How do I run vendor risk management without a full-time risk team?
Sober and rhythm-driven works. Three tiers (critical, important, small), per tier a questionnaire weight, and an annual review of the top 10 by spend. That covers 80 percent of risk for 5 percent of the effort of a heavy framework.
Try this first
- 1Classify vendors into three tiers: critical (access to customer data or payment flows), important (operational but not critical), small (small licenses without sensitive data).
- 2For critical: request DPA, SOC 2 or ISO 27001, sub-processor list, security whitepaper, annual review.
- 3For important: lighter check, focus on DPA and exit clause, review every two years.
- 4For small: just DPA and invoice, log in your GDPR record, check yearly against the list.
When to bring us in
If you need a lightweight vendor-risk template that fits an SMB, we can build it with you.
See also
- New hire has an account but cannot reach Outlook or TeamsAn M365 account without a license is an empty shell. Assigning takes a few clicks, but picking the right plan pays off long-term.
- Employee left, but their email must be retainedPulling the license straight away starts a 30-day timer on the mailbox. The right route keeps access to the mail without paying for the license.
- We pay for licenses nobody usesBetween leavers, duplicate plans, and test accounts there is often 10-20% wasted license spend. A usage report exposes it fast.
None of the above fits?
Describe your situation below. We pass your input plus the steps you already saw to our AI and return tailored next-step advice. If it's too risky to DIY, we'll say so.
Or skip the DIY entirely
Our Managed IT clients do not look these things up. One point of contact, a fixed monthly price, resolved within working hours.