29 Jul 2021

SureCloud, a provider of IT governance, risk, and compliance (IT GRC) cloud-based solutions, has launched an innovative go-to-market approach for its customers to help simplify and de-risk their investment in IT GRC.

The new approach has been devised as a response to typical industry pain points, such as failed implementations and additional, unforeseen services costs, that make investments in GRC technology risk for customers who find it almost impossible to ‘futureproof’ their solution of choice.

Ongoing configuration changes

SureCloud, which has served the IT GRC market since 2014, has opted to completely remove the heavy up-front costs usually associated with GRC software implementation and ongoing configuration changes. Instead, customers will have the freedom to focus on what they want their solution to do rather than worry about how many professional service days to purchase.

Typically, a GRC software provider will charge an annual license fee and layer implementation and ongoing configuration services on top as an additional cost, often partnering with a third party to implement their solutions. This approach can put pressure on customers to get the implementation right ‘first time’, leading to a tendency to overload the initial project with functionality that ‘might’ be needed in the future. This can result in overcomplicated designs, which can have a high risk of failure in an operational environment.

Changing business environment

GRC solutions often need adapting over time to meet the changing business environment

Moreover, GRC solutions often need adapting over time to meet the changing business environment, and the requirement for ongoing configuration changes after the initial implementation can present unexpected and unbudgeted costs to the customer.

Recognising these challenges, SureCloud, which has its own in-house team of implementation experts, has opted to no longer charge customers for its implementation and ongoing configuration services. Over the course of their subscription, customers benefit from a fully configurable solution without having to secure budget increases or be blindsided by unexpected costs. And they get a fully aligned GRC technology partner incentivised to ensure a smooth and successful implementation. 

Making right decisions

Feedback from customers reveals that our new approach gives them the certainty of running costs, enabling them to demonstrate what a continual run rate looks like without unpredictable spikes in additional services,” says Nick Rafferty, SureCloud’s COO and Co-Founder.

And by not charging for implementation services, customers can be driven by timescales that are closely aligned with the delivery of outcomes, rather than resource costs and a tendency to over-scope the initial implementation. This means that they can focus on the end game and make the right decisions for their business.”