Governance Readiness Review

Turn Compliance Into a
Commercial Advantage

Build the policies, controls and evidence trails needed for ISO 27001, SOC 2 or Cyber Essentials — before an enterprise deal depends on it. Fixed scope, clear deliverables, no surprises.

✓ Fixed scope & price✓ No certification promises✓ Framework-aligned
Engagement Snapshot
Duration6–12 weeks
InvestmentFrom €12,000
Deliverables6 documents
FrameworksISO 27001 · SOC 2 · CE
Why It Matters Now

Governance Is Now a Sales Issue

Enterprise buyers, financial sector clients and healthcare organisations now routinely send security questionnaires before signing contracts. Without documented governance, deals stall.

📋

Enterprise Questionnaires

SIG, CAIQ and proprietary vendor assessments ask for documented policies, risk registers and evidence of controls — not just verbal assurances.

🔒

Procurement Requirements

Public sector, financial services and healthcare procurement increasingly mandate ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials from all technology suppliers in their chain.

💼

Investor Due Diligence

Series A and B investors now expect security governance evidence as part of technical due diligence — undocumented risk stalls funding rounds.

⚖️

NIS2 & GDPR

The NIS2 Directive and GDPR both require organisations to implement appropriate security measures. Documentation is how you demonstrate compliance.

How It Works

The Governance Readiness Sprint

A structured engagement that builds your governance foundation — or fills the gaps in what you already have.

01

Gap Assessment

We review your current documentation, controls and practices against your target framework and produce a prioritised gap report showing exactly what’s missing.

02

Scope Definition

We define the boundary of your Information Security Management System — the systems, data, people and processes in scope. This determines everything that follows.

03

Risk Register

We build a documented risk register identifying your highest-priority security risks with treatment decisions and ownership assigned to named individuals.

04

Policies & Controls

We write and tailor the policies your framework requires — information security, access control, data classification, incident response, business continuity and vendor management.

05

Evidence & Audit Trail

We design the evidence trails auditors and enterprise buyers actually ask to see — access logs, training records, review minutes and change approval records.

06

Readiness Report

A final assessment against your target framework with a clear list of what remains before you engage a certification body — no guesswork.

What You Receive

Six Deliverables. Fully Yours.

Every document is written for your organisation — not generic templates. Formatted for both internal use and external questionnaire responses.

1
Information Security Policy Suite

Parent policy plus supporting documents: access control, data classification, acceptable use, incident response.

2
Risk Register & Treatment Plan

Documented risks with likelihood/impact scoring, treatment decisions and named owners.

3
Controls Implementation Record

Technical and process controls mapped to framework requirements with evidence references.

4
Incident Response Plan

Documented plan for breaches and critical failures with tested communication templates.

5
Vendor Risk Register

Critical suppliers assessed by data access and criticality with controls documented.

6
Certification Readiness Report

Final gap assessment with a clear list of what remains before formal audit.

Typical Governance Gap at Engagement Start
Information Security Policy
25%
Access Controls
40%
Risk Documentation
15%
Incident Response
20%
Vendor Management
10%

Based on common patterns across SME engagements. Actual scores vary by organisation.

Is This For You?

Who This Works Best For

✓ Great fit if you are…
  • A SaaS company losing enterprise deals to security questionnaires you cannot fully answer
  • Preparing for ISO 27001, SOC 2 or Cyber Essentials certification
  • Going through investor due diligence and asked for security governance evidence
  • Entering financial services, healthcare or public sector markets
  • A founder who knows governance matters but isn’t sure where to start
✗ Not the right service if you need…
  • Formal certification — conducted by accredited bodies, not Plotwise Digital
  • Penetration testing or technical vulnerability scanning
  • Legal or regulatory compliance advice (we are not solicitors)
  • An ongoing managed security service (MSSP)
Investment

Fixed-Scope Pricing

Scope and price agreed before work starts. No hourly billing. No surprises.

Cyber Essentials Ready
From €8,000
4–6 weeks
  • Gap assessment vs CE requirements
  • 5 control area documentation
  • Access control & patch review
  • Self-assessment questionnaire support
  • Certification readiness report
Get Started
SOC 2 Readiness
From €20,000
10–16 weeks
  • SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria mapping
  • Full ISMS + SOC 2 controls
  • Evidence collection framework
  • Auditor-ready documentation pack
  • Gap report vs SOC 2 Type I criteria
Get Started

Pricing based on company size and documentation maturity. Book a free scoping call →

FAQ

Common Questions About Governance Readiness

Can Plotwise Digital certify us for ISO 27001?

No — formal certification is conducted by accredited certification bodies. Plotwise Digital prepares you by building the policies, controls, risk register and evidence so that when you engage a certifier, you are ready to pass. This significantly reduces your certification cost and time.

What is the difference between ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials?

Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed baseline covering five technical controls — takes weeks to prepare. ISO 27001 is a full international standard for information security management — takes months. We help with both, starting with whichever is blocking your deals.

Do we need governance even without pursuing certification?

Yes. Enterprise buyers send security questionnaires before signing contracts regardless of your certification status. Having documented policies, a risk register and evidence of controls allows you to answer confidently and close deals.

How long does ISO 27001 readiness take?

Typically 8–12 weeks depending on your starting point and company size. Companies with no existing documentation take longer; those with partial controls move faster. Timeline is agreed and fixed upfront.

What happens after the sprint?

The sprint delivers you to audit-ready state. We can provide advisory support during the certification body’s audit process — reviewing findings and helping close minor gaps. This is scoped separately.

Is this available for companies outside Ireland?

Yes. All engagements are conducted remotely. We work with companies across Ireland, Europe and beyond.

Ready to Become Governance-Ready?

Start with a free 30-minute governance review. We’ll assess your current posture and give you an honest view of what readiness would take for your business.

Book Free Governance Review View All Services

Plotwise Digital provides readiness assessments, gap reviews and operational health checks. Formal certifications are conducted by accredited certification bodies. Examples are illustrative. Results vary by organisation.