One of the most common complaints we hear from engineering teams post-purchase is: "I thought this tool would do everything. Why am I still taking screenshots?"
The answer lies in the nature of compliance frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. They are not just technical standards; they are organizational standards.
While a tool can easily verify if "AWS S3 buckets are private" (Technical Control), it has no way to verify if "The Board of Directors met to discuss risk" (Governance Control).
The Automation Ceiling
Realistically, even the best platforms (Vanta, Drata, Secureframe) hit an "Automation Ceiling" at around 60-70% of the total control set.
The remaining 30-40% are "Human Process Controls" that require manual evidence collection.
Where the Manual Work Lives
If you are buying a tool to save time, you need to know exactly where the time savings stop. Here are the areas that will still require manual drag-and-drop uploads:
- HR & People: Background check PDFs, org charts, job descriptions.
- Governance: Meeting minutes for Board meetings, Risk Committee, and Security Steering Committee.
- Physical Security: Visitor logs, office floor plans, badge access reports (unless you have a rare physical security integration).
- Vendor Management: Reviewing SOC 2 reports from your vendors and documenting your approval.
The "Workflow Friction" Test
Since you will be doing manual work, evaluate the tool's Manual Evidence Workflow during the demo.
- Is it easy to drag-and-drop a PDF?
- Can you tag a colleague to upload it for you?
- Does it remind you next year when the document expires?
For more on evaluating tool workflows, see our Consultant's Guide to Decision Making.
Summary for Buyers
Do not buy a tool expecting "Zero Touch" compliance. Buy a tool that automates the technical 70% so you can focus your limited energy on the manual 30%.
If a sales rep promises "100% automation," ask them: "How does your API read my Board Meeting minutes?"