GRC Readiness – The 5 Questions Every Organisation Must Ask Before Selecting a Platform

Before investing in a Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) platform, organisations need to pause and evaluate their readiness.

Regulators such as APRA, under CPS 220 and CPS 230, expect organisations to maintain reliable Risk Management Information Systems (RMIS). However, technology alone does not guarantee better risk oversight. A platform implemented without assessing readiness, risks under-delivering, wasting investment, and creating compliance gaps.

A GRC Readiness Assessment helps organisations align their operating model, ownership structures, integration needs, and change capability before committing to a system — maximising return on investment and strengthening decision-making.  Here are our top 5 questions to ask before you invest in a GRC system.

1. What Problem Are We Actually Trying to Solve?

Many organisations invest in GRC platforms without a clear understanding of the problem they are trying to solve. Is the priority regulatory reporting, audit efficiency, enterprise risk visibility, or incident management?

Providing GRC vendors with a list of your requirements is not defining the problem you are trying to solve. Yes it will help – but the ‘functional requirements’ are the results of an in depth needs analysis.

Why it matters:

Without clarity, organisations often purchase overly complex systems with features they don’t need, or they fail to solve core gaps. This leads to underused technology, frustrated users, and poor adoption. By defining the problem upfront, organisations can target match-fit solutions that truly add value.

2. Are Our Processes, Governance, and Data GRC Ready?

A GRC platform amplifies the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes and governance structures. If workflows are inconsistent, controls are poorly defined, or data quality is unreliable, automation will not fix the underlying problems.

• The risk and compliance framework should be robust and have an operating rhythm.
• People should understand the fundamentals of risk management.
• The risk culture must be alive and well.

Why it matters:

Platforms rely on accurate, standardised data to provide insights. Investing in technology without process and data readiness can produce misleading reports, compliance gaps, and lost trust with regulators and boards. A readiness assessment ensures that your frameworks, controls, and data are fit-for-purpose, giving the platform a foundation to deliver measurable business value.

3. Who Will Own and Sustain the GRC Platform?

Ownership is critical for long-term GRC success. We’ve seen ownership range from the company secretary to the risk officer to the IT manager. Assigning responsibility solely to IT or a single department risks poor adoption, missed updates, and fragmented oversight. GRC itself aims to breakdown silos.  A clearly defined governance model ensures accountability for system administration, workflow management, and user support.

Why it matters:

Without business ownership, the platform becomes a compliance checkbox rather than a decision-making tool. Identifying owners across risk, compliance, and audit functions ensures ongoing maintenance, process alignment, and active use – enabling the system to deliver insights consistently and reliably.

4. How Will the GRC Platform Integrate with Existing Systems?

Organisations often have multiple tools: HR systems, incident management platforms, policy libraries, and reporting tools. A GRC platform that cannot integrate with these systems creates silos and duplicate work. Sure, some organisations don’t need full integration, but if you do, integration and security becomes a big issue.

Why it matters:

Integration is essential for real-time visibility and accurate reporting. By mapping existing systems and defining integration points upfront, organisations can streamline workflows, reduce manual work, and provide the board with a single source of truth for governance, risk, and compliance information.

5. Are We Ready for Change?

Even the best platform will fail if users are resistant to change. Implementing a GRC system often requires a cultural shift – from manual reporting and siloed ownership to automated workflows, shared accountability, and transparent reporting.

Why it matters:

Without leadership support and a change management strategy, adoption will be slow, processes inconsistent, and the system underused. Assessing organisational readiness for change ensures that training, communication, and engagement strategies are in place to make adoption smooth, sustainable, and effective.

Key Takeaway

In practice, organisation will have more questions to answer, but this is our recommended starting point.

A GRC platform is only as effective as the organisation using it. Readiness assessment prevents wasted investment, poor adoption, and regulatory gaps. Organisations that answer these questions before selecting a platform position themselves for real value creation — aligning people, processes, and technology.

How InConsult Bridges the Gap

Want your GRC system to deliver real value? Discover InConsult’s GRC Assurance and Optimisation services.

Our GRC Readiness assessment prevents wasted investment, poor adoption, and regulatory gaps. Organisations that answer these questions before selecting a platform position themselves for real value creation.

Bring people, systems and processes together to better manage risk and compliance, contact us to discuss your GRC needs.