Case Study

Enhancing Compliance: A US Defence Tech Company’s Journey in Military Sanctions Screening

Executive Summary

A leading global technology company faced significant challenges in managing its third-party due diligence process. With Approximately 2,000 new third-party engagement requests processed annually, the company struggled with inconsistent risk exposure, decentralized operations, and prolonged due diligence cycles. Further, they also had a backlog of more than 1,500 existing business partners who haven’t gone through any due diligence. We helped them close that gap in 2020.

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The Challenge

A leading global technology company faced significant challenges in managing its third-party due diligence process. With approximately 2,000 new third-party engagement requests annually, the company struggled with:

Inconsistent Risk Exposure: Different standards were applied across regions, leading to
varied risk assessments.

Decentralized Operations: Lack of centralisation resulted in inefficient resource allocation
and inconsistent practices.

Extended Due Diligence Cycles: The process took three times longer than desired,
impeding timely business deals.

Resource Strain: The high volume of requests (2,000 annually) overwhelmed internal
resources.

The Solution

The company partnered with Rule, a best-in-class third-party due diligence provider, to overhaul its processes. Rule implemented a comprehensive solution that included:

Closed Gap: Also ensure no more backlog

Centralized Processing: All due diligence requests were routed through a single, streamlined system. This was possible as Rule was able to provide multi-lingual and multi-jurisdictional support.

Risk-Based Approach: Implemented a tiered due diligence process based on risk levels.

Standardized Procedures: Established consistent global standards for risk assessment.

Dedicated Team: Assigned specialized analysts to handle the company’s due diligence
requests.

The Result

The partnership with Rule yielded remarkable results:

Efficiency Gains
  • Due diligence cycle time wsreduced by 75%, from 60 days to an average of 15 days for
    high-risk third parties, 7 days for medium risk and roughly 1 day for low risk.
  • 98% of all requests processed within agreed service level agreements (SLAs)
Risk Reduction
  • High-risk third parties identified increased by 80%, enhancing overall risk management
  • 100% compliance with regulatory requirements achieved across all regions
Resource Optimisation
  • Internal resource allocation for due diligence was reduced by 85%
  • Cost savings of roughly $1.5 million annually through outsourcing and process optimisation
Enhanced Compliance
  • Standardized global risk assessment led to a 30% increase in risk identification accuracy
  • Audit trails and documentation improved, resulting in a 100% pass rate in regulatory audits
Business Impact
  • 50% reduction in deal delays due to faster due diligence processes
  • 25% increase in approved third-party engagements, supporting business growth

Conclusion

Partnering with Rule helped the tech company transform its due diligence process, achieving efficiency, risk reduction, and compliance gains, while supporting timely business growth.