Realistic Fastest Timeline
For smaller financial entities leveraging proportionality, DORA compliance can be achieved in as little as 10 to 14 weeks. Larger entities requiring TLPT and comprehensive third-party oversight should plan for 4 to 8 months.
| Phase | Duration | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Platform setup and gap analysis | Week 1 – 2 | Onboard automation tool, assess current state against DORA pillars |
| ICT risk management framework | Weeks 2 – 5 | Build risk framework, classify ICT assets, implement policies |
| Incident reporting and third-party management | Weeks 4 – 8 | Set up reporting processes, build ICT third-party register |
| Resilience testing and remediation | Weeks 8 – 14 | Conduct testing, close gaps, prepare for supervisory review |
The Sprint Approach: Parallelize Everything
The fastest teams work all five DORA pillars simultaneously:
- Day 1: Sign up for an automation platform. Map your current state against all five DORA pillars.
- Week 1 – 2: Assign pillar owners: ICT risk management, incident reporting, resilience testing, third-party management, and information sharing.
- Weeks 2 – 5: Build your ICT risk management framework while simultaneously setting up incident classification and reporting workflows.
- Weeks 4 – 8: Compile your ICT third-party register and initiate contractual reviews while resilience testing planning proceeds.
- Weeks 8 – 12: Execute resilience tests and finalize all documentation.
Our Recommendation
LowerPlane's AI-powered platform can get you compliant in as little as 10 weeks by automating evidence collection across all five DORA pillars, generating ICT risk management documentation, and providing turnkey incident reporting workflows. The platform tracks your compliance posture in real time against every DORA requirement.
Automation Shortcuts That Save Weeks
- Five-pillar dashboard. See your compliance status across all DORA pillars in one view instead of managing five separate workstreams.
- ICT asset inventory. Auto-discover and classify ICT assets from your cloud infrastructure.
- Incident reporting templates. Pre-built workflows for initial, intermediate, and final incident reports matching DORA timelines.
- Third-party risk register. Auto-populated register with risk scoring for all ICT service providers.
Common Bottlenecks and How to Avoid Them
- Third-party contract reviews. Updating ICT provider contracts to include DORA clauses is slow. Start negotiations in week one.
- ICT asset classification. Comprehensive asset inventories take longer than expected. Use automated discovery.
- TLPT coordination. Threat-led penetration testing requires coordination with regulators and qualified testers. Initiate early.
- Cross-border complexity. If you operate across EU member states, coordinate with multiple supervisory authorities early.
Get Started
Start your fast-track with LowerPlane → and be DORA-compliant in weeks, not months.