Shiny demos are everywhere, but what if that “next-gen SaaS” risk platform is still a construction zone under the hood? We unpack the Risk Tech Buyer Trap and show how modern UIs and AI buzz can disguise where vendors really are on the path to true integration maturity. Our conversation breaks down a clear four-stage transformation sequence—SaaS foundation, experience reset, object model stabilization, and finally productized integration—so you can pinpoint a platform’s real readiness and avoid inheriting the vendor’s rebuild risk.
AI raises the stakes. As non-human identities proliferate and SaaS-to-SaaS connections multiply, trust becomes the new currency. We explore how data boundaries, continuous assurance, and identity governance reshape due diligence, and why vague claims about “secure cloud” and “powerful AI” no longer cut it. Using Archer’s Evolve journey as a transparent case study, we illustrate the signals of staged modernization and the common gap between marketing momentum and operational maturity.
You’ll leave with a practical toolkit: five red flags that reveal immature integration, and five killer questions that turn any demo into a real diligence session. This is about buying outcomes, not slideware—negotiating around proven patterns, aligning contracts to maturity milestones, and protecting your timeline and budget from hidden complexity. If you’re evaluating IRM, GRC, or risk analytics platforms, this guide helps you separate finished systems from roadmaps in disguise.
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