Best Practices: Compliance and Policy Management — Rakenne vs OneTrust, LogicGate, PolicyTech

Policy and compliance documents—policies, procedures, control narratives, registers—need authority (standards, regulations), structure (sections, criteria), and often traceability (versioning, approval, distribution). This article outlines best practices and compares Rakenne to the main compliance and policy management alternatives: OneTrust, LogicGate, and PolicyTech (Diligent).

Best practices in this space

1. Anchor policies to authority — Drafts should reference regulations, standards, or internal frameworks. The tool should support loading and enforcing those references so content stays aligned.
2. Define structure and completeness — Use workflows or templates so required sections (scope, responsibilities, review cycle, approval) are always present. Validation (e.g. “all criteria covered”) reduces gaps.
3. Separate drafting from distribution and attestation — Drafting and review are one capability; policy distribution, attestation, and GRC workflows are another. Choose a tool that matches where you need strength.
4. Make workflows auditable — For auditors and regulators, the path from “scope → load standard → draft → validate” should be explicit and repeatable.
5. Plan for updates and review cycles — Policies need periodic review; the tool should support versioning, review dates, and clear ownership.

Alternatives in compliance / policy management

Rakenne vs alternatives: features, strengths, weaknesses

Rakenne

Features: Document-elaboration workflows in markdown (skills); LLM agent in the browser (one per project); skill library with policy/compliance skills (e.g. HIQA policies, SOC 2 narratives, ISO procedures); references (standards, criteria); AGENTS.md for context; export to DOCX, PDF; optional extension tools (coverage, logic gates, completeness).

Strengths

• Workflow as spec — Skills define steps: scope → load reference (e.g. HIQA theme, ISO clause) → draft → validate. Repeatable and transparent; experts author in markdown.
• References on demand — Standards and criteria live in the skill/workspace; the agent loads them so policies stay aligned to authority (NSSBH, ISO, FedRAMP, etc.).
• Validation tools — Extension tools (e.g. TSC coverage, 5 Whys gate, completeness check) give PASS/FAIL so the agent can self-correct. GRC platforms rarely offer “draft then validate until pass” in this form.
• Single agent per project — One policy or set of related docs per project; one conversation; context and references in one place.
• Portable and versionable — Workflows and references are files; can live in version control and be reused across tenants or projects.

Weaknesses

• Not a full GRC platform — No policy repository, distribution, attestation, or audit workflows; Rakenne is drafting and elaboration, not end-to-end policy lifecycle.
• No built-in approval or distribution — No workflow for “submit for approval” or “publish to workforce”; export and handoff to other systems.
• No attestation or acknowledgments — No “read and attest” or tracking of who acknowledged which policy.
• No risk/control matrix as first-class — Control and risk documentation can be produced as documents, but there’s no native risk register or control matrix app.

OneTrust

Features: Privacy, GRC, risk, ethics; policy management; templates; workflow; distribution; attestation; integrations; extensive compliance content.

Strengths: Broad GRC coverage; policy lifecycle (draft → approve → publish → attest); strong for enterprises that need one platform for many compliance domains.

Weaknesses: Heavy and broad; drafting is one module; less “workflow as code” and validation-in-the-loop for the actual writing; policy content often template- or form-driven rather than agent + references + checks.

LogicGate

Features: GRC platform; risk, compliance, audit; workflow automation; policy and control documentation; integrations.

Strengths: Flexible workflows; good for mapping controls, risks, and policies; process-centric.

Weaknesses: Document creation is part of the process but not centered on “agent + references + validation”; less emphasis on structured drafting with deterministic checks.

PolicyTech (Diligent)

Features: Policy management; authoring; approval workflows; distribution; attestation; versioning.

Strengths: Purpose-built for policy lifecycle; good for “one place” to author, approve, and distribute policies; track attestations.

Weaknesses: Authoring is traditional or template-based; no LLM agent with workflow and validation tools; drafting quality and structure depend on process and manual review.

When to choose which

• Choose Rakenne when: You need high-quality policy drafting aligned to standards and criteria, with workflow and validation (e.g. “all NSSBH themes covered,” “control narratives pass rubric”). You’re okay with using another system for repository, approval, distribution, and attestation. Strong fit for HIQA, ISO, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and similar policy/control documents.
• Choose OneTrust when: You need a broad GRC platform (privacy, risk, ethics, policy) with policy lifecycle, distribution, and attestation in one place, and drafting is one step in that lifecycle.
• Choose LogicGate when: You need GRC workflows (risk, compliance, audit) with policy and control documentation tied to processes, and you don’t require agent-driven drafting with validation tools.
• Choose PolicyTech when: The main need is policy lifecycle (author → approve → distribute → attest) with a dedicated policy management product, and drafting can be template- or process-driven without an LLM workflow.

Best practice: use Rakenne for the drafting and validation of policy and control documents when authority-alignment and repeatable structure matter; use OneTrust, LogicGate, or PolicyTech for repository, approval, distribution, and attestation when you need full policy/GRC lifecycle in one platform.