James Hardie Case Study
How VISO TRUST Turned Vendor Onboarding Into a 15-Minute Process
The Challenge: Too Many Vendors, Not Enough Time
Most companies rely on hundreds, sometimes thousands, of third-party vendors. Each one introduces a potential security risk, and many breaches now start with a vendor.
For Jeff Deakins and his team, the risk wasn’t the only problem. Vendor onboarding itself was painfully slow. What should have taken weeks often stretched into months, slowing down the business and frustrating everyone involved.
Before VISO TRUST: Manual, Slow, and Frustrating
Before adopting VISO TRUST, vendor onboarding relied on long, manual security questionnaires and follow-up calls.
The process looked like this:
- Create a 100-plus-question security questionnaire
- Send it to the vendor and wait for a response
- Chase incomplete or unclear answers
- Manually review responses and make a judgment call
This approach created several issues:
- Onboarding took five to eight weeks or more
- Responses were often unreliable
- Security teams spent too much time managing paperwork
- Business teams didn’t understand why approvals took so long
Security became the final roadblock in an already exhausting approval process
Why VISO TRUST: Automation That Actually Works
Jeff knew the process had to change. Hiring more people wasn’t the answer, and manual reviews weren’t scalable. The team needed a solution that could automate vendor risk without adding complexity.
VISO TRUST stood out because it:
- Automates vendor security assessments
- Evaluates SOC 2, ISO, and security questionnaires automatically
- Flags real risks instead of forcing manual reviews
- Provides clear visibility into which vendors have access to sensitive data
- Is easy for both security and business teams to use
Instead of slowing the business down, VISO TRUST was designed to move at the speed of the business.
Implementation: Fast Setup, No Heavy Lift
Getting started with VISO TRUST was simple. The platform was ready to use out of the box and didn’t require a dedicated full-time employee to manage it.
The team:
- Added vendors to the platform
- Uploaded security documentation
- Used VISO TRUST’s automated analysis to identify exceptions
No long implementation timelines. No complicated change management. Just a better way to manage vendor risk.
The Impact: Vendor Reviews in Minutes, Not Months
After implementing VISO TRUST, vendor onboarding time dropped dramatically.
- Reviews that once took weeks now take 10 to 15 minutes
- Risks are identified consistently and objectively
- Vendor data access is clearly documented
- The security team manages TPRM part-time, not full-time
VISO TRUST made it possible for the team to support the business quickly, without sacrificing security.
As Jeff put it: “We’re faster and more consistent.”
The Bottom Line
Vendor risk is unavoidable. Manual vendor onboarding is not.
With VISO TRUST, Jeff’s team replaced slow questionnaires and guesswork with fast, automated, and reliable third-party risk management.
The result? Stronger security, happier business teams, and vendor onboarding that finally keeps up with the pace of work.
For teams still stuck in spreadsheets and email chains, the message is clear: Automate vendor risk with VISO TRUST.
