The Essential Journey to TPRM Maturity: SureCloud’s 7-Stage Model

In today’s interconnected business landscape, third-party partnerships are essential but bring increased risks that can affect both operational continuity and compliance. According to industry insights, nearly half of third-party risks remain undiscovered until after onboarding, underscoring the importance of a mature third-party risk management (TPRM) program.

The journey to a mature TPRM program is best approached as a series of strategic stages. Each stage progressively builds your organization’s capabilities in identifying, assessing, and mitigating third-party risks—ensuring that risks are managed proactively, not reactively.

Here’s a brief look at the stages covered in SureCloud’s model:

• Stage 0 – Identifying Needs
Organizations new to TPRM often start here, recognizing the need for a structured approach but without established processes.

• Stage 1 – Getting Started
At this point, TPRM activities are likely ad hoc, carried out on a departmental level without a unified framework or consistent processes.

• Stage 3 – Walking
Formalization of the TPRM program begins here, and processes are set up for assessing and tiering vendors based on risk.

• Stage 5 – Running
A dedicated TPRM team, supported by automation and continuous monitoring, handles more sophisticated, centralized assessments.

For a full breakdown of each stage and actionable guidance on progressing through the journey, the whitepaper dives deep into each phase, offering insights to strengthen your program at any stage.

A mature TPRM program isn’t just a regulatory requirement; it’s a strategic advantage. Effective third-party risk management enhances data security, builds resilience, and safeguards compliance—benefits that ripple across the organization.

As organizations climb the TPRM maturity ladder, they move from a reactive approach to proactive risk management. A mature program includes continuous monitoring, automated assessments, and a unified TPRM strategy integrated with broader risk and compliance objectives.