How a Dublin IT Company Automated Supplier Security Monitoring for NIS2 Compliance

In today’s ever-evolving cyber threat landscape, compliance with directives like NIS2 is non-negotiable for IT companies handling critical infrastructure.🔒 A Dublin-based IT company faced substantial challenges ensuring its supplier security monitoring and risk intake processes were audit-ready under the new NIS2 regulations. Manual processes led to time-consuming audits, risk of human error, and gaps in supply chain security. This case study explores how the company partnered with RestFlow to automate the entire vendor onboarding, risk scoring, renewals, and security attestation processes, substantially reducing compliance friction and operational risks.

In this article, you will learn the step-by-step automation workflow design implemented with tools like n8n and Slack integrations, discover how RestFlow’s Automation-as-a-Service provides scalable, calm compliance operations, and review the measurable impact on audit readiness and team productivity.

Case Context & Problem: Challenges of NIS2 Compliance for a Dublin IT Company

The client is a mid-sized IT service provider headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, operating within the information technology sector. Their operations department was primarily responsible for managing supplier relationships, including vetting, onboarding, and continuous security monitoring. Due to the implementation of the NIS2 Directive by the EU—focusing on cyber risk management, incident reporting, supply chain security, and governance—the company needed to prove continuous compliance with stringent requirements on supplier security.

Previously, the supplier security monitoring and risk intake process was handled manually using spreadsheets, emails, and ad-hoc communication in Slack. This led to multiple issues:

• Time-Consuming Workflows: Operations personnel spent upwards of 15 hours per week updating vendor spreadsheets, chasing security attestations, and manually scoring risk metrics.
• Error-Prone Records: Manual data entry resulted in inconsistent records, missing renewal notifications, and occasional duplicated vendor entries.
• Lack of Visibility: Management had minimal real-time insight into supplier security risk posture, impeding timely incident reporting and supply chain risk management.
• Audit Challenges: Preparing for NIS2 audits was stressful and resource-intensive, with scattered evidence and delayed incident escalation.

The cumulative effect was operational friction and increased risk of compliance gaps, threatening regulatory penalties and reputational damage if left unaddressed.[Source: to be added]

Our Approach: RestFlow’s Automation-First Strategy for NIS2 Compliance

RestFlow’s expert team initiated a discovery phase involving detailed stakeholder interviews and process mapping workshops with the client’s operations and compliance teams. The goal was to understand every step of the supplier security monitoring lifecycle: from vendor onboarding and risk assessment to renewal cycles and incident reporting as mandated by NIS2 themes.

Key insights included:

• Multiple disconnected tools (Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack) caused process fragmentation.
• Manual handling of risk scoring was subjective and lacked integration with external data sources.
• The incident reporting process was inconsistent due to ad hoc notifications.
• Governance workflows lacked formal controls and audit logs.

Given these insights, RestFlow proposed a flexible automation architecture leveraging n8n as the orchestration tool to automate supplier security monitoring and risk intake. n8n was chosen due to its open-source flexibility, ability to integrate with Gmail, Slack, Google Sheets, CRMs, and robust conditional workflows essential for compliance processes. This foundation would enable automated risk assessment, scheduled renewal reminders, incident alerting, and detailed audit trails all in one scalable platform.

This automation would be delivered as Automation-as-a-Service — RestFlow would not only design and implement the workflows but also provide ongoing hosting, monitoring, and compliance maintenance.

The Solution: Architecture & Workflow

Global Automation Architecture Overview

The automation architecture consisted of the following components:

• Triggers: Scheduled triggers and webhook endpoints initiated workflows when new supplier data arrived or risk renewals were due.
• Orchestration Tool: n8n hosted on RestFlow’s managed environment orchestrated all business logic and API interactions.
• External Services Integrated: – Gmail for sending vendor communications and alerts.
  – Google Sheets as a read/write repository for supplier master records and risk matrices.
  – Slack for real-time team notifications.
  – HubSpot CRM for supplier contact data.
  – REST APIs of third-party risk intelligence platforms for dynamic risk scoring.
• Outputs: – Automated risk scoring dashboards.
  – Audit logs stored in secure Google Drive folders.
  – Notifications for approvals and incident reports delivered via Slack and email.
  – Monthly supplier compliance reports generated and distributed automatically.

End-to-End Workflow Description

The core workflow begins with a supplier onboarding request received through a webhook form submission integrated with the CRM. The workflow then fetches existing data from Google Sheets to verify if the supplier is new or existing.

For new suppliers, an automated email via Gmail requests security attestations and questionnaires. Responses are monitored, and data is extracted automatically for risk scoring using third-party APIs.

Risk scores trigger conditional paths:

• Low-risk vendors receive automatic approval and onboarding continuation notifications.
• Medium to high-risk vendors trigger an approval task, where compliance officers receive Slack alerts and links to review details.

Upon approval, vendor records in Google Sheets and HubSpot are updated, renewal dates are set, and scheduled workflows prepare renewal notifications months in advance.

Incident reports related to suppliers are captured in Slack channels via dedicated forms, triggering instant workflows that log events, assign tasks, and notify security teams per NIS2 incident reporting rules.

The entire lifecycle is logged with timestamps, user actions, and audit trails stored securely and accessible on-demand for compliance audits.

Step-by-Step Node Breakdown for the Critical Workflow Steps 🚀

1. Supplier Onboarding Webhook Trigger

Trigger: HTTP Webhook listening for new supplier submissions from an embedded form.
Input Data: Supplier name, contact email, product/service category.
Configuration: JSON body parsed with validation rules ensuring required fields like supplier_id and email format.
This initiates the main workflow.

2. Google Sheets Lookup Node 🔍

Checks if supplier already exists by searching the master supplier sheet keyed by supplier_id.
Outputs conditional flags for ‘existing’ or ‘new’.

3. Gmail Email Request Node

For new suppliers, sends a templated email requesting security questionnaire completion and attestation documents, attaching forms and instructions.
Dynamic expressions insert supplier contact info and deadlines.

4. Risk Scoring Integration Node

Calls third-party risk intelligence API with supplier data.
Parses JSON response for risk scores across categories related to NIS2 themes: cyber risk, supply chain security, governance.
Scores normalized and combined into final risk rating.

5. Conditional Branching Node

If risk is low, perform automatic approval.
If medium or high, create an approval task.

6. Slack Notification Node 🔔

Sends direct message to compliance officers with supplier risk report and approval buttons via Slack interactive messages.

7. Google Sheets Update Node

Updates master record status and renewal dates.
Maps all relevant fields including score, approver, timestamp.

8. Incident Report Trigger and Workflow

Slack form submissions trigger incident logging workflow.
Logs event details to Google Sheets.
Notifies security incident team with priority-based Slack alerts.

Error Handling, Robustness & Security

Error Handling & Retries

All API calls and external interactions include retry logic with exponential backoff on failures. Failed workflows generate Slack alerts to operations with error details. Fallback logging to Google Sheets ensures no data loss.

Logging & Observability

Workflow execution logs are retained in n8n with exportable run histories. Audit logs with timestamps, user actions, and data changes are stored securely on Google Drive, ensuring full traceability per NIS2.

Security & Data Protection

API credentials and tokens are secured via n8n encrypted credential stores and environment variables managed by RestFlow.
Least privilege access is enforced for all system integrations. Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is masked in logs and communications.
Access control mechanisms govern who can trigger and approve workflows, logged for auditability.

Performance, Scaling & Extensibility

The workflow uses webhooks over polling to reduce latency and improve efficiency, crucial for timely incident reporting and rolling audits. Parallel execution is employed for batch risk scoring when multiple suppliers onboard simultaneously.

The modular design allows easy onboarding of new compliance teams or geographic branches by cloning and adjusting workflow parameters without disrupting live operations.

RestFlow’s managed hosting environment guarantees horizontal scalability and manages versioning and safe deployment across staging and production setups.

Comparison Tables

Automation Platform	Cost	Pros	Cons
n8n	Free Tier + Paid Cloud from $20/mo	Open-source, flexible, self-hostable, extensive integrations	Steeper learning curve, less native app marketplace
Make (Integromat)	From $9/mo	User-friendly, powerful visual builder, good app support	Some limitations on complex conditional logic
Zapier	From $19.99/mo	Great app ecosystem, easy for business users	Higher cost at scale, less flexible for complex workflows

Integration Method	Latency	Resource Usage	Best Use Case
Webhook	Low (near real-time)	Efficient (runs on event)	Event-driven workflow triggers (e.g., form submission)
Polling	Higher (interval dependent)	Continuous polling uses more resources	Periodic checks where webhook unavailable

Data Storage Option	Cost	Accessibility	Best For
Google Sheets	Free for basic use	Easy sharing & collaboration	Lightweight datasets, quick prototyping
SQL Database	Depends on host (e.g., $15+/mo)	Robust querying & indexing	Large, structured data requiring complex queries

For readers interested in automating supplier risk processes, Explore the Automation Template Marketplace to find prebuilt workflows and accelerate your implementation.

Results & Business Impact

Post-automation, the Dublin IT company realized impressive benefits:

• 70% Reduction in Processing Time: Weekly supplier onboarding tasks shrunk from 15 hours to under 5 hours, freeing operations to focus on strategic activities.[Source: to be added]
• 99% Accuracy in Risk Scoring and Record Updates: Automation eliminated manual data entry errors, improving data integrity critical to compliance audits.
• Real-Time Visibility: Management dashboards provide up-to-the-minute supplier security statuses, enabling proactive risk mitigation.
• Faster Incident Reporting: Compliance teams can now report incidents within hours instead of days, increasing regulatory confidence.

Teams report calmer, more predictable operations during audit windows, reducing stress and overtime.

Furthermore, continuous logging and automated documentation have transformed audit preparation from a weeks-long scramble to a simple review process.

Pilot Phase & Maintenance Disclaimer

The deployment began with a pilot phase involving a subset of suppliers and compliance scenarios to validate real-world behavior. During this phase, minor bugs were identified and workflows refined to handle edge cases such as incomplete questionnaire replies or API timeouts.

Following successful pilot validation, RestFlow transitioned to a managed service model, providing ongoing hosting, monitoring, alerting, and periodic updates aligned with evolving NIS2 requirements. This ensures sustainable, long-term compliance without burdening internal IT teams.

Frequently Asked Questions about Automating Supplier Security Monitoring for NIS2 Compliance

Conclusion: Achieving Audit-Ready NIS2 Compliance through Automation

Automating the supplier security monitoring and risk intake process transformed the Dublin IT company’s compliance operations under the rigorous NIS2 Directive. By replacing manual, error-prone procedures with streamlined, integrated workflows orchestrated via n8n and enhanced with real-time Slack and Gmail notifications, the client now enjoys substantial time savings, improved data accuracy, and calm audit readiness.

RestFlow’s Automation-as-a-Service approach ensures clients receive end-to-end support from initial design through long-term hosting and monitoring, adapting workflows dynamically as compliance needs evolve.

Whether you’re beginning your NIS2 compliance journey or seeking to optimize existing processes, exploring automation templates or creating your free RestFlow account is a smart step toward confident, scalable compliance.