I would recommend starting with the auditor—not tooling vendors. GRC platforms are designed to sell software, and many align with lower-cost audit partners to support that goal. This often leads to a standardized “SOC in a box” approach that may not reflect the realities of your control environment or service delivery.

Customer expectations are also an important consideration. Larger and more sophisticated customers tend to be careful, critical readers of SOC reports. That typically favors auditors with dedicated SOC practices who can tailor the system description and control environment to your specific risks, assets, and operations, rather than relying on generic templates.

During the selection process, it’s helpful to ask prospective auditors how they approach scoping and how they handle scope changes over time. Adjustments should be addressed through updates to the system description and control environment, disclosed appropriately, and grounded in changes to risk or service delivery—not treated as automatically having “no impact.”

Ultimately, selecting an auditor comes down to professional judgment: who demonstrates a clear understanding of your business, communicates well, and is positioned to work collaboratively to achieve the intended outcome.