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Scope ​

Supplier assurance is about repeatability: the same categories of evidence across many vendors, refreshed on a predictable cadence.

Start with the contract boundary ​

For supplier requirements, scope is “what you do for Microsoft”:

  • the service you deliver (and its environments)
  • the systems involved (including monitoring/logging)
  • the subprocessors and key vendors in the delivery chain
  • the data you touch (types, locations, retention)

If the boundary is fuzzy, evidence quickly becomes inconsistent (and reviews become slow).

What to scope ​

At a high level, teams typically scope:

  • what data types are handled
  • which systems and subprocessors are in the delivery chain
  • which audit and assurance artifacts are required
  • who owns renewals and review cycles

Supplier evidence taxonomy (quick map) ​

Supplier evidence taxonomy (typical)
Governancepolicies, training, ownership, reviews
InfoSec policy set
Privacy policy set
RACI / ownership
Security operationshow controls run day-to-day
Access reviews
Vulnerability management
Logging & monitoring
Incident and continuitypreparedness and response
Incident response plan
BCDR plan
Breach tabletop evidence
Assurance and auditsindependent validation artifacts
SOC / ISO reports (if applicable)
Pen test reports
Attestations
Supplier chainyour subprocessors and dependencies
Subprocessor list
Vendor reviews
Change approvals

Common pitfalls ​

  • scoping “the company” instead of “the contracted service”
  • incomplete subprocessor visibility (cloud, analytics, model providers, tooling)
  • evidence without owners (nobody is responsible for refresh cadence)
  • one-time assessments without continuous refresh and audit trail
Evidence and audits

How to keep evidence current and review-ready

Vendors

Track supplier documents, owners, and review cadence

Disclaimer

This page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.