Vendor review without the expired certificate surprise.
Most vendor reviews live in email until an auditor asks for the record. This template structures the cycle from questionnaire to archive with four approval gates that make the audit trail the audit trail.
For compliance & procurement teams. No credit card. First run in under a minute.
Vendor Review #VCR-0092
Acme Cloud Storage · Annual review · 4 gates before archive
- Vendor questionnaire100%ComplianceSLA 7d
- Certificate reviewComplianceEvidence
- Security controlsComplianceApproval gate
- Data handling assessmentBLOQUEADAPrivacy
- Legal reviewBLOQUEADALegalApproval gateDep. pendente
- Risk scoringBLOQUEADACompliance LeadApproval gateDep. pendente
- Archive vendor recordBLOQUEADAComplianceApproval gateDep. pendente
Opinion
What we cut. And what we kept.
This template is opinionated, not exhaustive. Exhaustive is why vendor reviews get postponed.
Cut
- Annual questionnaires nobody follows up on.
- Certificate expiry tracked in a separate spreadsheet.
- Legal review after the vendor is already live.
- Renewal tracking via calendar reminder.
Kept
- Four approval gates create the audit trail.
- Security controls validated before legal review.
- Archive step with expiry date built in.
- Risk scoring from Compliance lead before close.
What this template includes
Process steps
- 1Send vendor questionnaire and document collection request (certifications, insurance)
- 2Review returned certificates: ISO 27001, SOC 2, cyber liability insurance
- 3Validate security controls against internal policy, Compliance gate
- 4Assess data handling practices and subprocessor agreements
- 5Legal or privacy review of contractual terms, Legal gate
- 6Risk scoring and final approval by Compliance lead, Compliance gate
- 7Archive vendor record with expiry date for renewal tracking, sign-off gate
Why teams use this template
Vendor reviews fail not because of a lack of intent, but because the process lives in inboxes. Requests go unanswered, certifications expire without anyone noticing, and when an auditor asks for the record, there isn't one.
This template structures the entire vendor review cycle, from initial questionnaire to archive, with four approval gates that create a defensible paper trail. When the next audit arrives, you open one record instead of hunting through email.
Ready to run this process?
Open this template in Cadenio, customize the fields and approvals for your context, and run it for the first time in under 60 seconds.
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