In most organisations, compliance and risk teams are compact departments with few (or no) management layers and limited resources to deploy across a variety of projects. As small as they are, however, these teams are shouldering a hefty workload. It’s no mean feat to stay up-to-date with the latest regulations, maintain appropriate policies, manage the organisation’s changing risk landscape and educate and support employees – all while maintaining records and filing relevant documentation.
So, how do small teams achieve all this without spreading themselves so thin they become ineffective? The key, in our experience, lies in leveraging today’s technology to its fullest to extend risk/compliance team’s capabilities and influence. That means understanding how and where technology can magnify a team’s efforts to maximise efficiency and impact, while reducing the overall workload.
How Microsoft Purview supports small compliance teams
The good news is, organisations currently holding Microsoft Enterprise (E5) licences already have access to a range of potent capabilities within Microsoft Purview that can automate, simplify and manage compliance far more comprehensively. (Of course, many have yet to actually deploy this Purview functionality, leaving them sitting on a veritable goldmine of compliance productivity.)
Microsoft Purview may not have the same universal recognition as the most popular Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) tools on the market, but for today’s compliance professionals its ability to improve visibility, control and reporting can be just as game-changing as that first word processor was back in the day.
Purview’s features range from technical tools focussed on data classification and protection to user-focussed dashboards offering instant insights that enable small teams to target their efforts for maximum impact. This is supported by Purview’s compliance risk score, which explicitly highlights opportunities to improve compliance while tracking progress towards that goal.
Together, these features can be a gamechanger for small teams, not only for their ability to identify and prioritise actions to drive progress, but also for their ability to quantify the impact these small (but mighty) teams have on organisational risk reduction.
To find out more about Microsoft Purview’s Compliance Manager, download our Quick Start Guide.
How to get more from Microsoft Purview
As you may imagine, unlocking the full potential of Microsoft Purview and its Compliance Manager involves a little bit more than simply “flipping a switch”. The way you configure your deployment to support your organisation’s unique requirements and situation plays an integral role in your success.
The trouble is, agreeing on business requirements can be both tricky and time-consuming. And then you still need to translate those requirements into appropriate technical configurations (a potentially complex process).
That’s where we come in.
Our GRC experts and technical experts work as an extension of your team, helping to facilitate effective conversations between departments to expedite decision-making, and then translate those decisions into technical configurations that really work.
We can also help with knowledge transfer, equipping your team to fully leverage Purview’s compliance assessments and scoring to establish a compliance baseline and then demonstrate their tangible progress to senior stakeholders and/or the wider business.
Did you know? Our Compliance Accelerator Programme includes a monthly meeting with your steering committee/Compliance Panel to inform and educate senior stakeholders on the compliance programme and roadmap, provide guidance on best practice and facilitate quick and effective decision-making.
Having an external facilitator leading this process has proven pivotal for many of our clients, ensuring all voices are heard and questions answered while avoiding unnecessary delays caused by conflicting priorities and/or internal politics.
Small teams can achieve big things with the right tools behind them. Let’s talk about how Cloud Essentials can amplify your Compliance Team’s efforts and expedite your compliance maturity journey. Get in touch.
