TISAX® Roles and Responsibilities Explained

Many companies entering a TISAX® project make the same mistake early on:

They assume TISAX® is “an IT project.”

That assumption alone can create delays, confusion, incomplete evidence, and failed expectations during the assessment process.

In reality, TISAX® is a cross-functional business project that touches multiple departments across the organization. While Information Security often plays a central role, successful TISAX® implementation depends on clear ownership, leadership support, and coordination between technical and operational teams.

This becomes even more important as companies move toward higher maturity environments, prototype protection requirements, operational technology (OT), and complex supplier relationships.

The companies that handle this well usually have one thing in common:

They clearly define who owns what from the beginning.

Why Roles Matter in a TISAX® Project

One of the biggest reasons TISAX® projects stall is unclear responsibility.

Typical situations include:

• IT assumes Quality Management owns the project

• Quality assumes IT will handle everything

• Management expects consultants to “do TISAX® for them”

• Departments are unaware they are part of the scope

• Evidence collection becomes chaotic shortly before the assessment

By the time the assessment provider starts requesting evidence, companies suddenly realize how many areas are actually involved.

TISAX® often impacts:

• Information Security

• HR

• Physical Security

• Engineering

• Operations

• Purchasing

• Legal/Compliance

• Executive Leadership

• Site Management

• External service providers

The earlier responsibilities are defined, the smoother the project usually becomes.

Understanding the RACI Model

A practical way to organize responsibilities during a TISAX® project is through a RACI matrix.

RACI stands for:

R - Responsible for performing the work

A - Accountable for final ownership and approval

C - Consulted before actions or decisions

I - Informed about progress or outcomes

The purpose is simple: avoid confusion before the assessment begins.

Common TISAX® Roles Inside an Organization

Executive Management

Leadership plays a larger role than many companies expect.

Management is typically accountable for:

• approving scope

• allocating resources

• supporting enforcement of security controls

• reviewing risks

• participating in management reviews

• driving organizational accountability

Without leadership involvement, many TISAX® projects lose momentum quickly.

TISAX® Project Lead

The project lead often becomes the central coordinator.

This role typically manages:

• project timelines

• coordination between departments

• evidence tracking

• communication with consultants

• assessment preparation

• internal follow-ups

In many organizations, this role sits within:

• Information Security

• Compliance

• Quality Management

• PMO functions

Information Security / IT

IT and Information Security are heavily involved, but they are not the only owners.

Typical responsibilities include:

• asset inventories

• access management

• vulnerability management

• network security

• logging and monitoring

• backup controls

• endpoint security

• technical evidence collection

This is often where companies initially focus most of their effort.

Human Resources

HR is commonly overlooked in early planning.

However, HR often supports:

• onboarding/offboarding processes

• confidentiality agreements

• awareness training

• disciplinary procedures

• role definitions

• background screening processes

These controls frequently appear within TISAX® evidence reviews.

Facility and Physical Security

Physical security becomes critical, especially for:

• prototype environments

• engineering locations

• production facilities

• visitor handling

• secure storage areas

Responsibilities may include:

• badge access systems

• camera coverage

• visitor management

• clean desk enforcement

• restricted areas

• key management

Many organizations underestimate how operational TISAX® can become.

Engineering and Operations

Engineering and operational teams may support:

• prototype handling

• secure development environments

• supplier coordination

• process documentation

• operational technology security

• production system controls

This becomes especially important in automotive environments with sensitive customer information.

Example Simplified TISAX® RACI Matrix

The exact structure varies between organizations,

but a simplified example may look like this:

This is not a universal template.

Every organization should adapt responsibilities based on:

• company size

• locations

• assessment objectives

• customer expectations

• internal structure

• outsourced services

The Biggest Mistake: Treating TISAX® as Only an IT Initiative

Many companies initially approach TISAX® from a purely technical perspective.

But assessors often evaluate much more than technical controls alone.

They look for evidence of:

• governance

• accountability

• operational consistency

• employee awareness

• physical protection

• risk ownership

• management involvement

Strong technical controls alone are usually not enough if organizational responsibilities are unclear.

Final Thoughts

A successful TISAX® project is rarely driven by one department alone.

The organizations that move through assessments more efficiently usually:

• define ownership early

• involve leadership from the beginning

• coordinate departments properly

• assign accountability clearly

• treat TISAX® as a business-wide initiative

Before focusing on tools, policies, or evidence collection, one important question should be answered first:

Who actually owns what?

Continue the Work

If you are reviewing operations security, you are often dealing with broader questions around ownership, resources, tooling, and internal priorities.

For organizations still aligning leadership, scope, and budget before deeper implementation, there is a structured TISAX® Starter Kit available.

It is designed to support executive-level planning and readiness discussions.

More details here:
https://payhip.com/b/CQSlY

If you are already in that phase, feel free to reach out directly.