s system to initiate the sign-up process.


![Enter your email address for financial services compliance change notifications.](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-134-img3.png)


#### Step 5: Check Your Email to Complete the Sign-up Process


Confirm your email, and done!


### Stay Protected with Visualping


Staying in compliance with finance regulations is critical. Compliance helps protect you and your business from dreadful disasters. [Visit Visualping today](https://visualping.io) to get started.


Financial services compliance is an umbrella term that covers laws and regulations that affect a financial institution. Learn more about regulatory financial compliance with Visualping.

A Comprehensive Guide to Financial Services Compliance - Visualping

A Comprehensive Guide to Financial Services Compliance


## Regulatory Change Management: Developing a Strategy & Process


Change is constant. Regulations evolve rapidly with key developments that impose new requirements and compliance risks for organizations across the globe — whether you’re aware of these updates or not. 

The goal of **regulatory change management** is to stay on top of changing regulations, so you can implement them efficiently and strategically across your organization to minimize compliance risk.

The more prepared you are with a strategy for monitoring regulatory updates, the easier and more seamlessly your team is able to understand current expectations, and implement changes company-wide.

Regulatory change management has always been a manual effort. But now, with the simultaneous explosion of the internet and heightened regulatory standards, using software tools to automatically monitor regulatory changes is becoming a common time-saving tactic.

[Visualping](https://visualping.io/regulatory-intelligence/) is a simple and user-friendly tool for automatically tracking the exact web sources you need for regulatory changes in your industry. When a web page change occurs, Visualping automatically notifies you with a screenshot or snippet of the page change for you to view. 

## What Is Regulatory Change Management?

**Regulatory change management** is the process of both keeping track of industry-relavant regulations, and integrating these new requirements into your organization to mitigate compliance risk. 

Depending on your industry and the exact requirements relevant to you -- a couple of the most common [regulatory examples](regulatory-compliance-examples-and-case-studies/) being the GDPR or HIPAA -- regulatory change management can quickly become complex. Especially when updates come in various forms, such as black letter laws, government agency updates, publicized speeches and blogs. They're also published across many different types of media -- government and regulatory websites, news articles and social media posts. 

Ultimately, regulatory compliance is about protecting consumers, businesses and the economy at large. Failing to comply not only poses the risk of embarrassing news coverage and damage to your reputation and brand, but hefty fines, lawsuits and even the termination of your business. 

As such, institutions need to implement robust regulatory change management processes -- and that starts with [monitoring regulatory changes](https://visualping.io/blog/regulatory-compliance-how-to-monitor-changes/) from web sources relevant to your industry and organization. 

```cta
Start monitoring pages for regulatory changes / Visualping makes it easy to get notifications when a government, legal, or other regulatory web page is updated. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.fda.gov.... / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

## Regulatory Change Management: Developing a Process and Flow

To create a solid regulatory change management process, you need to incorporate these key steps.

### Anticipating and Tracking Regulatory Changes

It starts with knowing when a regulatory update, relevant to your organization, has occured.

Changes to regulations are usually announced preemptively by state, national and international regulatory bodies responsible for overseeing the industry. Some of the most heavily regulated industries include the [finance](https://visualping.io/blog/financial-services-compliance-guide/) and [banking industries](https://visualping.io/blog/regulatory-compliance-in-banking/).

Keeping tabs on the regulatory web pages relevant to your industry or organization can either be a manual or automated process. 

#### Manually Monitoring Regulation Changes

Historically, regulatory change management has very much been a manual effort.

Compliance teams were responsible for manually tracking changes to various web pages at once — think manually searching for certain websites -- sometimes several times a day, depending on the urgency of the update -- and Excel-based tasks. 

A dedicated employee or compliance team, typically with legal knowledge, would spend their time – often hundreds of hours – trailing the regulatory internet, and manually filling spreadsheets. It’s a slow, laborious process, prone to human errors and not the best use of highly skilled employees’ time. 

The more effective and efficient approach is an automated one — one in which technology carries out the labour intensive, manual work, and leaves highly trained individuals to do the analysis, critical thinking and high-value work. 

#### Automating Regulatory Change Monitoring

##### Visualping 

Due to the sheer volume of state, federal and international regulatory changes arising in short periods, it’s difficult to manually verify all the relevant web sources your business needs in order to know what's going on. 

And, depending on how urgent the update, sometimes your organization needs to know about the regulatory change as soon as possible. 

Updates on any forthcoming changes are announced publicly online, usually on government regulatory agency websites. [Visualping](https://visualping.io/regulatory-intelligence/) is an example of a tool for automating this research process.

With Visualping, you can automatically monitor any web pages on the internet you want, allowing you to track the exact information impacting your business. You can also scale up your monitoring by tracking any number of web pages.  

When a web page change occurs, you and your team can get notified via email, or in popular messaging apps, like Slack and Microsoft Teams. The notifications include a screenshot or snippet of the page changes, highlighted for you to view. 

### Determining How the Changes Will Impact the Organization

Analysts determine how new regulatory changes may impact your company. Some of these areas affected include:


*   Whether new policies are needed
*   What changes to current procedures are needed
*   Whether you should increase oversight
*   Whether any other important changes to ensure compliance are needed


Your company does not have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to implementing new policies and procedures. There are many systems already in place to help you make sure you’re staying compliant.


For example, an established personally identifiable information (PII) system ensures you are verifying the identities of your customers while staying in compliance.


### Updating Policies Within the Company


Updating policies within your company is not light work. Instead, this step in the change management process usually involves your legal team as well as your compliance department, if you have one.


When you update company policies, you want a robust, organized paper trail in case you have to show proof of your work to auditors. The FCA, in fact, has publicly noted disappointment in past deficiencies in reporting.


Because of this, you should consider documenting:


*   What changes are suggested by your compliance or legal teams
*   Who is going to be responsible for implementing the changes
*   Why you have chosen to follow one route versus another route


If your company is audited for compliance, you will have documentation supporting your company’s efforts to stay updated on and in compliance with regulatory changes.


### Implementing Changes to Ensure Compliance


Once your company has determined which changes need to be made to your policies, practices, and procedures, it’s time to implement them! The employees responsible for implementing the changes will have regulations of their own which they must abide by in order to be held accountable throughout the process.


During the implementation process, you should monitor your team closely to ensure there is total internal adherence to the new compliance strategies. The failure of even one employee to abide by compliance regulations exposes your company to serious risks.


## How to Use Visualping to Set Up Regulatory Content Feeds for Change Management


[Visualping](https://visualping.io/business/) is a system that monitors website changes. It’s powerful enough to check any online page for changes or additions.


You can use Visualping to create a regular ongoing feed of content regarding regulatory news and changes.


Some of the sources of regulatory intelligence include:

*   Business consultant companies in your industry
*   Regulator and official government websites
*   Magazines, journals, and other digital publications written by experts in your industry


Here’s how you can use Visualping to track a page and get immediate notification of any changes once they occur.


#### Step 1: Copy the URL You Want to Track, Then Paste It into the Search Field on Visualping’s Homepage


Be specific with the URL you want to track. For example, suppose that you wanted to track a particular page on the CFPB’s website; it isn’t enough to type “consumerfinance.gov” into the search bar. Instead, you must choose the exact URL of the page you’re interested in.


#### Step 2: Select the Area of the Page You Want to Monitor


If you don’t want to monitor changes to an entire webpage, you can select a certain amount of text by highlighting the text with your cursor.


![Monitoring OSHA news releases using Visualping.](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-144-img2.png)


#### Step 3: Decide How Often You Want Visualping to Check the Page for New Changes


You can set monthly or quarterly notification reports so that you aren’t inundated with daily or weekly updates.


#### Step 4: Enter the Email Address Where You Want to Receive Change Notifications


Be specific here, too. Enter the email of the person whose clear responsibility it is to stay updated on these changes.


#### Step 5: Check Your Email to Complete the Signup Process!


Check your email to confirm, and the signup process is complete!


### Implement Visualping into Your Regulatory Change Management Flow Today


Most of the many steps to a solid regulatory change management process involve complex and moving pieces. Fortunately, your team can use Visualping to simplify one important step: staying updated on online changes. Sign up for [Visualping](https://visualping.io/business/) today.


Regulatory change management is the process of anticipating & planning for new & upcoming changes. Learn how Visualping can help you navigate regulatory change management in your industry.

Regulatory Change Management: A Comprehensive Guide - Visualping

A Comprehensive Guide to Regulatory Change Management


## Guide to Creating a Compliance Monitoring Plan


Every business is governed by a collection of federal and state regulations. These regulations stand to protect consumers and employees alike, and they help ensure that your business is functioning as it should. Still, following these regulations is a process that is much easier said than done. 


A single business may be required to follow thousands of specific laws and other regulations, many of which change on a daily basis. 


To avoid accidental violations, every business needs to stay abreast of regulatory changes and revise company policies and procedures when necessary, a process called **compliance monitoring**.


Compliance monitoring can seem like a massive challenge and an all-around headache at first, but with a detailed, business-wide plan, and simple yet powerful compliance monitoring tools like [Visualping](https://visualping.io/regulatory-intelligence/), you’ll be able to keep up with regulatory changes and ensure your company remains compliant. 


Here’s a look at how to create and stick to a compliance monitoring plan.


## The Importance of Compliance Monitoring


Before getting started on developing your compliance monitoring plan, it’s important to understand exactly what compliance monitoring is, and why it’s important.


In a nutshell, compliance monitoring involves tracking new and upcoming changes in industry-specific laws and regulations. It enables the implementation of internal practices and protocols to ensure every branch of your business remains compliant with those ordinances.


Some industries are subject to more regulations than others, such as the finance and pharmaceutical industries, which face frequently shifting expectations. Some industries also need to stay on top of state, federal and international laws and regulations. 


Additionally, some regulations apply to all businesses, while others are industry or geographically-situated. Some broadly applicable [examples of regulatory compliance](https://visualping.io/blog/regulatory-compliance-examples-and-case-studies/) include the following:


*   Following anti-discrimination policies as laid out by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
*   Making sure wages meet or exceed the federal minimum wage specified by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
*   Ensuring compliance with worker safety rules defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)


Most businesses in heavily-regulated industries form specialized compliance departments that are responsible for [monitoring regulatory changes](https://visualping.io/blog/regulatory-compliance-how-to-monitor-changes/), designing compliance protocols, and making sure those protocols are being followed on a daily basis, but regardless of whether yours has a dedicated compliance department, your business should have a clear protocol for internal compliance monitoring. 


With consistent monitoring, you’ll be able to make sure employees are following all company rules and protecting the safety and confidentiality of your customers.


```cta
Start monitoring pages for regulatory changes / Visualping makes it easy to get notifications when a government, legal, or other regulatory web page is updated. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.example.com/regulatory-page / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```


## Creating an Internal Compliance Monitoring Plan


As you prepare to create a compliance monitoring plan, it can be hard to know where to start. Below is a comprehensive five-step framework to help you develop compliance monitoring policies for any type of business.


### Conduct a Regulatory Compliance Audit


Before you get started on a new monitoring plan, take a look at two things: your primary compliance risks and your current compliance protocols. Investigate and document both as thoroughly as you can. The more comprehensive your internal audit is, the more effective your improved compliance plan will be.

### Identify and Focus on the Areas of Highest Risk


Compliance risks can look drastically different depending on the industry in question. For instance, [regulatory compliance in banking sector](https://visualping.io/blog/regulatory-compliance-in-banking/) applications will look completely distinct from IT compliance monitoring. Therefore, before determining which areas pose the highest compliance risk, make sure you get a comprehensive picture of all the rules and regulations that apply to your specific industry.


If you haven’t created a compliance monitoring plan before, identifying major risks can be difficult, but it is a critically important part of any monitoring plan. Don’t be afraid to enlist expert help if you need to. Once you’ve recognized the prominent dangers, prioritize them in your monitoring plan. You’ll want to rigorously monitor all of them to minimize your chances of violations.

### Automate Your Regulatory Monitoring Processes

Tracking regulatory changes by reading (and re-reading) updates from the legislative government, or announcements from regulatory agencies, is difficult or impossible -- especially for large businesses in highly-regulated industries. 

You can leverage a simple [regulatory intelligence software](https://visualping.io/regulatory-intelligence/), like [Visualping](https://visualping.io/business/), to automatically check the relevant web pages for you, and notify you when there's a change.  

![Monitoring the 1910 standard number of OSHA laws using Visualping.](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-141-img2.png)

Visualping is a powerful yet easy-to-use tool that automatically checks regulatory websites for you, at the frequency you specify. It offers real-time regulatory change alerts, for urgent updates you need to know about right away. 

There’s no limit to the number of sites you can track. Monitor as many pages as your compliance monitoring plan dictates, so you'll always be in the loop when it comes to regulatory and legislative changes in your industry. 


### Create Robust Compliance Reporting Protocols


Compliance reporting isn’t just important as a means of avoiding violations; it’s also a critical element of maintaining company integrity and ensuring your compliance monitoring plan is being followed.


With compliance reporting, more documentation is always better. A good report will include an issue (like an employee complaint), what was done to deal with it, and its resolution. Your reporting protocol should clearly indicate who is responsible for compiling reports, how those reports will be organized and stored, and who can access them. 


In especially larger companies, however, the sheer volume of compliance reports can quickly become unmanageable if they are created and stored in hard-copy form. In most cases, implementing compliance software to keep reports organized, searchable, and easily accessible is the best option.


### Monitor the Effectiveness of Your Compliance Initiatives


Once new compliance initiatives have been put into place, it’s easy to assume that the planning process is complete, but constant monitoring is essential, as keeping track of compliance initiatives helps you identify potential gaps and take corrective action before any small problems become catastrophic.


With that being said, the most effective way to monitor your compliance initiatives is to designate and track key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics you can track over time that assess how well your compliance initiatives are working. 


Here are a few examples of KPIs:


*   Employee complaints
*   Customer or client complaints
*   How long it takes to discover issues
*   How long it takes to resolve those issues
*   Violations of laws and regulations


When tracking these, it’s important to find and collect as much data as possible. For example, when tracking employee complaints, don’t just track how many employees made complaints: Look at the allegations they’ve made (and whether those allegations are substantiated), whether they complained anonymously or directly to a supervisor, and whether the issue was resolved in a timely manner.


### Enlist Subject Matter Experts for Specialist Knowledge and Insight into Specific Sets of Risks


Throughout many industries, there are thousands of laws and regulations that businesses need to adhere to, many of which are incredibly specific and therefore, likely difficult for most to understand. In these cases, it’s in your best interests to hire a subject matter expert, both to clarify regulations and determine which ones pose the greatest compliance risks to your business.


For instance, [regulatory intelligence in pharmaceutical industry](https://visualping.io/blog/pharmaceutical-regulatory-intelligence/) applications require an analyst with a deep understanding of that particular industry. Tracking changes in regulations may be one part of the puzzle, but an expert can help your business develop an actionable plan to ensure ongoing compliance.


### Make Compliance Monitoring Simpler than Ever


Once you’ve implemented an internal compliance monitoring plan, all you need to do is make sure your business continues to follow it. That all starts with making sure you know about regulatory changes as soon as they happen. 


When you use [Visualping for Business](https://visualping.io/business/), you’ll never be left in the dark. Once you create an account, you can start monitoring in a matter of minutes. Our helpful and knowledgeable team is always here to answer any questions you may have, so get in touch with us today to get started with Visualping.




Compliance monitoring can seem like a massive challenge, learn how Visualping can help you create a detailed business-wide plan to keep up with regulatory changes.

Guide to Creating a Compliance Monitoring Plan

Guide to Creating a Compliance Monitoring Plan - Visualping



## How Resellers Can Keep Tabs on Updated Terms & Conditions


Online product resellers can make good money without having to dedicate their business to a single manufacturer or distributor. With that added flexibility, though, comes some responsibility in making sure everything is properly managed. 


Resellers often work at the discretion of the original manufacturers of goods and are thus subjected to the legal licensing and rights to use that go along with it. As companies don’t want to damage their reputation, they usually create legal terms & conditions that resellers must agree to for access to their goods.


While encountering regularly updated terms & conditions can become a headache, using the right [e-commerce monitoring tools](https://visualping.io/blog/ecommerce-reseller-monitoring-tools/) can make things a lot easier.


### Why It’s Important to Stay Notified When a Brand You’re Reselling Changes Their Terms & Conditions or Other Important Legal Agreements


Most companies have stipulations in place for third-party retailers that sell their products. These stipulations can range from pricing requirements to quality standards, and sellers that fail to comply can have their right to sell revoked or face legal repercussions.


Bad consumer experiences, whether the result of unfair pricing, misleading sales tactics, or some other issue, will reflect poorly on the original brand, even if the issues are only caused by the third-party seller. 


## What Kinds of Stipulations Do T&Cs and Reseller Agreements Include?


With so many things to consider, it’s generally seen as good practice to understand the types of regulations used in reseller agreements. Companies can use standardized sections and inclusions in their legal agreements to make sure third-party retailers live up to their contractual obligations.


### Resale Rights and Obligations


Perhaps the most important thing for a third-party reseller to understand is their right to resell products, along with any obligations that they’re required to fulfill. Most contracts will stipulate that the goods sold are considered materially different and aren’t protected by any trademark.


### Marketing Rights and Obligations


Another thing to keep in mind when reselling products is your right to market them in accordance with your contract obligations. Just because you’re selling a company’s product doesn’t mean you can use their brand however you want.


Resellers take on the responsibility and liability of the product, and they aren’t allowed to use language that indicates that they’re the official seller. Companies usually have strict requirements that limit how the products can be listed or marketed to consumers.


### Fees


Prices aren’t always so straightforward when reselling items, as additional costs, fees, and taxes can be levied against third-party sellers, depending on how they do business.


Of course, if you want to make money, you’ll have to account for any ongoing charges that you may be held to in order to retain your rights to the product. That, in addition to other unexpected expenses, can really start to add up.


### Invoicing and Payment Stipulations


Third-party sellers might have to use certain invoicing or payment methods when contracting with another company. Invoice dates, payment amounts, and periods may all be required to be reported so that companies can make sure you aren't overcharging or using insecure payment methods when dealing with clients. 


These stipulations are meant to help sellers meet their sales targets and use resources efficiently while maintaining brand integrity.


### Term of Agreement and Termination


Resellers also need to understand the terms and conditions outlined in their contract along with any circumstances that could lead to their termination. Reviewing these key details in your reseller agreement will allow you to maintain best practices and avoid any unwanted issues with partners.


### Warranties


Warranties allow product manufacturers to guarantee the quality of their items for a certain period of time by offering exchanges for damaged goods. For the most part, companies will want resellers to let their buyers know that official warranties, returns, or any other original equipment manufacturer (OEM) responsibilities aren’t applicable to the purchase.


### Indemnification


In a case where third-party sellers are required to compensate for losses, indemnification clauses will spell out who is held legally responsible. In most cases, the seller is expected to pay the consumer back for any issues or damaged items, but the trademark holder will not take on responsibility for resold products.


### Limitation of Liability


Liability refers to legal actions that consumers can take against a company for damaged or faulty goods that caused some kind of personal harm or injury. A reseller clause will generally have language that limits the trademark holder’s responsibility if a suit is brought against the third-party.


### Confidentiality


Many companies will hold third-party resellers to confidentiality agreements, which limit their exposure in marketing and other branding materials. These conditions are meant to protect the trademark holder from unwanted associations with other sellers in case something that could damage their reputation occurs.


### Intellectual Property


Unique works or other products that are protected by trademarks are often covered by specific terms to ensure resellers can’t steal original ideas. Make sure you pay careful attention to any mentions of intellectual property if you’re selling software or any other licensed product that may be changed or altered at some point.


## How to Use Visualping to Get Notified Immediately When a Company Updates Their Terms & Conditions Agreement


With so many factors to keep track of, it can be difficult to ensure you’re staying within the legal bounds of your contract when reselling items. With a reliable [retailer monitoring](https://visualping.io/blog/retailer-price-monitoring-guide/) and alerts system like Visualping, though, you can get notified whenever changes occur.


Getting started with Visualping is easy. You only need to complete a few simple steps:


#### Step 1: Copy the URL of the Web Page with the Terms and Conditions or Reseller Agreement, Then Paste It into the Search Field on Visualping’s Homepage


First off, you need to find the URL of the page that lists the terms and conditions or reseller agreement that you want to track. Copy it, go to the Visualping homepage, and paste it into the search field. You should now see the page loaded into the tool.


#### Step 2: Select the Part of the Page You Want to Monitor


Visualping allows you to select which part of the page you want to monitor, so you can limit the number of notifications you receive from the service. Choose the part of the page that lists the clause you’re interested in, and you’ll be ready to move on to the next step.


![Monitoring a vendor agreement for any updates using Visualping.](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-148-img2.png)


#### Step 3: Decide How Often You Want Visualping to Check for Changes


Now that Visualping knows where to look, you need to tell it how often it should check that area of the page for updates. You can select a frequency that’s as high as every five minutes or just have it checked once a month, depending on your needs.


#### Step 4: Enter the Email Address Where You Want to Receive Alerts


With everything ready, Visualping just needs an email address to send notifications to. Enter it now to receive updates whenever terms and conditions change on your tracked page.


![Configure settings and provide an email to start monitoring terms and conditions pages using Visualping.](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-148-img3.png)


#### Step 5: Check Your Email to Finish the Signup Process and Start Tracking!


For the final step, locate the message that was sent to you by Visualping. It will contain a link that takes you back to the Visualping website to complete your account activation. Now, you’re ready to start receiving notifications.


## Keep Up with All Your Contracts by Using Visualping


Contract obligations are important, especially for resellers, and with so many different clauses and stipulations to keep up with, things can get messy pretty quickly if you don’t have the right management tools. 


Visualping allows you to easily [track the terms and conditions](https://visualping.io/blog/how-to-monitor-changes-in-terms-and-conditions/) on any company website, making it easier than ever to ensure you stay up to date with [monitoring compliance](https://visualping.io/compliance-monitoring/) and don’t void any important contracts. Call Visualping today to see how it can help you track terms and conditions!


While keeping up with regularly updated terms & conditions can be a headache. Learn how Visualping can help ecommerce sellers monitor updates to terms of services.

How Ecommerce Sellers Can Monitor Terms of Service Updates - Visualping

How Ecommerce Sellers Can Monitor Terms of Service Updates



## Regulatory Change Management Software: The 6 Best Tools


If you work in a highly regulated industry, you know the logistical headaches that come with regulatory change management.

But when it comes to monitoring state or federal legislative changes, or subsequent updates from the relevant regulatory body, the old adage “work smarter, not harder” rings true. That's where **regulatory change management software** come in handy. 

At the most basic level, these tools monitor key websites for regulatory updates, and alert you whenever there’s a change. Some, like [Visualping](https://visualping.io/regulatory-intelligence/), are remarkably easy to get started with, and allow you to customize your monitoring to the exact regulatory web pages and information you care about. 

There are plenty of tools out there, each with its own unique digital infrastructure and benefits. But, with the below software tools, working smarter, not harder, is easier than ever. 

Here are six of the best regulatory change management software solutions.

## 1\. Visualping

##### Easy-to-Use

Visualping is used by 85% of Fortune 500 companies. 

It offers powerful customization features, but you don’t need to be a tech whiz to use it. All you need to do is select the sites you need to monitor, decide how often you want the tool to check them, and provide an email address to receive alerts.

![Using Visualping to monitor laws and regulations on the OSHA website.](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-145-img2.png)

##### More Intelligence, Less Noise 

With [Visualping](https://visualping.io/business/), you can track any web page you want on the internet for the legal and regulatory updates you're after -- like updates to state and federal bills and debate, regulatory agency announcements and news articles. You can monitor an entire web page for changes, or select parts of the page you care about. 

You set the frequency at which Visualping will check the web page. Get **real-time change alerts**, or monitor a page every 3 hours, 6 hours, daily -- it's really up to you. 

With the **keyword alerts** feature, you can filter through the noise and only get notified when a certain word or phrase you're interested in gets added to the page. 

##### Quickly understand page changes

Regulatory updates are easy to understand with Visualping. Simply open your email alert to see what's changed with before-and-after text snippets and screenshots. In your user dashboard, you can go back and review changes, to analyze updates over time.

You can even **generate historical change reports** across monitored pages, to view many updates in a glance.

### Features
*   Real-time change alerts for urgent regulatory updates
*   Option to monitor sites for changes to text, visuals, or both
*   Paid business plans include up to three hours of setup and training
*   Can select unlimited pages to monitor
*   Option to generate regulatory change and compliance reports


### Pricing

One of Visualping’s major advantages is its affordability. Though it may not be as feature-rich or focused on change management as some other tools, it’s an ideal regulatory change management solution for small and midsize businesses.


Visualping for Business offers a free option that lets you monitor up to 100 pages, checking every 15 minutes. 


For $1200 per year or $100 per month, your business can monitor up to 500 pages. You also can purchase monitoring for additional pages or upgrade to a custom plan.


## 2\. AuditBoard


If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution for monitoring compliance, risk, ESG (environmental, social, and global), and audit teams, AuditBoard is the integrated solution you need.


This platform connects your data to give you a comprehensive picture of your company’s risk. That way, your teams can focus on risk management rather than the tedium of regulatory review.


When using this platform, you can select which of the AuditBoard applications you need for regulatory change management. One popular AuditBoard app is RiskOversight, a risk management software that offers visual representations of data and helps you develop action plans as needed.


```cta
Start monitoring pages for regulatory changes / Visualping makes it easy to get notifications when a government, legal, or other regulatory web page is updated. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.example.com/regulatory-page / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

### Features


*   Stores a core of company data on policies, risks, issues, controls, and frameworks
*   Manages cross-framework compliance for improved risk management
*   Helps strategize and streamline your internal audit process
*   Offers visual representations of all data collected


### Pricing


Auditboard is a highly customized monitoring solution that can integrate into your company’s existing cloud structure. 


Because it’s so modular and customizable, it doesn’t offer standard memberships, so you’ll need to contact the company for a pricing quote tailored to your particular needs.


## 3\. Ncontracts


Ncontracts is an integrated risk lifecycle solution designed specifically for businesses in the financial sector. It’s somewhat unusual in that it offers a mixture of software and human support — you get unlimited training and support from expert representatives who will answer your call 24-7.


Ncontracts helps you stay audit-ready while offering you a clear picture of potential risk.


### Features


*   Assesses and monitors enterprise risk, vendor risk, and business continuity
*   Monitors relevant regulations to guide regulatory change management
*   Makes internal auditing a streamlined process and keeps you ready for external audits
*   Monitors your company’s cybersecurity and helps you manage security risks


### Pricing


Ncontracts is another fully customizable solution, so you’ll need to contact a representative for a pricing estimate.


## 4\. LogicGate Risk Cloud


LogicGate Risk Cloud is a governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) solution. In other words, it keeps your business secure and on track (in terms of regulatory compliance, finances, and the like). As with many other GRC solutions, it comprises a suite of applications that help you manage risk and communicate across departments. 


It can be difficult to select the applications you need, integrate them, and get started, especially if you aren’t technologically inclined. LogicGate can help you get set up to hit the ground running.


### Features


*   Offers a no-code solution
*   Can be integrated with hundreds of other platforms like Slack, Jira, and DocuSign
*   Includes a graph-powered risk calculator to help your team better visualize risks
*   Offers process automation and report generation to ensure regulatory compliance


### Pricing


LogicGate Risk Cloud uses an a la carte pricing model, meaning you only pay for specific applications and the licenses to run them. If you aren’t sure which applications your business needs, LogicGate’s experts can help you choose.


## 5\. 6clicks


6clicks is primarily focused on risk and compliance. It’s an easily scalable solution, so it’s a good choice if you anticipate significant growth in your business.


One great benefit is the company’s content library, which lets you instantly import relevant standards, laws, and regulations. You can also download assessment templates and other regulatory change management tools to help you assess and manage risk.


### Features


*   Breaks down data so it’s easy for anyone to understand
*   Includes advanced [regulatory intelligence](https://visualping.io/regulatory-intelligence/) functions like compliance mappings to identify and remedy areas of potential risk
*   Offers a simple process for distributing risk libraries, templates, and other important items to your teams
*   Includes resources for vendor risk assessment and remediation


### Pricing


Your entire team can use 6clicks with a single subscription fee. The company offers three different subscription levels: Starter, Growth, and Enterprise. However, you’ll need to request a quote and provide some information about your business to see specific pricing.


## 6\. Protiviti


Protiviti is a business consulting firm that also offers comprehensive risk-management software.


The group’s regulatory change management solution really stands out when it comes to helping your company make informed decisions about opportunity and risk. It uses a proprietary methodology to discover risk information and compile it into reports for boards of directors and executives.


Because its solutions are highly customizable and are usually combined with business consulting, Protiviti is ideal for larger businesses with complex and ever-changing risk management needs.


### Features


*   Uses both company data and analytics to automate certain compliance procedures and help your company take action in the event of a violation
*   Offers solutions to help you fight financial crime within your organization
*   Offers both software and consulting services to help you manage regulatory changes
*   Identifies key risk and performance indicators to enable accurate monitoring


### Pricing


Protiviti customizes [regulatory change management](https://visualping.io/blog/regulatory-change-management-guide/) solutions for your business, so there’s no one-size-fits-all pricing solution. After discussing your company and your objectives, a consultant will be able to offer you a quote.


## Find Your Regulatory Change Management System Today


As you can see, the world of regulatory change management tools is a wide one. Only you can decide which features are critically important for your business and which pricing plans fit your budget.


If you’re looking to get started quickly, Visualping is here to help.


Visualping is a simple but powerful tool that lets you monitor any number of web pages for changes. It’s also one of the most affordable regulatory change management software options on the market today. 


You can try it for free or upgrade to Visualping for Business for a streamlined monitoring experience. Reach out to our team with any questions or to get started today!


There are plenty of tools out there to monitor regulatory change management. Learn how Visualping can help you manage regulatory change monitoring in your industry.

How to Choose the Right Regulatory Change Management Software  - Visualping

How to Choose the Right Regulatory Change Management Software



In a world where product safety is paramount, keeping a watchful eye on product recalls is vital for both consumers and businesses alike. From faulty electronics to contaminated food, product recalls can pose significant risks to our health and well-being. That's why it's crucial to stay updated on recalls and take necessary precautions. But with the ever-increasing number of recalls, manually tracking them becomes time-consuming and often ineffective.

[Visualping](https://visualping.io) is a powerful tool designed to efficiently monitor and notify you about product recalls. With Visualping, you can stay informed and ensure the safety of the products you use or sell. In this article, we'll explore why monitoring product recalls is essential and how Visualping can simplify the process for you.

## Importance of Monitoring Product Recalls

The consequences of missing a product recall can be severe – from exposing consumers to health hazards to subjecting businesses to legal liabilities. By actively monitoring recalls, you can proactively protect yourself and your customers from the potential harm these recalled products may cause.

Moreover, the impact of product recalls goes beyond immediate risks. Consumers' trust in brands can be significantly affected by recall incidents. When businesses fail to take swift action or communicate effectively during a recall, consumer confidence can waver, leading to decreased sales and reputation damage.

We also need to address the issue of recall fatigue. With frequent recalls grabbing headlines, consumers may become desensitized to recall notifications, undermining the effectiveness of the recall system. Therefore, it's crucial to stay informed and take recall alerts seriously.

```cta
Want to monitor a product recall web page? / Sign up with Visualping to start monitoring product recalls. Start by entering the page you want to monitor. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.example.com/recall-page / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

## Limitations of Current Approaches to Product Recall Monitoring

Traditional methods of monitoring recalls, like manual searches and sporadic website visits, are time-consuming and often ineffective. Trying to keep track of multiple recalls across various industries or geographical locations becomes even more challenging using these methods alone. Furthermore, relying solely on official recall notifications may leave you vulnerable to delayed or incomplete information.

Navigating fragmented recall information and databases can be overwhelming for both consumers and businesses. The absence of a centralized and user-friendly platform contributes to the inefficient utilization of recall data, further jeopardizing public safety.

## How to Monitor Product Recalls with Visualping

#### Step 1: Using Visualping's Homepage, Input the URL into the Search Field
 
Firstly, copy the URL from the address bar of the webpage you want to monitor. Then, go to the [Visualping homepage](https://visualping.io/) and insert the URL into the provided search field. This will bring up the viewfinder, allowing you to choose the specific section of the page you wish to track.

Here are some samples of URLs you can monitor for recalls:

- [fsis.usda.gov/recalls](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls)
- [cpsc.gov/Recalls](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls_)
- [fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts)

![Monitor for recalls using Visualping](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-176-img1.png)
 
#### Step 2: Select the Specific Section of the Page for Monitoring
 
In order to start receiving notifications, select the area of the page that is of greatest interest to you. If desired, take advantage of advanced features to trigger alerts when specific keywords, such as the products of interest, being added to the page.
 
#### Step 3: Determine the Frequency of Monitoring by Visualping
 
Next, specify how frequently Visualping should check for changes on the page. The monitoring interval can range from as short as five minutes to as long as a month. This enables you to receive notifications at times that suit your convenience.
 
#### Step 4: Provide an Email for Receiving Notification Emails
 
To ensure that you receive all notifications, Visualping requires a regularly checked email address. Enter an email where you can readily receive these notifications.
 
## Conclusion

Monitoring product recalls is essential for preserving consumer safety and maintaining brand reputation. Visualping offers a solution to the inherent challenges of recall monitoring, streamlining the process and ensuring timely alerts.


Learn how to effectively monitor and stay updated on product recalls using Visualping, a powerful tool that ensures your safety and helps you make informed purchasing decisions.

How to Monitor for Product Recalls - Visualping

How to Get Alerted About Product Recalls



## How to Maintain Compliance with Regulatory Requirements: A Guide


Regulatory compliance is one of the most important things involved in running a business, but it’s also one of the most tedious - and overlooked. 


It doesn’t help that the number of federal regulations that govern all business types has grown astronomically in recent years. 


If you’re new to the process, figuring out how to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements can seem overwhelming.


It doesn’t have to be, though. 


It all starts with formulating a plan to monitor changes in legislation, implement new policies and protocols within your business, and ensure those policies and protocols are being followed to the letter. 


There are also several tools out there designed to help you streamline the process!


One of these tools is [Visualping](https://visualping.io/). Visualping is a powerful website monitoring tool that can continuously monitor any web page for new changes, then alert you when a change is detected. 


It’s a great way to keep track of new changes to important pieces of legislation or regulatory requirements in your industry, so you can ensure that you remain compliant with these regulations as they change and evolve.


Need to remain in compliance with important laws or regulations that govern your industry? Here’s how you can put processes in place that keep you ahead of the curve. 


### Stay Abreast of Recent and Incoming Regulatory Changes that Will Affect Your Industry


If you’re in a highly regulated industry, like healthcare or finance, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of legal regulations to follow. Changes to relevant laws and regulations can happen daily, so constant vigilance is often necessary. 


With that being said, it’s up to you to look for updates and make appropriate adjustments to your business practices. 


Depending on the size of your company and the number of individual regulations you need to keep track of, you may have a full-time employee or even a full-time department dedicated to [compliance monitoring](https://visualping.io/blog/compliance-monitoring-guide/).


That said, it’s not always enough to wait for a law to change and then follow through by making changes to your operations. Your business will need to stay informed when it comes to regulatory trends. 


That way, your business can get started on any changes you need to make before any new changes even take effect.


### Offer Employee Compliance Training and Clear Protocols to Help Maintain Compliance with Regulatory Requirements


There’s no doubt that you understand how remarkably important it is to stay compliant, but that may not be the case for all of your employees. If even one department elects to take a more “relaxed” approach to regulatory compliance, you might find your company wrapped in a web of legal trouble.


Avoiding unsavory outcomes like this one requires that you make sure your employees understand the importance of regulatory compliance (and the consequences of non-compliance). 


It’s also a good idea to make it easy for employees to stay up-to-date with regulatory changes. Offer employees pieces of training as needed, and consider creating a guidebook your employees can consult should they have questions down the line.

```cta
Start monitoring pages for regulatory changes / Visualping makes it easy to get notifications when a government, legal, or other regulatory web page is updated. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.example.com/regulatory-page / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

### Document Everything


It’s easy to get so caught up in tracking regulatory changes and deciding how to ensure compliance with their requirements that you forget a critical part of the process: documentation. If you’re hit with a regulatory audit, having a record of all the changes you’ve made will help you easily illustrate your business’s compliance.


If you’re in a highly-regulated industry, it may be worth investing in compliance software, which lets you keep track of (and document) changes in regulations and any changes your business has made accordingly. Regardless of how you go about performing it, a robust documentation procedure is an absolute must.


### Be Prepared for a Regulatory Audit at Any Time


Facing a regulatory audit is always stressful, but it will be infinitely more so if your business is unprepared for it. Since audits are usually conducted without notice, you should always be prepared for an auditor to walk through your doors.


Audit management software is a key part of staying prepared, as it helps you create audit-planning checklists, identify problem areas, and implement procedures to improve. It’s not only good for external regulatory audits either. It also will help you conduct regular internal audits to ensure that every branch of your business is compliant.


### Consider Designating a Chief Compliance Officer


Implementing compliance procedures is one thing, but making sure your employees are actually following new policies and procedures is another altogether. You may need to designate a certain employee (or group of employees) to maintain regulatory compliance across departments.


That isn’t a job you should give to just anyone, though, especially if you run a large business or one with many imposed regulations. 


If such is the case, you should consider hiring a Chief Compliance Officer, someone who can design and manage regulatory compliance procedures throughout your organization and follow up with different departments to ensure proper implementation.


### Use a Tool Like Visualping for Real-Time Compliance Monitoring


When you have hundreds upon thousands of legal regulations to monitor, visiting every relevant website and manually scanning them for changes is time-consuming, not to mention entirely impractical. That’s where a tool like Visualping comes in.


Visualping is a simple yet powerful [monitoring tool for law firms](https://visualping.io/law-firms/) and other densely-regulated businesses. It’s easy enough for even non-tech-savvy employees to use. All you need to do is select a relevant website to monitor and designate an email address to receive alerts.


For instance, to keep track of regulatory changes, you’d start by selecting a site listing current regulations pertaining to your business. You then choose how often you want to check the site for changes — it can be as frequent as every five minutes — so Visualping can notify you as soon as a regulatory change (or proposed change) goes live.


## How to Use Visualping for Compliance Monitoring


You don’t have to be a tech expert to get started with Visualping for compliance monitoring. Here’s a quick guide:


#### Step 1: Copy the URL of the Law or Regulation From Where It’s Published Online, Then Paste It Into the Search Field on Visualping’s Homepage


Depending on how and where relevant regulations are published, you may be able to monitor a centralized site where all (or most) regulations are published. More often, though, you’ll need to find a different website for each law or regulation. 


Copy the URL of the specific page you want to track, then head to Visualping’s homepage and paste it into the search bar.


#### Step 2: Select the Part of the Page You Want Visualping to Monitor for Changes


With Visualping’s defining page monitoring features, you can select a specific part of the website to monitor. You also can elect to monitor changes in text, images, or both. 


If you wish, you can make use of Visualping’s keyword alert feature as well. With it, you’ll be notified when certain phrases are removed or added. You also may want to use Visualping for [defacement monitoring](https://visualping.io/website-defacement-monitoring/) on your own site.

![Monitoring OSHA laws and regulations for changes using Visualping.](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-140-img2.png)


#### Step 3: Choose the Frequency of Monitoring


You can have Visualping check each website at one of these intervals:


*   Every five minutes
*   Every 15 minutes
*   Every 30 minutes
*   Every hour
*   Every three hours
*   Every six hours
*   Every 12 hours
*   Every day
*   Every week
*   Every month


#### Step 4: Enter the Email Address Where You Want to Receive Alerts


Choose to send [regulatory alerts](https://visualping.io/regulatory-intelligence/) to one or more email addresses. You also have the option to turn off alerts or send them to a colleague while you’re taking time off.


![Configure frequency of crawling and submit an email for regulatory change notifications.](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-140-img3.png)

#### Step 5: Check Your Email to Complete the Signup Process


Once you provide Visualping with a valid email address, the site will send you a message with a link to verify your account. Once you’ve done that, you’re all set!


## Get Started with the Best Regulatory Monitoring Tool You’re Not Using


Stop letting compliance monitoring be a cause of constant stress. With [Visualping](https://visualping.io), you can start monitoring for legislative changes in a matter of minutes. 


Even if you have thousands of regulations you need to track, it’s no problem with Visualping for business! You can monitor any number of pages in one place. 


[Reach out to us](https://visualping.io/contact/) to get started today.


Regulatory compliance starts with formulating a plan to monitor changes in legislation, then implementing new policies. Stay up to date with regulatory compliance using Visualping.

A Guide to Maintaining Compliance With Regulatory Requirements - Visualping

How to Maintain Compliance with Regulatory Requirements



In today's fiercely competitive business landscape, keeping a close eye on patents has become vital for companies striving to protect their intellectual property and gain a competitive edge. With the constant influx of new ideas and inventions, monitoring and tracking patents allows businesses and their legal counsel to stay informed about industry advancements, competitors' activities, and potential collaborations. And one powerful tool that can help you achieve this is [Visualping](https://visualping.io).

[Visualping](https://visualping.io) is an innovative platform that enables you to effortlessly monitor and track patents, ensuring you never miss essential updates in the patent landscape. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of effectively monitoring and tracking patents using Visualping, helping you to streamline your efforts and gain a competitive advantage.

## Why patent tracking is important

Patent tracking plays a pivotal role in safeguarding intellectual property rights. By staying informed about new patents granted or pending, businesses can protect their own inventions and ideas from potential infringements. This proactive approach ensures that your hard work and innovative solutions remain protected.

Additionally, monitoring patents provides a wealth of competitive intelligence. By tracking your competitors' patent activities, you can gain insights into their R&D strategies, identify emerging technologies, and stay ahead of their product development plans. This knowledge gives you a significant advantage in the market, allowing you to respond effectively and maintain your position as an industry leader.

Moreover, patent tracking is crucial for research and development purposes. It enables you to identify gaps in existing technology, assess the novelty of your own inventions, and explore potential collaborations with patent holders. By leveraging the information garnered from patent monitoring, you can enhance your R&D efforts and drive innovation within your organization.

Another critical benefit of patent tracking is the reinforcement of legal defenses against potential infringements. By proactively monitoring patents and identifying potential infringements, you can take swift legal action to protect your intellectual property. This proactive approach strengthens your legal position, ensuring you are equipped to defend your rights and maintain your competitive advantage.

Patent tracking also reveals licensing opportunities, enabling you to monetize your intellectual property. By identifying patents that align with your business goals or complement your existing offerings, you can explore licensing agreements and collaborations that benefit both parties involved. This opens up new revenue streams and establishes you as a valuable industry partner.

Failing to adequately monitor patents and stay up-to-date with industry advancements can have dire consequences. Missed opportunities, increased risk of infringements, and inadequate competitor intelligence can lead to stagnation and loss of market share. To stay ahead, it is crucial to embrace a robust patent monitoring solution like Visualping.

### How to start using Visualping as your patent tracker

#### Step 1: Input the URL into the Search Bar on the [Visualping Homepage](https://visualping.io)

Access a web page in your browser and copy the URL from the address bar. Then, go to the [Visualping website](https://visualping.io/) and paste the URL into the provided search bar to access the viewfinder. In the viewfinder, you can make selections as to which part of the page to monitor.

![Monitor patents using Visualping](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-192-img.png)

#### Step 2: Choose the Specific Section of the Page to Monitor for Patents

To begin receiving updates, decide which area of the page is of special interest to you. You can also use advanced features to receive alerts when specific keywords are added to the page.

#### Step 3: Determine the Frequency of Visualping's Patent Monitoring

Next, inform Visualping about the desired intervals for checking the page for changes. You can set the checking interval as short as five minutes or as long as a month. This flexibility allows you to receive notifications at the most convenient times.

#### Step 4: Provide an Email Address for Notification Delivery

Visualping requires your email address to send notifications. Consequently, it is essential to input an email address that you regularly check to ensure you receive every alert.

## How Visualping fits in your current patent monitoring process

Traditional manual patent tracking methods are labor-intensive and prone to inefficiencies. Engaging in time-consuming searches, manually reviewing patent databases, and relying solely on human effort often leads to missed updates and potential errors. The limitations of this approach become even more apparent when tracking patent activities across multiple sources, posing a significant challenge to stay updated promptly.

While patent database platforms provide some convenience, they inherently limit your scope and comprehensiveness. Relying solely on these platforms may result in key information falling under the radar, leaving you at a significant disadvantage in a rapidly evolving industry.

In contrast, [Visualping](https://visualping.io) offers a revolutionary approach to patent tracking. Visualping automates the monitoring process, ensuring you never miss an update. Visualping works by monitoring specific web pages, delivering real-time notifications when changes occur. This coverage saves time and minimizes the risk of overlooking critical patent activities. Additionally, Visualping offers you the convenience and cost-efficiency of monitoring only the sources that you really care about for patents, instead of purchasing access to entire databases.

By utilizing Visualping, you gain access to an automated system that monitors patents across various sources, seamlessly tracking your competitors' activities, and industry advancements. The efficient and accurate data provided empowers you to make informed decisions promptly, giving you a significant competitive advantage.

## Conclusion

In an era where innovation and protecting intellectual property are essential, monitoring and tracking patents has become an important process. [Visualping](https://visualping.io) offers a simple solution to effortlessly monitor patents.. By embracing Visualping, you can streamline your patent tracking efforts, unlock valuable competitive intelligence, and maximize your intellectual property's protection. Don't miss out on the benefits that Visualping brings to the table. Start utilizing this powerful tool to stay ahead of the patent landscape and pave the way for future success.


Learn the importance of patent tracking, the limitations of traditional methods, and how Visualping can revolutionize patent monitoring for a competitive edge.

How to Monitor and Track Patents - Visualping

How to Monitor and Track Patents with Visualping: A Comprehensive Guide



## Online Reputation Management: A Guide to Protecting Your Brand


Even the best brands have bad days, and yours is no exception. Bad PR can tank a company – even when it’s not warranted, or based on inaccurate information.


Online reputation management (ORM) is a set of tools and strategies that you can use to make sure that your target audience doesn’t get the wrong idea about your brand.


## What is Online Reputation Management (ORM)?


Online reputation management – best known in the PR and marketing industries under the acronym ORM – is the process of monitoring, protecting, and shaping public perception of your brand online. 


A good reputation cannot truly be bought, only earned. That said, even the best brands with the best products, services, and customer satisfaction can still run into issues like poor reviews or misunderstandings. 


To prevent and mitigate these issues, an online reputation management strategy can help you keep your brand image positive across the web.


This can include doing things like addressing negative comments and reviews, engaging in a real dialogue with customers that may have had a bad experience with your product or service. You can also do things like encourage positive reviews – within some limits, of course – and monitor discourse online to gauge the overall sentiment toward your brand.


ORM is essentially a subset of PR, with a heavy SEO and digital marketing component. 


### Media Channels for ORM Initiatives: What to Look At


ORM applies across a range of different online media channels, where your brand either has a presence, or where people are talking about your company. 


These can be divided into a couple of key categories:


*   ****Paid media.** This includes things like paid social media and display ads, paid search ads, or sponsored content.**


*   **Earned media.** This category features things your brand did _not_ pay for, but in which it’s mentioned. It includes things like non-sponsored digital magazine articles or online news coverage, as well as influencer content that you did not pay for or incentivize.


*   **Shared media.** This covers places where both you and customers might talk about your brand, like forums, Reddit, and social media.


*   **Owned media.** This is the stuff you create that actually belongs to you – your website, your blog, whitepapers, case studies, anything you’ve created and published yourself.


Online reputation management strategies and tactics can be applied across all of these types of channels, to help sculpt and refine the ways that your customers think about and conceptualize your brand.

```cta
Want to get set up with online reputation monitoring? / Sign up with Visualping to track any web page on the internet to stay up-to-date on your online reputation. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.example.com/reputation-page / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```


## Why design and implement an ORM strategy?


There are a few major reasons why it’s a good idea for just about any brand to have processes in place for online reputation management.


### Negative reviews and negative online discourse can have a huge impact on your customers’ purchasing decisions.


At the end of the day, this is the biggest one. It can affect your bottom line. 


All of us have, at some point, decided against going with a particular vendor because their reviews were largely negative, or we say people saying things about them that weren’t exactly promising.


Sometimes this is warranted, but that’s not always the case. The last thing you want to deal with is negative PR. 


This is especially important if you’re selling a high-dollar product or service – especially if you’re selling B2B. The more your customers need to invest in your product, the more research they do beforehand, and their more discriminating they’ll be when they make a purchase decision.


Online reputation management helps you make sure that your brand is positioned in a good light.


### Even when they’re not justified, negative reviews are inevitable for any brand.


It doesn’t matter how excellent your product is, or how great your customer service might be. Eventually, negative reviews will happen.


It’s unfortunately pretty common for customers to leave a negative review for reasons that aren’t really justified. (For example, maybe the product shipped out late through no fault of your own, or the customer didn’t do their research and bought the wrong thing.)


One of the best things you can do in this case is to respond to negative reviews to give context and feedback, and when needed, to offer something like a refund or other mitigation for the customer. 


### When negative feedback _is_ justified, it constitutes valuable feedback for your brand.


Everyone has blind spots. When negative feedback is actually legitimate, it can paradoxically be a good thing. It gives you important information about areas where your company or your product need to improve. 


## How to Get Started with Online Reputation Management


Here’s what you can do to get the ball rolling and start creating an ORM strategy.


### 1\. Conduct a thorough audit of your brand’s overall online reputation.


You can start off by reviewing key online assets:


*   Your website and blog
*   Social media profiles
*   Paid ads
*   Any third party profiles you’ve created for your business, e.g. online directories


Then, run an incognito search on your brand name, or run it through SEO software like SEMRush that will show you neutral, non-personalized search results.


What comes up and ranks for your brand name? Is there anything negative that could harm your reputation?


You can divide these assets into two key categories: those you own, and those you do not. 


![Using Visualping to track your business' reputation.](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-161-img2.png)


### 2\. Decide what ORM actions to prioritize first.


Sometimes, you can find a few tasks – say, leaving a measured and helpful response to a poor review that isn’t fully justified – that can constitute “quick wins.”


A good “quick win” is something that doesn’t take a ton of time, effort, or capital to achieve, but that will have a significant positive impact nonetheless. 


In turn, you may decide that other things take a lot of effort or money, but don’t give much payoff in return. 


### 3\. Put together detailed documentation outlining your brand’s communication guideline policies, brand voice and tone, and other factors that are relevant when you respond to customers online.


It’s very helpful for your employees to have a set of clear-cut guidelines for engaging with things like negative reviews or bad press. 


Ownership is also important. It’s essential to figure out who on your team is responsible for handling ORM activities. 


### 4\. Start monitoring all online mentions of your brand.


There are a few different tools you can use to do this, like Mention and VisualPing. These [online reputation tools](https://visualping.io/blog/top-online-reputation-monitoring-tools/) can alert you whenever someone mentions your brand online.


Knowing right away when conversations take off can be valuable for getting a say in them.


You can also use social listening software for this kind of thing, to track and monitor brand-centric conversations continuously. These SaaS options often come with features for social listening and sentiment analysis – highly valuable for brands that want to make sure their target audience isn’t getting the wrong ideas.


### 5\. Develop a crisis management scenario for handling a worst-case PR disaster.


Hopefully, as long as you do your best as a brand, you won’t have to deal with a PR crisis.


But things happen in life, and it’s a good idea to be prepared ahead of time with a well-defined crisis management plan. 


Some of the tools we’ve talked about, like Visualping for mention monitoring, dedicated social listening software, and other options, will give you a heads-up right as negative conversations take off. 


It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on industry chatter, news, and trends, to look for things that come up that your brand needs to be proactive about in order to avoid consumer criticism. (You can use Visualping for this too.) 

```cta
Want to get set up with online reputation monitoring? / Sign up with Visualping to track any web page on the internet to stay up-to-date on your online reputation. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.example.com/reputation-page / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

### 6\. Encourage satisfied customers to leave a positive review.


Now, there are absolutely some caveats with this.


**You cannot directly pay or incentivize customers to leave a review that’s positive. **


Most platforms, notably Google Business Profiles, expressly prohibit this.


What you _can_ do, though, is to send post-purchase emails, or have a sales rep call customers, to obtain feedback and encourage reviews. 


You also need to make the process of leaving a review as quick, easy, and straightforward as possible. Generally speaking, customers won’t _go out of their way_ to leave a review unless their experience was negative.


Another thing you can do is to encourage customers to contact your customer support team directly if they run into any problems. This can help mitigate people’s knee-jerk reaction to leave a negative review.


### 7\. Manage and address negative reviews.


This is a big one.


There’s a fairly well-known trick among consumers for assessing online reviews.


Don’t look at glowing positive reviews. Look at negative reviews first. Then ask: _are they justified and warranted?_


The unfortunate truth is that some people will jump to leaving a negative review when they have some problem or issue that not only isn’t your fault, but isn’t anything you can do much about. (We mentioned shipping delays as a common one.)


In a worst case scenario, you might even get the dreaded Karen.


A good thing to do is to respond to negative reviews. Here are a few tips for doing this.


*   Have a quick response time.
*   Be polite and courteous.
*   Don’t be afraid to acknowledge it if you _did_, in fact, make a mistake.
*   Keep it public, so that everyone can see how gracefully your brand responds to criticism.
*   Offer dissatisfied customers something to help make things right, like a refund, a credit or discount on their next purchase, or a replacement for a faulty item.
*   As far as published reviews – for example, a review published by a tech journalist in a digital magazine examining your SaaS product – you can reach out to the author if you have proof of inaccuracies, or if you have improved upon the problems pointed out in their content.
*   Take action to improve your products or services in response to valid criticisms.


### 8\. Try to push negative search results down below the top 10, so they’re not as visible and prominent.


This is a big one, and we’ve written elsewhere about [SEO reputation management](https://visualping.io/blog/seo-reputation-management-guide/) in particular. 


Here are some tips for doing this:


*   Promote positive content that you’ve created or sponsored.
*   Update your existing content to refresh it and make it more relevant and current.
*   Pursue direct backlinks to your own website and content, from earned media with a positive orientation toward your brand.
*   Partner with influencers in your niche to promote your content.
*   Spotlight positive reviews on your website and social media. 


## Online Reputation Management is Worth Pursuing for Even the Best of Brands.


Unfortunately, bad reviews and bad press can happen to just about any company, no matter how well-loved by consumers.


Creating a detailed, actionable online reputation management strategy is a great way to make sure you’re prepared for even the most unthinkable negative PR nightmare.


At Visualping, our versatile change management software gives you a robust, easy-to-use option for keeping an eye on who’s talking about your brand, and what exactly they’re saying.


Book your demo today to find out more about what Visualping can do for your [business](https://visualping.io/business/)!


Creating an online reputation management strategy is a great way to make sure you’re prepared. Learn how Visualping can help you stay up to date with online reputation management.

Online Reputation Management: How to Protect Your Brand

Online Reputation Management: How to Protect Your Brand - Visualping

A subprocessor is an entity that is engaged by a primary data processor to handle personal data on behalf of a data controller. This arrangement is commonly found within organizations that need to outsource certain data processing activities, but it comes with a set of strict regulatory requirements to ensure data protection and compliance with relevant laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 

It’s vital for a subprocessor to abide by the instructions provided by the data processor and to implement security measures to safeguard the personal data being handled.

The selection of a [subprocessor](https://www.gdprsummary.com/gdpr-definitions/sub-processor/) requires careful consideration by the primary data processor, as the responsibility for any data breaches or non-compliance issues can trace back to both the processor and the controller. Moreover, it is standard for processors to obtain explicit written permission from the controller before engaging a subprocessor. The controller holds the right to veto a subprocessor if they deem it unsuitable, thereby maintaining control over who has access to the personal data under their jurisdiction.

The role of subprocessors has grown in importance with the increased use of cloud-based services and complex supply chains in data processing. These third-party entities must not only follow the established protocols of data processing as set forth by the processor but also contribute to [compliance duties](https://www.captaincompliance.com/education/what-is-a-data-subprocessor), including assisting data controllers in fulfilling their obligations under GDPR. This ensures a framework where all parties involved are working cohesively to maintain data integrity and confidentiality.

## Understanding Subprocessors

In managing personal data, the roles and responsibilities of entities involved are clearly defined by regulations. Subprocessors, processors, and controllers form a critical framework in this ecosystem.

```cta
Want to get subprocessor alerts? / Sign up with Visualping to monitor any web page and get alerted when there's a change. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. https://www.nytimes.com... / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

### Definition and Role of a Subprocessor

A **subprocessor** is an entity engaged by a data processor to assist in fulfilling the processing of personal data. Contrary to a **processor**, which is directly involved in the processing for the **controller**, a subprocessor works under the instruction of the processor, carrying out specific tasks that involve personal data. For instance, if a company uses cloud services to handle customer data, the cloud provider may be a subprocessor if it processes any data on behalf of the company.

#### Subprocessor vs. Processor

The main distinction between a subprocessor and a processor lies in their relational hierarchy and scope of authority. The processor is an independent entity that determines how to process personal data on behalf of the controller. A subprocessor does not have this level of autonomy and operates under the processor's directives. Responsibilities of a subprocessor include storage, analysis, or other data handling tasks as assigned by the processor.

#### Subprocessor vs. Controller

While a subprocessor and a processor perform similar functions in terms of data handling, their relationship with the controller differs significantly. The controller determines the "what" and "why" behind personal data processing and is ultimately responsible for its protection and compliance with data protection laws. The subprocessor acts on behalf of the processor and does not have direct control over the processing purposes or means, positioning them further down the operational hierarchy.

Entities within the data processing hierarchy must uphold data protection and privacy standards. Understanding each role is crucial for compliance and effective data management.

## Legal Framework and Compliance

The compliance landscape for subprocessors hinges on stringent legal requirements, particularly within the European Union. These entities must adhere to a clear legal framework, which includes obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the necessity to establish a data processing agreement (DPA).

#### GDPR and Subprocessors

Under the GDPR, subprocessors have defined responsibilities for handling **personal data**. They must comply with the same data protection measures as main processors. The **EU**'s legal framework is explicit in that subprocessors must ensure the security and confidentiality of personal data they handle, and they must act only on documented instructions from the data controller.

**Data protection obligations** include:

* Ensuring data confidentiality and integrity
* Implementing appropriate technical and organizational measures
* Reporting data breaches to the data processor without undue delay

#### Contractual Requirements

The law stipulates that a legal binding agreement must be in place between the data processor and a subprocessor. This contractual linkage ensures a chain of accountability in the protection of personal data.

**Key elements** of these contracts often encompass:
* Scope, nature, and purpose of the processing
* Duration of processing
* Types of personal data and categories of data subjects involved
* Obligations and rights of the data controller

#### Data Processing Agreement

A [Data Processing Agreement (DPA)](https://www.privacyboard.co/knowledge/whats-a-subprocessor-in-the-gdpr) is a crucial document that outlines the subprocessor's data privacy compliance. It formalizes the relationship between processors and subprocessors and acts as a guarantee for compliance with GDPR obligations.

*Critical aspects* of a DPA include:
* Processed data's subject matter and duration
* Nature and purpose of processing
* The rights and obligations of both parties
* Subprocessors' assistance to processors in ensuring GDPR compliance, including with regard to data subject rights and audit procedures.

## Subprocessor Selection and Responsibilities

![image](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-216-img3.jpg)

When engaging a subprocessor, it is essential to ensure they can uphold the necessary standards of data protection and follow prescribed instructions precisely. Due diligence in selection and clarity in defining responsibilities is critical to maintaining compliance with data protection laws.

#### Criteria for Selection

The selection of a data subprocessor requires a rigorous assessment of their capabilities to handle data securely and fulfill the obligations set by the data processor and controller. Criteria for selection include:

* **Compliance**: The subprocessor must demonstrate compliance with relevant data protection legislation, such as the GDPR.
* **Security Measures**: They must have robust [security measures](https://www.captaincompliance.com/education/what-is-a-data-subprocessor) in place to safeguard personal data from unauthorized access, disclosure, or alteration.
* **Experience and Reliability**: Their track record in managing sensitive data should be scrutinized to ensure reliability.

#### Security and Confidentiality Obligations

A data subprocessor is bound by stringent **security and confidentiality obligations** to protect the integrity of the data. They must:

* Maintain an [adequate level of protection](https://www.privacyboard.co/knowledge/whats-a-subprocessor-in-the-gdpr) that aligns with or exceeds the standards of the data processor.
* Implement and regularly review technical and organizational measures to prevent data breaches.

#### Duties and Responsibilities

The **duties and responsibilities** of a subprocessor are legally binding and detailed in contractual agreements. Responsibilities include:

* **Following Instructions**: Subprocessors are obliged to act strictly in accordance with the [instructions](https://inplp.com/latest-news/article/gdpr-rights-and-obligations-of-sub-processors/) provided by the data processor.
* **Assisting in Compliance**: They should facilitate the data controller in fulfilling their GDPR obligations, which includes reporting data breaches and aiding in Data * Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs).
* **Contractual Safeguards**: There must be clear [contractual safeguards](https://incorporated.zone/sub-processor-compliance-obligations-under-gdpr) to ensure subprocessors do not process data beyond agreed terms.

## International Data Transfers

![image](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-216-img4.jpg)

In the interconnected realm of global commerce, **international data transfers** are a routine yet critical operation that must align with stringent **data protection** laws and principles. Specifically, when **personal data** is transferred across borders, organizations must ensure compliance with different jurisdictions' legal requirements to maintain an **adequate level of protection**.

#### Global Data Protection Considerations

When personal data is transferred from one country to another, the transferring entity must consider the data protection regulations of both the exporting and importing jurisdictions. The **[General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)](https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection/new-standard-contractual-clauses-questions-and-answers-overview_en)** has raised the bar for data protection by requiring that personal data transferred out of the EU meet a standard of protection consistent with GDPR. Transferring entities must assess the adequacy of protection in the recipient country, and in many cases, implement safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) if the level of protection is not inherently adequate.

#### EU and USA Data Transfer

EU-USA data transfers fall under intense scrutiny since the EU mandates a high standard of data protection. In order to reconcile the EU's stringent data protection standards with the USA's different approach to data privacy, entities often resort to specific transfer mechanisms that provide an **[adequate level of protection](https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/ico-data-transfers-guide-clarifies-data-exporter-role-in-sub-processing)**. Consequently, organizations in the USA must adhere to frameworks like the Privacy Shield or, more recently, the updated SCCs to facilitate data transfers in compliance with GDPR. The importance of these mechanisms is further underscored by the evolving jurisprudence and legislative landscape, which organizations must closely monitor to ensure ongoing compliance.

## Practical Implications for Stakeholders

![image](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-216-img5.jpg)


In managing personal data, stakeholders need to understand the dynamic between data controllers, data processors, and subprocessors, ensuring by all means that transparency, compliance, and technical support are prioritized for the safety of the data subject's information.

#### Controllers' Oversight of Subprocessors

Data controllers must rigorously vet and monitor their subprocessors to ensure that they are capable of protecting the data subject's personal details according to the GDPR. This includes establishing [clear contracts](https://www.captaincompliance.com/education/what-is-a-data-subprocessor) with detailed data protection obligations and auditing the subprocessor's practices regularly.

#### Subprocessors' Transparency Towards Customers

Subprocessors are obligated to maintain a high level of [transparency](https://www.privacyboard.co/knowledge/whats-a-subprocessor-in-the-gdpr) with their customers, often data controllers, about how they handle personal data. This includes providing customers with information on data processing activities, security measures in place, and any third parties involved in the processing.

People Also Ask: [How Can I Alert Customers When My Subprocessors are Updated?](https://visualping.io/blog/subprocessor-list-alerts/)

#### Support and Technical Assistance

Controllers and processors should have access to timely and efficient [support](https://incorporated.zone/sub-processor-compliance-obligations-under-gdpr) from their subprocessors, ensuring they have the necessary assistance to respond to technical or security issues that may arise. Subprocessors should be prepared to aid controllers in fulfilling their GDPR obligations, such as responding to data subject access requests.

## Subprocessors in Cloud Computing

![image](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/blog/post-post-216-img6.jpg)

Cloud computing has transformed the way organizations manage and process data. Within this ecosystem, subprocessors play a critical role, particularly in relation to the services provided by **Cloud Service Providers (CSPs)** and their compliance with regulations like the **General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)**.

#### Role of Cloud Service Providers

Cloud Service Providers, such as **Amazon Web Services** (AWS) and **Google Drive**, act as a fundamental backbone in cloud computing. They manage vast infrastructures of **servers** that host, store, and process data. When these providers engage third-party services to handle specific tasks involving customer data, these entities are known as subprocessors. A subprocessor performs duties on behalf of the primary processor, operating under strict guidelines mandated by the cloud service provider and relevant compliance frameworks.

**Responsibilities**:
* Adhering to **GDPR compliance** measures
* Implementing robust data security protocols
* Ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of user data

#### Common Cloud-Based Subprocessors

Subprocessors are often specialized services that handle particular aspects of a cloud service provider's offering. For example, **[Mailchimp](http://mailchimp.com)** might be engaged as a subprocessor to manage email marketing campaigns, utilizing the cloud infrastructure provided by the main service provider.

**Examples**:

* **Data Analysis**: Subprocessors may offer advanced data analytics services, leveraging the processing power of cloud providers.
* **Customer Support**: Entities that provide customer service functions, maintaining the efficacy and quality support systems.

In each case, subprocessors must strictly follow the instructions laid down by their hiring cloud service provider, ensuring that each action is in line with **GDPR compliance** and upholds the privacy and security of customer data. Therefore, the use of subprocessors introduces an additional layer of complexity to data processing in the cloud, necessitating rigorous oversight and management by both cloud service providers and their clients.

## Best Practices and Industry Standards

In ensuring that third-party subcontractors upholds data integrity and confidentiality, organizations must adhere to rigorous standards. Best practices demand a sound framework for compliance and security, which includes GDPR compliance and implementation of a strong code of conduct.

#### Adopting a Code of Conduct

They should establish a **Code of Conduct** that defines the ethical and professional behavior expected from a subprocessor. This includes:

* Respect for client confidentiality and data protection laws.
* Full transparency in data processing activities.
* Upholding the standards outlined in the GDPR to protect personal data.
* Clear communication of roles and obligations to prevent breaches.

#### Following Security Best Practices

A subprocessor must follow **Security Best Practices** to ensure data resilience. Key measures include:

* Enforcing strict access controls and authentication protocols.
* Regular security audits and compliance checks.
* Utilizing encryption for data-in-transit and at-rest.
* Implementing incident response plans and regular data recovery drills.

By meticulously following these measures, subprocessors help in creating a reliable ecosystem for data processors and controllers to operate within the boundaries of established industry standards.

**[Want to keep your customers informed of any changes to your Subprocessors? Get Stress-Free Subprocessor Alerts with Visualping.](http://visualping.io/button)**


A subprocessor is an entity that is engaged by a primary data processor to handle personal data on behalf of a data controller. The selection of a subprocessor requires careful consideration, as the responsibility for any data breaches or non-compliance issues can trace back to both the processor and the controller.

What is a Subprocessor: Understanding Your Data Processing Chain

## What is Compliance Monitoring and Why is it Important? 

Staying compliant with regulations is essential for any business, but it can be challenging to keep up with constant changes. Luckily, there are several compliance monitoring tools available to help. Whether you need to track website updates, manage contracts, assess risks, automate security compliance, or customize governance processes, there’s a tool designed to fit your needs. 

Here’s a look at the top 5 compliance monitoring tools for 2025, each offering unique features to help your business stay compliant and avoid potential penalties.


## Summary of Each Tool and it's Capabilities
- **Visualping** focuses on monitoring website changes, which is ideal for businesses that need to track updates on regulatory sites.
- **Conga** specializes in contract and document management, helping companies automate the creation and compliance of contracts.
- **Resolver** provides a platform for risk management and compliance monitoring, suited for businesses needing a centralized system for compliance activities.
- **Sprinto** automates security compliance, particularly for cloud-based businesses needing to maintain certifications.
- **LogicGate** offers customizable governance, risk, and compliance management, suitable for businesses needing tailored compliance workflows and integrations.

### Visualping
[Visualping](https://visualping.io/) monitors regulatory websites for updates, ensuring businesses stay compliant with the latest rules. It’s perfect for companies needing to track changes in laws, regulations, and other compliance-related information.

**Key Features:**
- Real-time monitoring of website changes helps businesses respond quickly to new regulations and leverages AI to notify users of whether the change is relevant. 
- Customizable alerts allow users to focus on the most critical updates.
- A simple, user-friendly interface makes setup and management straightforward.

**Pricing:** To access all business features of [Visualping](https://visualping.io/) prices start at $100/month. Plans can be customized according to business needs and preferences. 


### Conga
[Conga](https://conga.com/) offers a platform for managing contracts and documents, helping businesses automate and ensure compliance throughout the contract lifecycle. By automating the contract process, it makes it easier to stay compliant and facilitate risk management and track regulatory requirements.

**Key Features:**
- Automated contract creation and management streamline compliance across contract lifecycles.
- Integration with Salesforce and other platforms.
- Advanced analytics to provide insights into contract compliance and performance.

**Pricing:** Contact [Conga](https://conga.com/) for a custom quote based on business requirements. 


### Resolver
[Resolver](https://www.resolver.com/) is a risk management software that helps businesses identify, assess, and mitigate compliance risks. It provides a centralized platform for managing compliance activities and automating workflows, making it easier to adhere to regulations.

**Key Features:**
- Centralized compliance management helps monitor and manage compliance risks across the organization.
- Automated workflows and real-time reporting.
- Risk assessment tools help prioritize compliance efforts based on potential impact.

**Pricing:** Contact [Resolver](https://www.resolver.com/) for a demo and pricing information. 

### Sprinto
[Sprinto](https://sprinto.com/?utm_term=sprinto&utm_campaign=CA%20%7C%20Brand%20%7C%20TOFU&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=1403356646&hsa_cam=20684600599&hsa_grp=157249465160&hsa_ad=677645101615&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-312883538140&hsa_kw=sprinto&hsa_mt=e&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz-vkhrKTiAMVaA6tBh0GsgcBEAAYASAAEgJYp_D_BwE) specializes in automating security compliance for cloud-hosted businesses, making it easier to achieve and maintain certifications like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and more. It continuously monitors systems to ensure compliance and readiness for audits.

**Key Features:**
- Automated compliance monitoring and reporting streamline the audit preparation process.
- Continuous monitoring helps maintain compliance standards without manual oversight.
- Integration with cloud services ensures comprehensive compliance coverage.


**Pricing:** Contact [Sprinto](https://sprinto.com/?utm_term=sprinto&utm_campaign=CA%20%7C%20Brand%20%7C%20TOFU&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=1403356646&hsa_cam=20684600599&hsa_grp=157249465160&hsa_ad=677645101615&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-312883538140&hsa_kw=sprinto&hsa_mt=e&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz-vkhrKTiAMVaA6tBh0GsgcBEAAYASAAEgJYp_D_BwE) to inquire about pricing based on business needs. 

### LogicGate
[LogicGate](https://www.logicgate.com/) is a configurable governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platform that helps businesses automate compliance processes and manage risks more effectively. It integrates with various business systems to streamline compliance management.

**Key Features:**
- Customizable workflows and templates provided.
- Integration capabilities with other business systems ensure seamless data flow and compliance tracking.
- Detailed analytics and reporting enable better decision-making and compliance oversight.

**Pricing:** Contact [LogicGate](https://www.logicgate.com/) for pricing information.

## Conslusion 
Choosing the right compliance tool depends on your specific needs and industry requirements. These tools offer a variety of features to help manage compliance, reduce risks, and improve overall governance practices.


Discover the top compliance monitoring tools in 2025. 

Top Compliance Monitoring Tools in 2025

## Introducing Visualping for Commercial Insurance Loss Control

Loss Control leaders in commercial insurance face a complex task: staying on top of potential risks within a large and varied client base. With thousands of businesses to monitor, identifying hazards, policy exclusions, or changes in behavior that could lead to claims is time-consuming and often overwhelming.

Visualping offers a solution that automates the process of monitoring client websites and social media for updates that might indicate increased risk. By scanning text and images for specific criteria that match your company’s risk profile, Visualping helps streamline this aspect of loss prevention, allowing teams to act quickly when red flags arise.

### Key Features for Loss Prevention

Based on feedback from industry professionals, Visualping has developed tailored functionality to address the specific needs of loss prevention and risk control teams:

- **Automated Monitoring of Client Websites and Social Media**: Visualping tracks updates to web pages and company social pages, reducing the manual effort needed to stay on top of changes that may indicate increased risk.
- **Customizable Risk Criteria**: The platform's AI can be tailored to flag updates based on your specific definition of risk, whether it's changes in promotions, operations, safety practices, or compliance-related content.
- **Text and Image Scanning**: Visualping scans both the text and images of monitored pages for signs of hazardous behavior or violations, offering a comprehensive approach to identifying risk exposures.
- **Proactive Alerts**: Get notified as soon as changes occur, allowing your team to react quickly to emerging risks before they turn into claims.

### Benefits for Loss Prevention Teams

- **Save Time**: Automate the monitoring of client content, reducing the hours spent on manual review.
- **Reduce and Defend Claims**: Catch potential issues early, minimizing the chance of paying out costly claims.
- **Identify Opportunities**: Monitor changes that may indicate an opportunity for additional coverage or services.

Visualping is already being used by leading insurance companies to streamline their risk management processes, helping them stay ahead of potential claims and make more informed decisions about their clients.

For more information or a demo, [contact us](https://visualping.io/contact) to see how Visualping can fit into your loss prevention efforts.


Visualping offers a solution that automates the process of monitoring client websites and social media for updates that might indicate increased risk.

 Introducing Visualping for Commercial Insurance Loss Control Introducing Visualping for Commercial Insurance Loss Control

 Introducing Visualping for Commercial Insurance Loss Control

# Regulatory Compliance: How to Monitor Changes Effectively in 2025

## Understanding Regulatory Compliance

Regulatory compliance forms the foundation of ethical and legal business operations. It encompasses adherence to laws, regulations, and industry standards that govern organizational activities.

### Defining Compliance and Regulations

Regulatory compliance refers to an organization's adherence to [laws, regulations, and standards](https://www.diligent.com/resources/blog/understanding-regulatory-compliance) established by government agencies, industry bodies, and other external entities.

These rules cover various aspects of business operations, including:

- Financial reporting and auditing
- Data privacy and security
- Environmental protection
- Labor practices

Regulations can be industry-specific, like HIPAA for healthcare, or broadly applicable, such as GDPR for data protection. Organizations must stay informed about relevant regulations to ensure compliance.

### Importance of Regulatory Compliance

Maintaining [regulatory compliance](https://visualping.io/regulatory-intelligence) is crucial for businesses to operate legally and ethically. Key benefits include:

1. **Risk mitigation**: Compliance reduces the risk of legal penalties, fines, and reputational damage.
2. **Enhanced trust**: Adhering to regulations builds customer and stakeholder confidence.
3. **Operational efficiency**: Compliance often leads to improved internal processes and controls.
4. **Competitive advantage**: Some industries view good compliance as a competitive differentiator.

Failure to comply can result in severe consequences, including financial losses, legal action, and damage to brand reputation. Organizations must [allocate adequate resources](https://www.6clicks.com/resources/blog/top-regulatory-compliance-challenges-in-2024-and-how-to-address-them) for compliance efforts, including budget and personnel, to effectively navigate the regulatory landscape.

## Monitoring Regulatory Changes

Regulatory compliance is a critical aspect of modern business operations. Companies must stay informed about changes in laws, regulations, and industry standards to maintain compliance and avoid potential penalties. This process involves continuous monitoring of various sources for updates that may impact an organization's operations.

[Regulatory change management](https://visualping.io/blog/regulatory-change-management-guide) is a complex task that requires diligence and attention to detail. Compliance professionals are responsible for tracking and interpreting new regulations, assessing their impact on the company, and implementing necessary changes to ensure ongoing compliance.

The regulatory landscape constantly evolves, introducing new laws and amendments regularly. Organizations must be prepared to adapt quickly to new requirements to avoid compliance risks and potential legal issues.

Effective [regulatory monitoring](https://visualping.io/blog/top-tools-monitor-regulative-intelligence-compliance) involves staying up-to-date with changes from multiple sources, including:

- Government websites
- Regulatory agency publications
- Industry associations
- Legal databases
- News outlets

```cta
Start monitoring pages for regulatory changes / Visualping makes it easy to get notifications when a government, legal, or other regulatory web page is updated. / STEP 1: Enter the URL you want to monitor / Enter a url e.g. www.fda.gov.... / STEP 2: Enter your email address / Start monitoring (it's free)
```

Compliance teams often need help managing the sheer volume of regulatory information. Manual monitoring can be time-consuming and prone to human error. As a result, many organizations are turning to automated solutions to streamline their regulatory change management processes.

### Start monitoring pages for regulatory changes

![Court Form.png](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Court_Form_ec15aad98a.png)

[Visualping](https://visualping.io/regulatory-intelligence) offers a powerful solution for monitoring regulatory changes. It automatically detects updates on specific web pages, allowing compliance professionals to focus on analyzing and implementing necessary changes.

Key features of Visualping for regulatory monitoring include:

- Customizable monitoring frequency: Depending on the urgency of potential changes, users can set checks as often as every 2 minutes or as infrequently as once a week.

Text and visual comparison modes:
- Text-compare mode highlights textual changes, which is ideal for monitoring legal documents or policy statement updates.
- Visual-compare mode captures visual changes, which is useful for tracking schedule updates or graphical representations of data.

![VP keyword monitoring.png](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/VP_keyword_monitoring_d89b287510.png)

And tools designed to save time and detect only important changes:
- Keyword alerts: This feature allows users to filter notifications based on specific keywords, ensuring they only receive alerts for relevant changes.
- Real-time email notifications: When changes are detected, Visualping sends immediate email alerts with screenshots highlighting the modifications.
- AI Summaries and Analysis: These are used to summarize and identify key information on any detected change, allowing the reader to quickly understand what’s changed and its impact.

![Regulatory change alert with AI summary ](https://cms-service-strapi-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/legislative_alert_visualping_81a586a57f.svg)

Visualping's capabilities extend beyond simple change detection. The tool can be particularly valuable for:

Legal firms monitoring changes in legislation for their clients
Healthcare organizations tracking updates to HIPAA regulations
Financial institutions staying compliant with evolving banking regulations
Environmental compliance officers monitoring changes in sustainability requirements

By automating the monitoring process, compliance teams can:

Reduce the risk of missing critical updates
Save time on manual checks
Improve accuracy in detecting changes
Focus more on strategic compliance activities
Visualping offers various subscription plans to accommodate different organizational needs. 

Implementing an automated regulatory monitoring system like Visualping can significantly enhance an organization's compliance efforts. It systematically tracks regulatory changes, enabling companies to respond promptly to new requirements and maintain continuous compliance.

As regulatory scrutiny increases across industries, the importance of efficient and reliable compliance monitoring tools cannot be overstated. Organizations can better protect themselves from compliance risks, reputational damage, and potential legal penalties by leveraging technology to streamline the regulatory change management process.

### Engaging in Regulatory Intelligence

[Regulatory intelligence](https://visualping.io/blog/regulatory-change-management-guide) involves analyzing trends, predicting future changes, and understanding the broader regulatory landscape.

Key activities include:

- Monitoring proposed rules and public comments
- Tracking enforcement actions and regulatory priorities
- Analyzing industry peer responses to new regulations
- Engaging with regulators through industry forums and consultations

Building relationships with regulators and participating in industry working groups can provide valuable insights. This proactive approach allows organizations to anticipate changes and influence regulatory outcomes.

Leveraging external expertise through consultants or legal advisors can supplement internal knowledge. These experts often have broad perspectives on regulatory trends across multiple jurisdictions and industries.

## Developing a Compliance Program

A  compliance program forms the foundation for effectively monitoring regulatory changes. It encompasses creating internal policies, training staff, and implementing verification processes to ensure adherence to regulations.

### Creating Internal Policies

Internal policies serve as the backbone of a compliance program. They outline specific procedures and guidelines that align with regulatory requirements.

Organizations should develop clear, concise policies that address key compliance areas relevant to their industry.

These policies must be easily accessible to all employees and regularly updated to reflect changing regulations. A centralized policy management system can streamline this process, ensuring version control and timely distribution of updates.

Effective policies include detailed instructions on handling sensitive information, reporting violations, and escalating concerns. They should also define roles and responsibilities for compliance-related tasks within the organization.

### Training and Awareness

Compliance training is crucial for fostering a culture of regulatory adherence.

Organizations should implement comprehensive training programs that cover relevant regulations, internal policies, and compliance obligations.

Training sessions should be tailored to different roles within the company, focusing on job-specific compliance requirements.

Interactive e-learning modules, workshops, and scenario-based exercises can enhance engagement and retention of compliance knowledge.

Regular refresher courses help keep employees up-to-date with evolving regulations. Tracking attendance and completion rates ensures all staff members receive the necessary training.

Awareness campaigns, such as compliance newsletters or intranet posts, can reinforce key compliance messages between formal training sessions.

### Compliance Verification and Evidence Collection

Verifying compliance and collecting evidence are essential for demonstrating regulatory adherence.

Organizations should establish systematic processes to monitor compliance across all relevant areas.

Regular audits and assessments help identify gaps in compliance practices. These can include internal reviews, third-party audits, and department head self-assessments.

Implementing [compliance management software](https://visualping.io/blog/compliance-monitoring-software-solutions/) can automate evidence collection, making tracking and storing relevant documentation easier.

This may include training records, policy acknowledgments, and audit reports.

Organizations should maintain a clear audit trail of compliance activities. This includes documenting decisions, actions taken, and remediation efforts in response to identified issues.


## Integration of Compliance in Operations

Integrating compliance into operations requires aligning business strategies, maintaining continuous compliance, and ensuring good data management and protection.

These elements combine to create a comprehensive approach that embeds regulatory adherence into daily activities.

### Aligning Compliance with Business Strategies

Organizations can [integrate advanced analytics and AI-driven tools](https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesfinancecouncil/2024/10/31/20-ways-to-adapt-finance-and-operational-functions-for-regulatory-compliance/) into their finance and operational functions to proactively monitor and respond to regulatory changes.

This approach enhances organizational efficiency by automating compliance processes.

Key strategies include:

- Embedding compliance objectives into business goals
- Training employees on regulatory requirements
- Implementing risk assessment frameworks

Regular review of business processes ensures they align with current regulations. Companies can create cross-functional teams to identify areas where compliance intersects with operations, fostering a culture of responsibility.

### Continuous Compliance

Maintaining continuous compliance involves establishing systems that adapt to evolving regulatory landscapes.

Organizations need to [create support networks](https://www.athennian.com/post/10-strategies-to-prepare-for-key-regulatory-compliance-changes-in-2024), both internally and externally, involving in-house teams and industry experts.

Effective practices include:

- Developing "compliance champions" within departments
- Utilizing real-time monitoring tools for regulatory updates
- Conducting regular compliance audits

Automated compliance software can help track changes and ensure ongoing adherence to regulations. This proactive approach minimizes risks and reduces the likelihood of non-compliance incidents.

### Data Management and Protection

Organizations must prioritize effective data management as data protection and privacy laws become more stringent.

This involves implementing systems that safeguard sensitive information while ensuring accessibility for authorized personnel.

Key considerations include:

- Encrypting sensitive data
- Implementing access controls
- Regularly updating data security protocols

Organizations should conduct periodic assessments of their data handling practices to ensure compliance with regulations like GDPR or CCPA.

Tailorable monitoring modes can be implemented to track changes in data protection laws and adjust practices accordingly.

## Responding to Compliance Violations

Effective response to compliance violations requires swift action and a strategic approach. Addressing enforcement fines, legal penalties, and mitigating [reputational damage](https://visualping.io/blog/online-reputation-management/) are crucial steps in managing the aftermath of regulatory breaches.

### Handling Enforcement Fines and Legal Penalties

Organizations must act quickly to minimize financial impact when faced with enforcement fines or legal penalties. The first step is to [assess the violation's severity](https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2024/managing-risk-regulatory-changes.html) and understand the regulatory body's expectations for remediation.

Engage legal counsel immediately to navigate the complexities of the enforcement process. They can negotiate with regulators and potentially reduce penalties.

Create a detailed corrective action plan outlining steps to address the violation and prevent future occurrences. This plan should include:

- Root cause analysis
- Specific remediation actions
- Timelines for implementation
- Responsible parties for each task

Allocate resources to implement the corrective measures promptly. Consider establishing a dedicated team to oversee the remediation process and ensure compliance.

### Mitigation of Reputational Damage

Compliance violations can significantly harm an organization's reputation. To mitigate this damage, develop a comprehensive communication strategy targeting key stakeholders.

Be transparent about the violation and the steps being taken to address it. Provide regular updates on progress to maintain trust and credibility.

Consider the following actions:

- Issue a public statement acknowledging the violation
- Engage in proactive media outreach to control the narrative
- Communicate directly with customers, partners, and investors

[Implement enhanced compliance monitoring](https://www.6clicks.com/resources/blog/top-regulatory-compliance-challenges-in-2024-and-how-to-address-them) systems to demonstrate commitment to preventing future violations. This may include adopting new technologies or strengthening internal controls.

Internal training sessions should be conducted to reinforce compliance practices among employees. This shows a dedication to fostering a culture of compliance within the organization.

## Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

Effective [regulatory compliance monitoring](https://visualping.io/blog/legislative-tracking/) requires active participation from various parties within an organization. Companies can create a strong compliance framework that adapts to changing regulations by fostering collaboration and engaging stakeholders.

### Involving Stakeholders in Compliance Processes

[Stakeholder engagement](https://simplystakeholders.com/monitor-stakeholder-engagement/) is crucial for successful compliance management. Identify key stakeholders affected by regulatory changes, including employees, managers, and external partners. Establish clear communication channels to inform them about new requirements and potential impacts on their roles.

Organize regular meetings and workshops to gather input from stakeholders. Their insights can help identify potential compliance risks and practical solutions. Encourage open dialogue and create a culture where stakeholders feel comfortable raising concerns or suggestions.

Implement a feedback system to improve compliance processes continuously. This can include surveys, suggestion boxes, or digital ideas-sharing platforms. Regularly review and act on stakeholder feedback to refine compliance strategies.

### Role of Compliance Teams and Legal Departments

Compliance teams and legal departments are crucial in [monitoring regulatory changes](https://changestrategists.com/change-management-for-regulatory-compliance/). They must stay up-to-date with evolving regulations and interpret their implications for the organization.

These teams should:

- Conduct regular compliance audits
- Develop and update policies and procedures
- Provide training to employees on new compliance requirements
- Collaborate with other departments to implement necessary changes

Legal departments can offer expert guidance on regulatory issues. They should work closely with compliance teams to thoroughly understand new regulations and their legal implications.

Establish a cross-functional team comprising members from compliance, legal, and other relevant departments. This team can assess the impact of regulatory changes and develop comprehensive implementation strategies.

We hope that, with these ideas, you’ll have a solid grasp of the basics of regulatory compliance and monitoring and can start developing your own compliance strategies. Good luck!


Discover best practices for tracking updates, developing compliance programs, leveraging technology, and adapting to evolving industry regulations. Learn to align compliance with business strategies, ensure continuous monitoring, and prepare for increased regulatory scrutiny.