Operationalising GRC: Why Technology Alone Won’t Cut It - and What Actually Delivers ROI

We are seeing increased organisational pressure to prove resilience, meet complex compliance requirements, and reduce risk exposure as fast as possible.

Many have turned to Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) platforms to manage this growing complexity. But the cold, hard truth? Technology alone won’t solve your problems.

According to Gartner’s 2024 Market Guide for Integrated Risk Management:

Over 60% of organisations report failing to achieve full business value from their GRC implementations, due to poor alignment between risk tooling and operational execution.

In other words: Buying the best GRC platform is not the same as building real risk maturity.

The Compliance Payoff: Why It’s Worth Getting Right

The data paints a compelling picture. IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 found that:

• Organisations with mature compliance programmes save on average $1.5 million per breach compared to those with minimal compliance structures.
• Companies that integrate compliance into business processes and vendor ecosystems see faster breach containment and lower regulatory penalties.

Compliance isn’t just regulatory insurance-it’s a proven cost saver.

Forrester’s research reveals that just 35% of organisations actively measure the ROI of their compliance and risk management initiatives. This means the majority lack the ability to tie security spending directly to business value, which has serious consequences.

According to ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity 2024,

42% of security leaders report that the lack of clear business justification is the primary reason for budget requests being delayed or denied.

In other words, if you can’t demonstrate value, you struggle to get funding. Cybersecurity leaders are increasingly caught between growing threat landscapes and tighter financial scrutiny, and failure to quantify the impact of security investments often leads to underfunded initiatives and reactive, rather than proactive, security postures.

Conversely, IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 found that:

Organisations with high levels of compliance automation saved an average of $1.76 million per breach compared to those with low automation. Additionally, companies with risk quantification capabilities reduced breach costs by up to 20%.

These are tangible business gains that boards and leadership can’t ignore.

Deloitte’s Global Risk Management Survey reinforces the link between mature risk management and executive confidence, noting that:

Organisations that maintain integrated risk management strategies see greater consistency in funding approvals and are more resilient during financial and operational downturns.

This also makes requesting additional cyber budgets much harder.

What is missing? Expert-Led Deployment and Managed Services

At CyberPulse, we believe the conversation has to move beyond “tool implementation” and focus on operationalisation and measurable outcomes.

Our approach is designed to ensure GRC platforms deliver continuous value-not just during audit season, but every day. Here’s how:

1️⃣ Managed Compliance Services

We take on the heavy lifting of compliance operations, guiding clients from gap analysis through to remediation and certification across standards such as ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, NIST CSF, and HIPAA.

We don't just help you tick boxes—we embed compliance into the fabric of your organisation, creating a living compliance and security programme that scales with your business and adapts to regulatory change.

2️⃣ Vendor Risk Management

Supply chain security is now a top boardroom issue. Ponemon’s 2023 Third-Party Risk Report revealed that:

“Organisations with proactive vendor risk programmes experience 30% fewer third-party breaches.”

Our service provides:

• Automated vendor onboarding & risk assessments
• Continuous monitoring of supplier risk posture
• Third-party due diligence reporting that simplifies audits and reinforces trust with customers

3️⃣ Trust Portals

Your compliance and security posture shouldn't be hidden away in spreadsheets. We help clients build Trust Portals—dynamic, self-service hubs that:

• Display up-to-date compliance statuses
• Streamline due diligence processes
• Instil confidence in partners, auditors, and clients

This transparency not only builds trust but reduces the overhead of repetitive due diligence requests.

4️⃣ Quantitative Risk Analysis & ROI Metrics

Boards and executives want to see the business value of cybersecurity investments. We provide:

• Quantitative risk analysis that prioritises initiatives based on potential business impact
• Ongoing ROI tracking that shows exactly how your compliance programme is mitigating risk and reducing potential losses

This data-driven approach enables smarter decision-making and ensures cybersecurity is always aligned with business goals.

5️⃣ Remediation Support & Continuous Optimisation

Compliance is a moving target. We partner with your internal teams to:

• Prioritise and action remediation tasks
• Provide best-practice implementation guidance
• Conduct regular compliance health checks to prevent drift and stay audit-ready

The Industry Stat Summary

• IBM: Mature compliance = $1.5M saved per breach
• Ponemon: Proactive vendor risk = 30% fewer breaches
• Forrester: GRC tools reduce compliance operational costs by up to 40%
• ISACA: 74% of companies using integrated GRC tools report better business decisions

These are not just numbers—they’re a clear signal that when done right, compliance is a strategic advantage.

The Takeaway: Make Your GRC Work Harder

Technology is just the enabler. To unlock real business value, you need a partner that delivers:

1. Expert deployment that aligns GRC tools with your unique risk profile
2. Managed compliance and vendor risk oversight to keep you ahead of threats and audits
3. Quantitative metrics and ROI tracking to prove cybersecurity’s business impact
4. Ongoing remediation support and optimisation to ensure your compliance posture stays rock-solid

Compliance and risk management are no longer back-office functions. They are critical pillars of trust, resilience, and business growth.

Is your GRC programme delivering measurable ROI? Or is it just ticking boxes? Let’s have an honest conversation about making your compliance strategy work harder- and smarter.

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