For Technology Leaders

Prepare for an upcoming technology audit assessment or certification (ISO/SOC 2)

Navigating an audit, assessment or certification can be overwhelming. Whether you’re aiming for ISO 27001, SOC 2 or another industry standard certification, preparation is key.

As a CIO, CTO, or IT Manager, you’re tasked with ensuring the process runs smoothly, and that business operations don’t suffer while the certification process is underway.

StackUp provides a comprehensive report on your entire technology function in hours, not weeks – enabling you to make informed decisions, and prepare on your terms before incurring the cost and expense of other formal certifications:
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30-minute assessment to uncover hidden dangers and opportunities
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Comprehensive, unbiased report delivered in under 24 hours
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Gain clear insights that lay the groundwork for future certification
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Navigating an upcoming audit, assessment or certification can be overwhelming

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Audits are high pressure, with risks to reputation and operations

Certifications & audits demand evidence of your organisation's commitment to security, compliance, and operational excellence. Without preparation, you risk delays, audit failures, or reputational damage. Proper planning and readiness set you up for success and demonstrate credibility to clients, partners, and stakeholders.

Unidentified gaps in technology foundations

Foundational gaps in technology mean that more advanced certification governance and compliance elements become harder to implement.

Resource constraints

You have limited resources, regardless of the amount of simultaneous work required to complete the certification, while maintaining operations. Overwhelmed teams can cause disruption and risk for both the compliance process, and regular workflows.

Repeated client supplier due diligence requests

Different clients requesting variations on the same information repeatedly as there’s no standard report you can provide them, takes valuable time and attention off certification preparation.

Without StackUp

Traditional technology audit preparation:
Expensive, stressful and last minute
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Go it alone

Relying entirely on your experience can miss critical gaps, especially in unfamiliar disciplines. This can delay or put at risk the entire certification process, and place undue pressure on your team creating operational dangers.

Hire a consultant

High calibre consultants are useful – and you’ll often require them to guide you through the ISO 27001 or SOC 2 process. If you engage them before your technology foundations are solid though, you are likely to incur large and avoidable expenses.

How StackUp helps you succeed

Get prepared with a clear, actionable plan that saves time and reduces stress
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Save time

StackUp’s comprehensive assessment takes less than 30 minutes so you’re not wasting weeks understanding your organisation’s technology fundamentals, freeing up your valuable time to drive improvements.

A comprehensive, unbiased report to identify blind spots

Most technology leaders are stronger in some areas than others (eg a leader from a software development background may be great at innovation, but not networking or risk management, another may be great at security, but not vendor management or staff & training). StackUp helps address this, as its 50 specific questions and algorithm are comprehensive and cover the entirety of the technology function including:
  • Data Security & Privacy
  • Innovation & Strategy
  • Staff & Training
  • Technology Performance
  • Cloud & Network
  • Risk Management
  • Policies & Procedures
  • Vendor Management

Effective resource allocation

The report identifies hidden dangers the organisation may not have been previously aware of and opportunities for improvement including cyber risks, cost savings and innovation improvements. It also helps you prioritise these issues, so you can allocate resources appropriately, and resolve them in advance of certification exercises.

Confidence and focus

With strong technology foundations in place, your team will have the time and resources to focus on executing a smooth certification process.

Get started free, in under 10 minutes

You don’t need to prepare anything, just answer the questions based on your current understanding. You’ll be emailed your personalised free report and a sample of the comprehensive StackUp report.

It's fast, free and confidential.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the challenges of starting a new role – we’ve got your back.
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Case studies

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Telecommunications Organisation

Identified 5 critical issues, and 15 improvements they added directly into their roadmap within 24 hours.
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Cybersecurity Organisation

Identified 2 critical issues, and saved over $20,000 annually.
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Hospitality Organisation

Identified 3 cyber security risks that could have broken the business.
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SaaS Organisation

Prepared for seamless technology due diligence in advance of acquisition.
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What our clients are saying

The insights and recommendations on where our technology needed improvement were so clear & useful we fed them directly into our backlog for actioning.
Andrew Smith, CTO at Launtel

Andrew Smith

CTO @ Launtel

StackUp helped us identify critical risks in our tech infrastructure, including future obstacles to scaling. They provided clear priorities to mitigate those risks - essential in securing our technology and ensuring we’re prepared for growth and corporate engagements.
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Dhruv Jolly

Founder & CEO @ TapOnn

A really helpful product to give context to CEOs, CTOs and Founders to validate where they are up to and where they can improve.
Mark Lynch

Mark Lynch

CTO & Founder @ Learnosity

StackUp provided us with invaluable insights helping us to identify opportunities for improvement. The recommendations in the report along with the insights and verification service have been a game changer for driving our tech strategy forward.
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Cody Harmon

Founder & CEO @ Cruz

You don’t know what you don’t know even when you are the best in your game, StackUp's assessment unveiled crucial blind spots and areas for enhancement. The report's clarity and depth provided us with valuable, actionable insights for continuous improvement
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Ajay Unni

Founder & CEO @ StickmanCyber

We're a scaleup focused on rapid innovation and feature development. StackUp helped us find opportunities to make our offering more robust without sacrificing speed.
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Rafael Niesten

Co-Founder @ Proptech Labs

Preparing for our next fundraise, StackUp's report identified critical areas for improvement and independent validation of our strengths. The insights and verification service provided tailored advice to revise our strategy and enabled us to approach future investment discussions with confidence. Strongly recommend these guys.
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David Hayes

CEO @ Babeltext

The StackUp assessment is comprehensive and fast. It provided insights enabling us to uplift our technology quickly.
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Justus Hammer

Co-Founder & CEO @ Mad Paws

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You're in good company

FAQs

What makes StackUp different?

StackUp provides a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of technology and technology function processes, including strategy, employee engagement, service delivery, and innovation—not just security and compliance.

Our platform provides human-led, actionable insights, and supports informed decision making at every level, from Technology Leaders, to C-Level Executive to Board Members and Investors.

What if my technology leader makes a mistake on the assessment or doesn't know all the answers?

The assessment is designed to support accurate submissions regardless of knowledge level with "Don't Know" options ensuring no one feels pressured to guess.

This gap in knowledge being identified is valuable - a gap in knowledge which can be addressed through our insights and recommendations.

Who can benefit from using StackUp?

Technology leaders, C-level executives, board members and venture capital and private equity investors from companies of all sizes will find value in StackUp. It’s especially beneficial for those looking to identify areas for improvement, justify budget requests, and enhance overall technology performance.

How secure is our data with StackUp?

We employ robust security measures to ensure that all user data is encrypted, securely stored, and only accessible by authorised personnel. For any comparative purposes, all data is aggregated and anonymised to protect your privacy and confidentiality.

Will StackUp's assessment identify a bunch of problems that are going to cost a fortune and take ages to fix?

StackUp's assessment will identify any gaps in the fundamental technology health of your organisation.

However, most of these problems are relatively fast and cost effective to fix, and have an enormously positive impacts on the organisation: risk reduction, cost reduction, efficiency improvements, security improvements etc.

The StackUp algorithm provides a prioritised list of items to improve so you don't have to boil the ocean - tackle one high priority item at a time and resubmit to track your improvement. You can do this internally, or leverage our independent network of specialist suppliers.

The assessment is balanced - so it also highlights areas that are performing well and that should be celebrated.

How does StackUp relate to SOC 2, ISO, and other certifications and frameworks?

StackUp complements frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO by providing a broader perspective on technology maturity.

While certifications focus on meeting compliance and security standards, StackUp bridges the gap between compliance and excellence.

It helps organisations prepare for certifications by identifying areas that need improvement and offering actionable recommendations, making the certification process smoother and more efficient.

For certified organisations, StackUp delivers additional value through benchmarking, tailored insights, and practical guidance aligned with business goals.

By fostering continuous improvement, innovation, and scalability, StackUp enhances the value of certifications and aligns technology capabilities with broader business objectives.

While it does not replace formal certifications, it strengthens the foundation for achieving and maintaining them.

What does "entire technology function" mean?

The "entire technology function" refers to all the components and responsibilities that a technology leader (CTO, CIO, IT Manager) typically oversees. StackUp evaluates key areas that make up your organisation's digital capabilities, including:

  • Innovation and Strategy
  • Staff and Training
  • Cloud and Network
  • Data Security and Privacy
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Risk Management
  • Vendor Management
  • Technology Performance

This encompasses IT infrastructure, end-user computing, software development, application support, cybersecurity, data management, project management, and technology-driven innovation.

Technology leaders often excel in certain areas while encountering challenges in others.

StackUp identifies hidden risks, highlights opportunities for improvement, and helps align your organisation's digital operations with broader business goals. In essence, the technology function is the backbone that supports your organisation’s ability to innovate, scale, and perform effectively in a competitive environment.

Why should I use StackUp if my technology function is already performing well or if I am already addressing a few known issues?

Even if your technology function is performing well or you are actively working on a few known issues, StackUp helps you verify and showcase your excellence. By benchmarking against industry best practices and peers, you can uncover hidden strengths, validate your strategies, and gain certification that highlights your leadership.

StackUp also identifies 'unknown unknowns'—potential risks or opportunities you may not have considered—ensuring you stay ahead of the competition and continuously improve. Every technology leader is on a journey of improvement. While you may excel in areas like software development or cloud infrastructure, there may be gaps in others, such as data privacy or training. StackUp provides a holistic view of your entire technology function, enabling informed decisions and giving you the credit you deserve for your progress and performance.

Still have questions?