Case Study: Wendy's streamlines SOX controls and audits with Workiva

Wendy’s Streamlines SOX Controls and Audits With Workiva’s Integrated Risk Solutions

Wendy’s, a global quick-service restaurant chain generating nearly $1.9 billion in revenue, needed to modernize SOX and audit processes under Chief Audit Executive Melissa Clawson, who manages hundreds of controls and 300+ franchises. Audit workpapers, narratives, test programs, and findings lived in disconnected files and spreadsheets, creating heavy manual updates, inconsistent control descriptions, and time-consuming certification and reminder workflows.

Wendy’s implemented Workiva’s integrated controls and audit management platform (already used for SEC reporting) to automate control-description updates with linked documents, enable automated certifications and reminders, and apply built-in analytics. The result: reduced administrative burden, real-time tracking and dashboards for certifications and control status, faster auditor reliance on live documentation, and freed capacity to expand operational and franchise audits and targeted testing.

Wendy’s

Melissa Clawson

Chief Audit Executive