The Importance of Automating Intake and Triage in TPRM

Most TPRM programs start risk management after the contract is signed, or worse, after the third party is already active. 

But by that point, you're already behind. 

The best TPRM teams are shifting left, embedding automation into the intake and triage process to capture the right information, assign the right risk level, and route the right review at the very start.

Done right, intake automation helps you: 

• Stop sending redundant questions to the third party 

• Avoid missed high-risk third parties 

• Improve turnaround time 

• Make procurement and business units your partners, not your adversaries 

The Intake Problem 

Manual third party intake often looks like this: 

• Business user of the third party product/service emails TPRM team: “Can we use this third party?” 

• TPRM team asks for a basic description of products/services that will be offered 

• A general questionnaire is sent (regardless of third party type or data sensitivity) 

• Multiple follow-ups and clarifications are performed 

• Everyone’s frustrated 

This is inefficient and does not take into account a risk-based approach. Low-risk third parties get over-scrutinized, and high-risk third parties may slip through the cracks. 

What You Can Automate  

Let’s look at how automation can transform intake into a structured, repeatable process that gathers key risk insights and triggers the right next steps, without creating bottlenecks. 

1. Smart Intake Forms 

Use an online form (e.g., in your GRC, TPRM platform, or tool like Microsoft Forms) that business users fill out before engaging with a third party. 

Questions to include: 

• What services will the third party provide? 

• Will they access customer data or company systems? 

• What types of data will be accessed (PII, PHI, PCI, IP)? 

• Where will the services be delivered from? 

• What’s the contract value or term length? 

• Is this third party replacing an existing one? 

Tool Tip: Conditional logic can adjust questions based on prior answers, keeping the form short and relevant. 

2. Automated Risk Triage 

Based on responses, route the request into the appropriate track: 

• No Risk Identified → auto-approved or documented as "informational only" 

• Low Risk → minimal questionnaire or policy acknowledgment 

• Moderate Risk → standard due diligence questionnaire sent 

• High Risk → full risk review, possibly including legal, compliance, and InfoSec reviews 

Tool Tip: Some TPRM Tools allow auto-routing of intake requests based on logic trees. 

3. Trackable Intake Queue 

Turn intake into a visible, trackable pipeline, not a buried inbox. 

You should be able to see: 

• How many new third parties are awaiting review 

• What tier each has been assigned 

• What due diligence is pending or complete 

• Who “owns” the next step 

Tool Tip: Use Trello, Jira, Monday.com, or a built-in TPRM dashboard to manage this visually if your TPRM system doesn't already. 

4. Integration with Procurement or Legal Workflows 

Make intake the bridge between procurement, legal, and risk, not a roadblock. 

Connect your intake system to: 

• Contract review tools 

• E-signature platforms (e.g., DocuSign) 

• Purchase request systems 

• Procurement tools (e.g., Coupa, SAP Ariba) 

Bonus: Add a “TPRM clearance” checkbox in your procurement tool so teams can’t finalize deals without routing through risk mitigation activities. 

Real-World Example: Intake Transformation at a Healthcare Provider 

A large healthcare company implemented a smart intake form tied to its procurement request portal. The form automatically tiered third parties and launched tailored workflows based on services, data access, and regulatory flags. 

Results: 

• 3x faster intake processing time 

• 100% of high-risk third parties flagged before a contract was signed 

• 70% reduction in unnecessary reviews for low-risk third parties 

• Business stakeholders started submitting requests earlier in the process 

Getting Started 

Here’s how you can start automating intake and triage: 

1. Map what you want to know up front (data access, geography, system access, business impact) 

2. Build a simple intake form, even in Google Forms or Microsoft Forms if you do not have a TPRM platform 

3. Create decision logic to assign a risk tier based on responses 

4. Route the third party to the appropriate review workflow 

5. Track the intake queue so nothing falls through the cracks 

Pro Tip: Make Intake the Gateway, Not the Gatekeeper 

Your intake process should empower business stakeholders with clarity and speed, not add layers of friction. Automation allows you to deliver fast “yes/no/how” answers, making it easier to get the right third parties in the door and ensure risky ones are on your radar. 

Key Takeaway 

Automating intake and triage ensures that TPRM starts at the right moment, with the right information, and the right level of scrutiny is provided. It protects your organization while speeding up business decisions. 

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Author Bio

Heather Kadavy

Senior Membership Success Coordinator

Heather Kadavy joined the Third Party Risk Association (TPRA) in 2023 as the Senior Membership Success Coordinator. In recent year(s) Heather has been providing freelance TPRM consulting work to various organizations after retiring from a Nebraska financial institution after nearly 35 years where she oversaw and managed critical programs of the organization including Third Party Risk Management, Information Security,

Physical Security, Safety, Business Recovery, Financial Crimes, Model Risk Management, and Enterprise Risk Management.  In her TPRM role she had oversight of over a thousand third party relationships, systems, due diligence reviews and contract management activities.  She developed, facilitated, and implemented training programs for thousands of employees over the years.

Heather is a natural born connector of people and values relationship building at the cornerstone of her career.  She encourages you to connect with TPRA and herself via LinkedIn to join in the "TPRM Global Conversation".