AUDITING FIRMS, TECHNOLOGY AND THEIR EFFECT ON PROFESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS

Thirty years ago, South Africa’s professional landscape looked completely different to what it is today. The investigations industry has been revolutionised by the advent of auditing firms which conduct internal investigations, and innovative technology that both simplifies and complicates the sector.

Today, the private investigations and risk management sectors are led by businesses that have developed the basic principles to investigations, while embracing global technology advancements and industry shifts. 

According to Kyle Condon, Managing Director of D&K Management Consultants (D&K), market shifts offer immense growth potential if investigators are willing to evolve. “This is not unique to our industry. In every sector, Industry 4.0 and global transformation must be considered, planned for, and capitalised on to reach the organisation’s full potential.”

Security Service Consultants’ (SSC) Managing Director, Howard Griffiths, agrees. “The key is to build a strong foundation of service, based on basic investigative principles – and then learn how to apply these effectively in today’s world.” When considering investigations in 2019, Griffiths confirms that his business has changed quite dramatically – most notably by the establishment of auditing firms and technology.

“If you go back 20, 30 or 40 years, you’ll find that there were no forensic auditing firms. As companies became more aware of compliance requirements, auditing firms developed forensics departments which offered the perception of ethics and morals. This shift definitely affected the pipeline for regular investigators,” he confirms. “As we’ve seen quite recently, however, auditing firms such as KPMG are being hauled over the coals for being less than honest. This has driven the reverse-shift, as big businesses turn back to their investigations firms with good reputations for integrity, and far more affordable pricing structures.”

The second key factor in the development of the industry is technology. “With the digital revolution comes not only tools to use within day-to-day investigations, but access to immense information sources from the Internet, social platforms, and digital channels,” confirms Condon. 

Griffiths agrees, confirming that modern techniques are certainly being applied in the industry. “In any investigative firm you have your on the ground investigators, but there’s another aspect now with the use of social media and the Internet. There’s a monumental amount of information that’s now (legally) available online, if you know where to look. Whether conducting Open Source Intelligence Investigations (OSINT) or Social Media Intelligence Investigations, highly skilled specialists dig into the information that’s readily available on the Internet; because people are naïve about online security. Then, of course, there’s the dark net too.”

The MDs stress the importance of traditional methods, which are still being used in the modern world. “Despite global shifts, the basic principles of investigations are the same. While there is a lot more information that’s readily available, investigators must know how to work through that information to find what’s relevant. The principles are the same, but to succeed investigators must understand the modern world, and how to apply those principles accordingly,” concludes Griffiths.  

Both Condon and Griffith’s fathers established the businesses that they are leading today, and with this rich history, they have a unique perspective on the industry. SSC was originally part of Fidelity Guards, which was established in 1962. Archie Griffiths founded Fidelity Guards with Roy McFarlan after a lifetime in intelligence, stemming from World War II and spanning positions across Africa, and Europe, including MI6. He bought out the SSC portion and ran the business until he passed in 2008, handing over the reins to his son, Howard.

Declan Condon, the founder of D&K, started his career at SSC. Although he later left the business to establish his own investigations agency, the men supported each other in developing what are now known as the longest running independent investigations companies in South Africa. Declan drew on over 43 years of law enforcement and crime fighting experience to build his business, which was taken over by Kyle (who had worked side by side with Declan for many years) when he passed away in 2013.

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D&K Boilerplate:

Established in 1993 by Declan and Kyle Condon, D&K Management Consultants is firmly entrenched as the preferred investigations and risk consultancy provider in Africa and abroad. Declan’s legacy is a wealth of investigative skills and experience, which - combined with Kyle’s vast understanding of risk analysis and security management - are applied to every case file handled by the company.

With a significant handpicked force of investigators and security specialists, D&K Management Consultants provides criminal and civil investigations on behalf of companies or individuals from every sector. The same level of discretion and dedication is afforded to each and every client, whether they are blue chip or local community. Assisting clients to operate in a hostile business environment is a D&K specialty. Criminal and civil investigations are simply the key required to unlock the door leading to successful loss control portfolios.

For more information, visit www.investigations.co.za.