Hyperproof benchmark urges GormanRupp Company to embed AI in GRC risk systems

Bellevue benchmark urges GormanRupp and peers to weave AI into risk systems

Hyperproof’s 2026 IT Risk and Compliance Benchmark Report, released Feb. 12 in Bellevue, Wash., is prompting industrial manufacturers such as GormanRupp Company to accelerate integration of artificial intelligence into their governance, risk and compliance (GRC) systems. The seventh annual study, based on more than 1,000 responses from IT, security, risk and compliance professionals, finds AI has moved from experimental to operational in GRC and delivers the greatest benefit when embedded in a SaaS system of record that applies intelligence directly to controls, evidence and assessments.

For GormanRupp and other makers of pumps and fluid-handling equipment, that shift has direct operational implications as information technology converges with operational technology across production lines and service networks. The report links reactive, ad-hoc risk management to materially higher breach rates — 50% of organizations that manage risk only after events report a breach in 2025, versus 27% of organizations using an integrated, automated approach — and warns breached firms expect heavier compliance burdens going forward. Manufacturers facing complex supply chains and vendor ecosystems therefore risk increased downtime, regulatory scrutiny and higher remediation costs if they do not centralize and automate GRC functions.

Hyperproof advises practical steps that align with industrial priorities: adopt a common controls framework to reduce duplication across business units, establish repeatable evidence practices tied to asset and maintenance records, and embed automation into the system of record to cut manual work and speed audits. For GormanRupp, applying these measures to enterprise resource planning, asset-management and procurement systems can improve audit readiness, free compliance teams for proactive risk reduction and lower the likelihood and downstream costs of security incidents.

Key study takeaways for manufacturers

The report shows 97% of respondents use AI to streamline workflows, 56% employ a common controls framework to scale controls, 86% have centralized GRC teams and only 14% remain decentralized. It also finds 58% of breached organizations expect to spend more time on IT risk management and compliance in 2026.

Industry implication and recommended actions

Against accelerating regulation and expanding third‑party ecosystems, Hyperproof urges firms like GormanRupp to prioritize integrating AI into the GRC system of record, centralize ownership and adopt common controls so stretched teams move from firefighting to sustained risk reduction and improved audit readiness.