The challenge: manual chasing was eating hours every week
The institution has 3,385 people to keep secure, and fewer than four admins to run the programme. Every month, one of them had to manually chase people who hadn't completed their security learning. It was repetitive. It was manual. And it cost three to four hours a week that could have gone towards higher value work.
That's up to sixteen hours a month spent chasing, for a team that size. Something had to change.
What they needed
- Remove the manual effort of chasing outstanding learning completions.
- Free up specialist time for higher value security work.
- Build a clear, consistent path for people who still don't complete their learning after reminders.
- Keep completion rates strong, without anyone having to ask twice.
The solution: an escalating reminder cycle that runs itself
CybSafe's workflow engine took over the chase. New starters get 14 days to complete their onboarding learning. If they haven't, a reminder goes out by email. Reminders then repeat on a shortening cycle — seven days, four days, two days, then one — so anyone who keeps ignoring them gets chased more urgently the longer they wait.
Anyone still not compliant around a month in moves automatically into a non-compliance group, ready for manager escalation, no manual follow-up required. The whole cycle runs on its own, for every person, every time, without anyone at the institution lifting a finger.
What the workflow does, step by step
- Day 0Onboarding learning is assigned — 14 days to complete it.
- Day 14Still outstanding? The first email reminder goes out.
- ThenReminders repeat after seven days, then four, two and one — more urgent the longer someone waits.
- ~Day 30Still not compliant? Into the non-compliance group for manager escalation and lock-out.
The results
Completions up 50%, 22% to 33%. Without nudges, CybSafe estimates completion in this cohort would have settled at around 22%. With them, it rose to 33% — and the nudges did the work, not the admin team.
14 hours freed up every month. What used to take three to four hours a week now takes none. That's time specialists have back for higher value work.
Clear accountability for everyone else. People who didn't respond to reminders moved automatically into a non-compliance group, with managers looped in and lock-out available where needed.
The bigger picture
The institution didn't just save time. With fewer than four admins responsible for 3,385 people, they built a system that holds everyone accountable without anyone having to ask, and made the campaign itself more effective in the process.
The manual chasing is gone. Completions are up by half. And the people who still need a nudge get one, automatically, every time.
That's what good automation looks like.
50%
increase in completions, from 22% to 33%, driven by automated nudges alone
14 hours
freed up every month. Compliance chasing is a background function now.
Zero
manual chasing. Automated escalation and lock-out handle the people who don't respond.
3,385
people to keep secure
Under 4
admins running the programme
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