CASE STUDY
ÉTUDE DE CAS
How Ironclad saves hundreds of hours on compliance with Vanta
Vanta helped Ironclad automate evidence collection to efficiently gain necessary security certifications, saving them hundreds of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Ironclad now has better processes for internal team members to manage and improve security, as well as a more robust security and compliance profile to share with the customers they serve.
Thanks to its partnership with Vanta that resulted in many new certifications, Ironclad is well-positioned to strategically win deals and enter new markets, ultimately positioning the company to drive more revenue.
“Using Vanta, we’ve saved hundreds of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars. The time the team spent working on audits can now be dedicated to other projects.”
The company
Simplifying the way contracts are managed
Founded in 2014 by a corporate attorney and a seasoned software engineer, the Ironclad team is on a mission to power the world’s contracts. The Ironclad platform provides all of the tools needed to handle every aspect of the contract lifecycle.
Ironclad now has millions of users from global companies such as Cisco, Zoom, L’Oréal, and OpenAI. Customers use Ironclad for contracts in legal, sales, finance, HR, marketing, procurement, and more.
Because Ironclad handles legally-binding private contracts, the company has focused on a robust security framework from the start. A continued commitment to security and compliance led the team to Vanta, which helped them overcome manual, time-consuming compliance processes. Thanks to this partnership, Ironclad is able to save time and money as they grow without compromising quality.
The challenge
Manual and time-consuming compliance processes hindered security program’s growth
As Ironclad grew, the team needed to strengthen their security posture so that they could expand their customer base. They knew that customers, especially those in finance and healthcare, would have high expectations and demand more frameworks and requirements.
With security as a top priority, Ironclad was already SOC 2 Type II compliant. In early 2022, they sought to streamline and achieve ISO 270001 certification, and expand to ISO 27017, 27018, and 27701. They were slowed down, however, by manual and time-consuming processes.
For example, the process for evidence collection for existing frameworks was cumbersome, as the team was dropping evidence requests into a folder then linking it to a spreadsheet. This process needed to be repeated every year. Not only was it manual work for the team, but it prevented them from making valuable contributions elsewhere, like supporting the revenue team.
“Prior to using Vanta, we had all of our controls listed in a spreadsheet and we were dropping all of the evidence requests into a Google Drive folder and linking to it in the spreadsheet. It was very manual, very time consuming, and we had to do it every year for every framework," says Nicole.
The solution
An all-in-one trust management platform enabling automation, cross-mapping, and continuous monitoring
The team knew there was a way to streamline and improve their compliance processes as they sought ISO certifications. They partnered with Vanta with the goal to improve efficiency, save time, and support revenue growth.
Using Vanta’s trust management platform, the Ironclad team was able to automate evidence collection and streamline certifications across multiple frameworks. In their first year with Vanta, Ironclad successfully achieved their ISO 27001 certification. By spring 2023, they expanded their certifications to include ISO 27017, 27018, and 27701. Having a strong security posture is critical, especially as the company releases new AI products like Jurist - its conversational chatbot which allows legal teams to do research, draft, and review pertinent legal documents.
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Vanta’s ease of use, automation depth, and pre-built integrations and frameworks allowed them to scale compliance efforts without increasing headcount, saving significant time and costs.
By automating evidence collection for audits and for vendor risk management, Ironclad not only achieved multiple certifications but also redirected valuable resources towards revenue-generating activities, positioning themselves for continued growth in regulated industries.
The impact
Increased efficiency and poised for future revenue growth
By securing multiple certifications with the help of Vanta, Ironclad is positioned to win more deals in new markets by being an industry leader when it comes to security and compliance. The team also saw major gains in internal efficiency, saving hundreds of hours that can now be devoted to direct revenue support.
Ironclad has significantly improved compliance efficiency and organization, saving the team time, supporting revenue growth, and reducing the need for additional headcount with Vanta’s automated compliance capabilities. But working with Vanta has done more than streamline and scale compliance processes—it allows the Ironclad team to move quickly when it comes to being ahead of the curve with security and compliance, which bolsters trust with customers.
“At Ironclad, we pride ourselves on having an industry-leading security and compliance posture, which is also really important to our customers. Having this world-class security approach helps establish that trust and lets customers know they’re in good hands,” says Nicole.
As the company has many customers in highly-regulated industries, they can easily show that their practices go above and beyond when it comes to established standards, which helps the company build trust and win new customers.
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“Vanta addressed our challenges with evidence collection. I no longer needed to bother my team for information or to complete tasks. The Vanta team also helped us understand what evidence was needed so I knew who to go to internally or what document I was looking for. This streamlined the whole process for everyone.”
“Vanta enabled our teams to be very efficient, focus on other priorities, and minimize the work and time that we're spending on audits while remaining compliant.”
