Case Study: Software Company Enhanced Audit Efficiency With GRC Automation Tool
Client Background
A software and services company with approximately 900 employees that uses automated powered technology to provide supply chain and third-party risk management solutions
The Situation
The company operates multiple cloud-based business units, each requiring rigorous security compliance across various frameworks such as System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2® and ISO/IEC 27001 (ISO 27001).
The company manages ongoing compliance efforts for a growing portfolio of applications, navigating a complex audit environment with overlapping requirements. Their governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) team is relatively lean, operating in a fast-paced environment where audit activities occur year-round, leaving little downtime between engagements.
Challenges arose around managing multiple audits across different security frameworks, which led to audit fatigue among internal teams responsible for controls and processes. The manual evidence collection through spreadsheets and email was inefficient and increased the risk of errors.
Communication with multiple audit teams was fragmented, causing delays and confusion. Additionally, coordinating audit periods and aligning requirements across frameworks created operational strain.
The company sought to streamline its GRC operations, reduce manual workload, and enhance audit efficiency to better support customer and regulatory expectations.
The Solution & Results
The firm’s advisors worked proactively to streamline the company’s audit processes with a thorough assessment of workflows and utilizing the GRC tool’s integrations to automate and enhance evidence collection. By establishing centralized communication channels, audit team were able to better coordinate and synchronize audit schedules to reduce disruptions.
Hands-on training and ongoing support also empowered the company’s GRC team to fully leverage the tool’s capabilities and sustain compliance improvements.
The company used the GRC tool to address audit challenges, providing multiframework audit services. These include strategic planning, project management, and a consolidated audit team to coordinate SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other framework audits.
This process enabled the company to unify more than 10 frameworks into a single control framework, automate evidence collection through system integrations, such as with HR systems, and centralize audit communications and documentation in a single hub.
These solutions helped the firm streamline audit processes, reduce the burden on internal teams, and improve transparency throughout audit periods.
Centralized evidence management and policy repositories simplified auditor access and reduced repetitive communications. The single audit team approach reduced disruptions by consolidating meetings and walkthroughs, enabling the firm to maintain business continuity while fulfilling compliance obligations efficiently.
The firm’s GRC-trained professionals also utilized the tool to collect evidence and reduce time-consuming manual collection processes.
The company enhanced its ability to scale its GRC program and meet customer expectations with greater confidence and less operational strain.
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