SOC 2 automation doesn’t simply make SOC 2 compliance easier, for many companies it makes compliance possible. Let’s take a quick minute to break it down.
SOC 2 is the industry gold standard for security and reliability – but is that a good enough reason to implement it? Saying ‘gold standard’ is a really big statement, we know. But there are some real important reasons as to why you need a SOC 2 report. After all, SOC 2 compliance is great to have but often a struggle to achieve. The process is tedious, time-consuming and confusing. And startups and SMMEs don’t have the resources to spend countless hours on difficult processes, with uncertain outcomes.
SOC 2 compliance automation is not just a convenience; for many companies, it’s a lifeline to achieving compliance. The value of SOC 2 certification cannot be overstated in an era where security and reliability are paramount. However, achieving SOC 2 compliance can be a challenging and resource-intensive endeavor. The process involves tedious, time-consuming, and perplexing tasks that can be overwhelming. This is precisely where SOC 2 compliance software steps in as a game-changer.
By changing the cost-benefit equation, automated compliance software empowers businesses that might otherwise struggle to implement SOC 2 protocols. The fundamental factors here are time and money. Accelerating the compliance process while reducing its cost allows companies to not only attain compliance swiftly but also gain a competitive edge and enhance their brand reputation.
Automated compliance tools encompass a comprehensive set of features that simplify the entire compliance journey, from readiness assessment to remediation and beyond.
The benefits of SOC 2 compliance automation software are substantial. Firstly, it saves time by automating the laborious task of gathering evidence and eliminates the potential for human errors, ensuring accurate reporting. Secondly, it enhances efficiency by streamlining workflow management, simplifying evidence collection, and clarifying responsibilities. Thirdly, it’s cost-effective, allowing companies to achieve more with fewer resources and reduced opportunity costs associated with manual compliance. Lastly, it provides actionable insights, enabling better data-driven decision-making and strategic planning.
While SOC 2 technology streamlines compliance processes, human expertise remains crucial for optimal outcomes. Businesses often opt for end-to-end SOC 2 advisory solutions that also come with the automated technology. This combination ensures that companies have the necessary expertise and guidance to navigate the complexities of SOC 2 compliance effectively. In essence, it’s like having a skilled pilot guiding you through the SOC 2 journey, ensuring your organization reaches its compliance destination successfully.
Changing the Cost-Benefit Equation
A manager or a business owner may appreciate the need to become SOC 2 compliant, but cost-benefit analysis might quite reasonably reveal that the company does not have the capacity to implement the protocol. To put it simply, let’s sum it up in two words: time and money. That would be a pity, as the sooner and more efficiently you can get compliant the better position you are in to seize market share and burnish your brand.
But what if you could make the entire compliance process simpler, faster and more cost-effective? Yes, you read that right! What if technology made it possible for more businesses to become compliant? Effective automated compliance tools make SOC 2 compliance a breeze. And that means your business can compete on a level playing field.
This is especially crucial for small to medium-sized businesses that might otherwise find the SOC 2 compliance process daunting or unattainable due to resource constraints.
What are Automated Compliance Tools?
At its best, audit software should provide you with the tools you need to easily and efficiently meet your objectives at every stage of the compliance process. All the way from Readiness to Remediation, and beyond.
In other words, SOC 2 automation isn’t a single process, but a comprehensive package of tools that enable a business to optimize all its compliance challenges. So. Much. Easier!
To appreciate how this works in practice, consider Scytale’s digital toolkit, developed to meet the real-world compliance challenges businesses face when implementing SOC 2.
The integrated Scytale platform includes features, such as automated evidence collection, which uses smart technology to automatically collect and verify evidence for audit. The platform collects it for you so you don’t have to…what a time saver, right ?!? There’s also an audit hub to manage workflow across the organization from a single site. Then there’s continuous, automated monitoring, through which a massively time-consuming process becomes entirely automated (and making meeting a SOC 2 Type 2 audit report much easier than ever). We’ll essentially be your eye in the sky.
There are many more features that we could detail here, but the point is this: for maximum efficiency, SOC 2 automation needs to encompass tools that cover every element of the compliance process. No less importantly, those features should work together to produce a seamless integrated SOC 2 solution. So let’s not F’ this up! Make sure everything is done correctly! As a result, your organization won’t have to sweat as much.
What are the Benefits of SOC 2 Compliance Automation Software?
Practically speaking, an advanced SOC 2 compliance automation platform transforms the way your company implements SOC 2. It’s a total makeover! Let’s see break down why automation makes businesses turn heads.
Saves you time (and frees your team to be much more productive)
Manually gathering evidence for an audit is tedious (which is bad for morale) and time-consuming (which is bad for productivity). Automation not only makes gathering evidence faster, it ensures you collect all the information you need when you need it. It’s essentially the difference between taking the elevator instead of taking the stairs.
Inbuilt error-checking
SOC 2 is all about demonstrating security and reliability. The last thing you need is mistakes in your reporting. Automation doesn’t just make the process speedier, it eliminates human error. Ok, we’re going to reiterate this one more time. You definitely don’t want to F’ this one up. Get it right the first time!
Efficiency gains
SOC 2 automation is more efficient because it’s much faster. But that’s only a small part of the story. SOC 2 technology makes managing workflow a breeze. Collating multiple sources of data becomes effortless. Responsibility is clearly assigned, so there is no duplication of effort. And much more. You don’t want to turn to your colleague and say, “Wait, I thought I was supposed to do that, you’ve got to be kidding…” We’ve all been there. It’s not fun! Not fun at all!
More cost-effective
With SOC 2 automation, you can do more, with fewer resources, in less time. It’s not just a cost-effective way to implement SOC 2; by enabling your team to focus on productive work, you don’t have to worry about the opportunity costs involved in manual compliance.
Actionable insights
SOC 2 software makes it much easier to assess and analyze how all your systems are functioning. It even highlights data points you wouldn’t have thought to look for, providing much richer and more detailed insights. This results in more effective, data-driven strategic decisions.
The Ongoing Value of Human Insight
As should be clear by now, SOC 2 technology completely transforms the compliance process, which means that any company can become SOC 2 compliant much more easily.
But even the best tools in the world won’t provide optimal outcomes if you don’t know how to use them. Or if you’re not 100% clear on your SOC 2 strategy or don’t have a good grasp of what your SOC 2 security requirements are. There’s no point in giving someone a plane, if they don’t know how to fly.
That’s why many businesses choose an end-to-end SOC 2 advisory solution that integrates with the leading compliance technology. By combining SOC 2 technology and human expertise, you can harness the best of both worlds, which ultimately ensures you are best able to meet your business goals. Think of us as your personal pilot.
