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Send Questionnaire Requests to Vendors

Questionnaires are a core component of the Vendor Management process in Kawach. They allow your organization to collect structured information directly from vendors regarding:

  • Information security practices
  • Data protection measures
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Operational controls
  • Business continuity readiness
  • Certifications and attestations

By sending standardized questionnaires, you ensure that vendor assessments are consistent, auditable, and risk-based.

Why Questionnaire Requests Matter

Vendor risk cannot be evaluated solely based on contracts or reputation, Structured questionnaires help you:

  • Assess data handling practices
  • Identify gaps in security controls
  • Validate certifications (ISO, SOC, etc.)
  • Confirm compliance with applicable regulations
  • Maintain documented due diligence

This is especially critical for high-risk vendors or vendors handling sensitive data.

Questionnaire Request Details

Each questionnaire request contains the following fields:

Vendor

The name of the vendor to whom the questionnaire is sent.

Vendor Category

Indicates the classification of the vendor (e.g., Cloud Provider, SaaS, IT Services, HR Services). This ensures the right questionnaire type is assigned.

Created By

The user who initiated the questionnaire request.

Sent On

The date the questionnaire was officially issued to the vendor.

Due Date

The deadline by which the vendor must complete and submit the questionnaire.

Clear due dates help enforce accountability and prevent assessment delays.

Status

Indicates the progress of the request:

  • Draft
  • Sent
  • In Progress
  • Submitted
  • Reviewed
  • Overdue

This enables proactive follow-up and tracking.

How to Send a Questionnaire

Follow these steps to issue a questionnaire to a vendor:

Step 1: Go to Questionnaire Requests

Navigate to the Questionnaire Requests section from the Vendor Management module.

Step 2: Select Vendor and Questionnaire

  • Choose the appropriate vendor.
  • Select the relevant questionnaire template from the library.

Ensure that the questionnaire aligns with:

  • Vendor risk level
  • Service category
  • Regulatory exposure

Step 3: Set a Due Date

Define a reasonable deadline based on:

  • Vendor criticality
  • Regulatory timelines
  • Internal review cycles

High-risk vendors may require stricter timelines.

Step 4: Send the Request

Click Send to issue the questionnaire.

Once sent:

  • The vendor receives notification
  • Status updates begin tracking automatically
  • The request is logged for audit purposes

Tracking & Follow-Up

From the Questionnaire Requests dashboard, you can:

  • Monitor response progress
  • Identify overdue submissions
  • Send reminders
  • Review completed responses
  • Record review comments
  • Approve or request clarification

This ensures continuous visibility and accountability.

Questionnaire Requests list

Vendor Questionnaire Requests list Vendor Create Questionnaire Requests

Use the Questionnaire Library

The Questionnaire Library is a centralized repository of all assessment templates used in vendor evaluations.

A structured library ensures:

  • Standardization across vendors
  • Reusability of assessment templates
  • Consistency in risk evaluation
  • Audit-ready documentation

Questionnaire Library view

Vendor Questionnaire Library view Create Vendor Questionnaire Library

Identifier

A unique reference code for the questionnaire (e.g., QST-SEC-001).

Name

The title of the questionnaire.

Example: “Information Security Assessment – High Risk Vendors”.

Description

Explains:

  • Purpose of the questionnaire
  • Applicable vendor category
  • Scope of assessment
  • Expected review frequency

Created By

Indicates the user who created the template.

Created On

Date the template was added to the system.

Benefits of a Centralized Questionnaire Library

Standardization

Ensures all vendors within a specific category are assessed using the same criteria.

Efficiency

Eliminates the need to create new questionnaires repeatedly.

Audit Readiness

Maintains documented evidence of due diligence processes.

Risk-Based Customization

Allows different templates for:

  • Low-risk vendors
  • Medium-risk vendors
  • High-risk vendors
  • Data processors
  • Critical infrastructure providers

Best Practices for Questionnaire Management

  • Maintain separate templates by risk level
  • Review templates annually to align with regulatory changes
  • Keep questionnaires concise but comprehensive
  • Include both objective (Yes/No) and descriptive questions
  • Attach document upload requirements where necessary
  • Track response turnaround time
  • Escalate overdue high-risk vendor assessments
  • Maintain review comments for each submission

How It Strengthens Compliance

The Questionnaire workflow supports:

  • ISO 27001 Supplier Security controls
  • SOC 2 Vendor Monitoring requirements
  • GDPR Article 28 Data Processor assessments
  • Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) best practices

By using structured templates and tracking responses centrally, Kawach enables systematic vendor oversight and documented due diligence.

Summary

Steps 4 and 5 of Vendor Management — sending questionnaire requests and maintaining a centralized Questionnaire Library — ensure that vendor assessments are structured, consistent, and risk-driven.

Together, they enable organizations to:

  • Collect critical compliance information
  • Monitor response timelines
  • Identify risk gaps
  • Maintain audit evidence
  • Strengthen third-party governance

With proper implementation, the questionnaire process transforms vendor oversight from reactive follow-ups into a proactive, controlled, and documented risk management system within Kawach.