Staying Compliant With Third-Party Vendors

Small teams rarely have time to monitor every clause or data promise. Yet regulators and customers will still hold you accountable. Here’s how to keep vendor risk visible without building a compliance department.

Risk radar in one page

Review the table monthly with your vendor and sponsor. Green items stay, amber/red get action owners.

Compliance reminders

• Keep signed DPAs, SLAs, and audit certificates in one shared folder
• Ask for proof of security or continuity tests once per quarter
• Log any breaches or near misses immediately—even if they were fixed

Have an exit plan before you need it

1. List all assets the vendor holds (source code, credentials, documentation).
2. Set a calendar reminder to check that those assets are up to date.
3. Agree on what 30/60/90-day transition support looks like if you terminate.
4. Capture all this in a one-page “exit playbook” you can send to executives.

When to call us

If you struggle to get evidence from the supplier, or you have to brief legal/compliance with zero notice, bring us in. We build the risk register, chase the proof, and prepare your exit playbook so you can answer any “what if” question calmly.