Security and compliance programs are completely different than just 5-10 years ago. What companies of all sizes are expected to have, and the ways they need to continually monitor, are vastly different than when we started building and scaling security and compliance program 10 years ago.
The process and the tools have changed. Manual work in Sheets, Jira/Confluence, and other task trackers are being replaced with automated, and often AI-powered, features on platforms like Vanta. With these new platforms and features come new expectations for companies of all sizes.
If you're currently managing a homegrown program and considering a migration to s modern compliance and security automation platform, you're on the right track. At Workstreet, we've helped 100s of companies migrate manual sheets and docs programs to new, automated compliance and trust platforms. The ROI is well worth it as our customers achieve better security and compliance while being more efficient. This blog post will guide you through creating a project plan for this kind of transition.
Why Migrate to a Modern Compliance Platform?
Before diving into the project plan, let's briefly touch on why migrating to Vanta can be beneficial:
- Streamlined compliance management - automated testing and real-time evidence collection.
- Automated security monitoring and testing - a simple interface for your security teeam.
- Centralized dashboard for all compliance and security activities - a single pane of glass for compliance.
- Time and resource savings - -it's hard to imagine how efficient you can be until you try a platform that automates a large amount of your manual compliance workl.
- Improved accuracy and consistency in compliance efforts - modern platforms provide access to raw data about compliance so you have an even better paper trail.
Creating Your Project Plan
1. Assessment Phase
- Evaluate your current compliance and cybersecurity programsome text
- Conduct a review of your existing compliance processes, security measures, and documentation. This assessment will provide a clear picture of your current state and help identify areas that need improvement or modernization.
- Identify gaps and areas for improvementsome text
- Analyze the results to pinpoint weaknesses in your current program. This may include outdated processes, manual tasks that could be automated, or areas where you're not meeting industry standards or regulatory requirements.
- Document all existing processes, tools, and controlssome text
- Create an inventory of your current compliance and security landscape. This documentation will serve as a reference point for your migration project and help ensure that no critical elements are overlooked during the transition.
2. Goal Setting
- Define clear objectives for the migrationsome text
- Outline measurable goals for your migration. These objectives should align with your company's overall compliance and security strategy, such as reducing manual work, improving real-time monitoring, or achieving specific certifications.
- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure successsome text
- Identify quantifiable metrics that will help you track the progress and success of your migration. Examples might include reduction in compliance-related man-hours, decrease in security incidents, or improvement in audit readiness scores.
- Set realistic timelines for each phase of the projectsome text
- Create a detailed project plan that accounts for the complexity of each migration phase. Be sure to consider factors such as resource availability, potential roadblocks, and the learning curve associated with adopting a new platform. [Shameless plug - Workstreet develops Compliance Roadmaps and Detailed Project Plans for customers, many of which get shared internally with company executives.]
3. Stakeholder Engagement
- Identify key stakeholders across departmentssome text
- Map out all individuals and teams who will be affected by or involved in the migration to Vanta. This may include IT, security, compliance, legal, and executive leadership, as well as end-users who will interact with the new system.
- Gather input nad feedbacksome text
- Engage stakeholders to understand their needs, expectations, and potential reservations about the migration. Use these an azync tool like Slack or Google Forms to collect valuable insights that can inform your project plan and change management strategy.
- Secure buy-in from leadership and affected teamssome text
- Develop a compelling case for the migration, highlighting the benefits of Vanta and addressing any concerns raised by stakeholders. Gaining support at all levels of the organization will be crucial for the project's success and smooth adoption of the new platform. Workstreet can help build this business case as we've run many of these migrations.
4. Resource Allocation
- Determine the budget for the migrationsome text
- Estimate the total cost of the migration, including software licensing, potential hardware upgrades, training costs, and any external consulting fees. Consider both one-time expenses and ongoing costs to ensure your budget is comprehensive and realistic.
- Assign roles and responsibilities to team memberssome text
- Clearly define who will be responsible for each aspect of the migration project. This includes designating project managers, technical leads, compliance experts, and change management coordinators. Ensure each team member understands their role and has the necessary authority to carry out their tasks. This is a key step to align the resources you need with the resources you have (see below).
- Identify any need for external consultants or additional hiressome text
- Assess your team's current capabilities and determine if you need to bring in outside expertise. This might include platform specialists, GRC consultants, a vCISO like Workstreet, or temporary staff to handle increased workload during the transition.
5. Data Migration Strategy
- Catalog all data and workflows that needs to be migrated to Vantasome text
- Create a comprehensive inventory of all compliance-related data, including policies, procedures, evidence, audit logs, and historical records. This catalog will serve as a roadmap for your data migration efforts and help ensure no critical information is left behind.
- Develop a data cleaning and standardization processsome text
- Establish procedures to review, clean, and format your data before migration. This may involve removing duplicate or outdated information, standardizing data formats, and ensuring all data meets the platform requirements for import.
- Create a timeline for data transfer and validationsome text
- Develop a detailed schedule for moving data, including time for thorough validation and quality checks. Consider prioritizing critical data and planning for any necessary downtime or system freezes during the transfer process.
6. Integration Planning
- List all systems and tools that need to integrate with the compliance platformsome text
- Identify all the existing software, platforms, and tools in your technology stack that will need to connect. This may include HR systems, cloud services, development tools, and security applications.
- Prioritize integrations based on criticality and complexitysome text
- Rank your integrations based on their importance to your compliance program and the technical difficulty of implementation. This prioritization will help you focus resources on the most crucial integrations first and plan effectively for more complex integrations. We find the most important integrations are identity provider (Google or Microsoft), cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure, Vercel), version control (Github, Gitlab), and ticketing (Jira, etc.).
- Develop an integration testing plansome text
- Create a comprehensive strategy for testing each integration to ensure data flows correctly and securely between the platform and your other systems. Include both technical testing and user acceptance testing to verify that integrations meet both functional and compliance requirements. In reality, with most modern compliance platforms the integrations work exceptionally well from the start.
7. Training and Change Management
- Create a training program for all userssome text
- Develop role-specific training materials and sessions that cover both the technical aspects of using the platform and the new compliance processes it enables. Consider offering a mix of in-person workshops, online modules, and hands-on practice sessions to cater to different learning styles. This does not have to be a heavy lift. At Workstreet, we have simple training targeting different sets of users.
- Develop change management strategies to ease the transitionsome text
- Implement a structured change management plan that addresses the cultural and operational shifts required for successful adoption of the new platform. We find most of this is in the policies and procedures themselves.
8. Implementation Schedule
- Break down the migration into manageable phasessome text
- Divide the migration project into distinct, logical stages that align with your organization's priorities and resources. This phased approach allows for better control, easier tracking of progress, and the ability to adjust plans based on lessons learned from earlier phases. A simple project plan, based off a higher level roadmap, is a good starting point.
- Set clear milestones and deadlines for each phasesome text
- Define specific, measurable goals for each phase of the migration, along with realistic deadlines. These milestones will serve as checkpoints to assess progress and identify any areas that may need additional attention or resources.
- Build in buffer time for unexpected challengessome text
- Allocate extra time in your schedule to account for unforeseen issues or delays. This buffer will help maintain project momentum even when obstacles arise, and reduce stress on your team by providing flexibility in the timeline. We find that there are typically about 10% of the work that lingers.
9. Testing and Quality Assurance
- Conduct a simple internal audit and/or gap assessmentsome text
- This is a great way to assess the status of the migration and to test if all the necessary components have been moved over. It's also a good way to avoid any surprises when. you get to a 3rd party audit.
- Conduct user acceptance testing (UAT)some text
- Engage a diverse group of end-users to perform hands-on testing of the platform in a controlled environment. This UAT phase will help identify any usability issues, workflow inefficiencies, or missing features that need to be addressed before full deployment.
- Plan for a pilot phase before full rolloutsome text
- Implement the platform with a small, representative group of users or a single department before organization-wide deployment. This pilot phase allows you to gather real-world feedback, refine processes, and address any issues on a smaller scale, reducing risks for the full rollout.
10. Cut-Over and Post-Implementation
- Create a detailed go-live checklistsome text
- Develop a list of all tasks, verifications, and sign-offs required for the final cutover. This checklist should cover aspects such as data validation, system integrations, user access, and communication plans to ensure a smooth transition on go-live day.
- Establish a support system for immediate post-migration issuessome text
- Set up a dedicated support process to quickly address any issues that arise immediately after going live. Ensure this team has the necessary resources and escalation paths to resolve problems efficiently, minimizing disruption to your compliance activities.
- Plan for a retrospective to capture lessons learnedsome text
- Schedule a post-implementation review meeting to gather feedback from all stakeholders involved in the migration project. Use this retrospective to identify what went well, what could be improved, and any insights that can be applied to future compliance and / or migration projects.
Conclusion
Migrating your homegrown compliance and cybersecurity program to a modern compliance platform like Vanta is a process, but with a good project plan, you can make it a smooth transition. And the benefits of being on an automated platform will pay off significantly over time. Be flexible throughout the process, as unexpected challenges may arise. By following this approach, you'll be well on your way to leveraging the automation of the platform and other powerful features to enhance your company's compliance and security posture.
