For more than two decades, enterprises have leveraged advanced technology to automate IT and SAP governance, risk, and compliance (GRC), ensuring regulatory adherence and safeguarding critical data. Yet when it comes to physical GRC—managing physical access reviews, recertifications, and identity governance—many organizations still rely on manual processes that belong in the stone age.

This technological lag is particularly concerning as the threat landscape grows more complex and dynamic. Today’s adversaries adapt in real-time, while many companies continue to operate with fragmented physical security frameworks, perpetuating silos between IT, physical, and operational technology (OT) teams. These silos not only create inefficiencies but also increase the risk of security gaps that can be exploited.

The time to modernize is now. Organizations can no longer afford to treat physical security governance as an afterthought. Fortunately, the digital transformation wave, driven by innovations like RISE with SAP and SAP S/4HANA integrated with SAP-endorsed apps like Guardian by Alert Enterprise, presents an unprecedented opportunity to bridge these gaps. By integrating physical GRC into the broader IT and OT risk management ecosystem, enterprises can unlock holistic, real-time security capabilities. Automation in physical GRC means no more outdated, manual recertification processes. Instead, we can leverage intelligent technologies to continuously validate access, manage risk dynamically, and respond to threats faster.

Embracing a unified, automated approach to physical GRC isn’t just a strategic necessity; it’s an imperative for resilience. Let’s harness the same digital accelerators that revolutionized IT GRC and bring physical security into the modern era. After all, with threats evolving as fast as they do, why should our defenses remain stuck in the past?

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