AI Era Means Stricter IT Reviews, So Don’t Get Your Projects Delayed

As digital transformation accelerates, enterprise IT teams are no longer gatekeepers; they are gate miners. Security integrators and vendors now face a new reality: every system linked to the network, even seemingly minor upgrades, is likely to be scrutinized by multiple review boards. Increased artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, expanded attack surfaces, and demand for evidence-backed governance drive this trend. For CIOs, CISOs, and integrator leaders, mastering the art of IT review readiness is now as critical as technical competence.

Understanding the dual tracks of review (business versus technical), anticipating overlapping board questions, and prepacking documentation can transform review cycles from costly bottlenecks into competitive differentiators. Below is an extensive excerpt from SecurityInfoWatch that lays out the evolving landscape and specific review expectations.

As reported by Ray Bernard in “Are You Ready for an IT Review?” on SecurityInfoWatch:

“The IT review landscapes of many large and medium-sized businesses—especially Fortune 1000 companies—have undergone a dramatic shift due to the exponential evolution of business software, the surge of AI models, and the accompanying rise in cybersecurity risks. 

For security integrators, these changes can add 4–15 months of avoidable delays when contractors and vendors are unprepared for the heightened scrutiny in the new formal IT approval processes. Do not assume upgrades to existing systems will bypass review; IT’s mandate is to ensure all networked infrastructure meets security, compliance, and regulatory requirements.

To serve enterprise security customers, understanding today’s broader IT review environment is critical. In competitive bids, being ready for comprehensive IT scrutiny can be the deciding factor, and it sometimes results in favoring a less-qualified competitor who navigates the process faster and more effectively.

Most security integrators are familiar with many of these IT review board evaluation areas, having responded to RFPs from large enterprises, government agencies, or educational institutions; however, the scope and rigor of today’s IT review boards often exceed traditional procurement, especially when AI, cybersecurity, data handling, or cross-departmental integration are involved.

Every customer’s IT environment is different, and no two review processes are alike. Delays from missteps can mean postponed revenue, lost bids, and reputational damage—sometimes enough to sink a business before lessons are learned.

In the new era of enterprise security projects, integrators must use preparation for IT reviews as a competitive edge, and integrator executives can start at the upcoming GSX show by taking advantage of being in front of the vendors in attendance to ask pointed questions, as well as explaining the steps that need to be taken with current and prospective customers.

Read the Full Article: Continue reading “Are You Ready for an IT Review?” by Ray Bernard on SecurityInfoWatch. 

Why It Matters to You

For CIOs, CISOs, integrator leads, and vendor CTOs, the article signals a shift in that technical excellence alone no longer guarantees contract wins. In an environment where AI, cybersecurity, and distributed infrastructure are under more scrutiny than ever, the ability to pass through enterprise IT review boards is now table stakes.

Integrators must build review-ready processes, vendors must curate compliance documentation, and enterprise IT must expect more sophistication from all partners. In a landscape where delays equate to revenue loss and competitive disadvantage, review readiness may become your strongest differentiation.

Next Steps

• Integrator C-Suite: Conduct a “review audit” for past deals to identify common rejection reasons. 
• Pre-Sales & BD Teams: Build a modular vendor dossier (security, certifications, financials) ready for review. 
• Solution Architects: Pre-map how your solution will be evaluated by architecture, cloud, AI, and data boards. 
• Legal/Risk Teams: Prepare templates for governance, compliance responses, and AI explainability documentation. 
• Enterprise IT/Security Leads: Communicate review expectations, timelines, and documentation requirements to bidders early in RFPs.