CMMC compliance has become non-negotiable for companies doing business with the Department of Defense. While it was designed for the DoD supply chain, companies that do business with other government entities are seeing similar requirements appear in their contracts. In either situation, meeting CMMC regulations tends to demand more effort than most IT teams expect. 

At some point, many companies face the same decision: should we handle this ourselves, or bring in someone who’s done it before? The answer depends on three things—how well you understand what’s required, how much time you can realistically dedicate to the effort, and how confident you are in your ability to document and demonstrate complia

Key Takeaways 

• CMMC compliance requires documentation, internal policies, and clear alignment with your business and IT environment. 
• The decision to manage compliance in-house or with outside help depends on your team’s capacity, knowledge, and ability to stay organized. 
• A qualified partner enhances internal efforts with tools, templates, and CMMC-specific expertise. 
• Internal teams remain essential, especially for understanding systems, workflows, and company-specific processes. 
• Ongoing compliance needs structure and consistency—not just a one-time effort to meet requirements.
• Jump to Frequently Asked Questions

What CMMC Compliance Involves 

CMMC is structured around three levels of cybersecurity maturity, and even the most basic tier can require more effort than expected. The real challenge lies in understanding how each requirement applies to your environment and building the right documentation and processes to support your assessment. For companies working toward Level 2 or Level 3, the expectations increase significantly, with more rigorous security controls and stricter evidence requirements. 

Related: Get the Basics About CMMC Compliance

Key steps include: 

• Identifying where Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is stored, accessed, or transmitted 
• Scoping the environment so you’re not including unnecessary systems or users 
• Developing internal policies across departments like IT, HR, and operations 
• Maintaining documentation to support your answers and show ongoing compliance 
• Submitting an executive affirmation, and for Level 2 and above, preparing for third-party review or audits 

Many companies assume they’re already doing what’s required. But without clear documentation and a process aligned to the CMMC framework, that assumption can quickly break down under review. 

Learn how XPERTECHS supports CMMC Compliance

In-House vs. Outsourced CMMC Compliance Side-by-Side Comparison

Aspect	In-House IT Team	With a Partner (like XPERTECHS)
Time Commitment	High: Internal team must research, gather documentation, and manage updates	Shared workload: guided process, collaborative system, built-in reminders
Expertise Needed	Team must understand CMMC, NIST, and contract requirements	Access to Registered Practitioners who know what to look for and how to help
Risk of Missteps	Easy to over- or under-scope, miss evidence, or make assumptions	Proactive guidance helps avoid gaps, delays, and do-overs
Cost	May look cheaper, but adds up in internal hours and missed opportunities	Predictable cost, reduced strain on internal staff, faster readiness
Sustainability	Vulnerable to turnover and knowledge gaps over time	Ongoing documentation, consistent support, repeatable annual process

How to Know If You Need CMMC Help

If you’re leaning toward handling compliance internally, ask yourself:

• Do we have someone on staff who understands the CMMC framework and how it applies to our contracts?
• Would we benefit from support by a Registered Practitioner (RP) or a Registered Practitioner Organization (RPO) that specializes in guiding companies through this process?
• Are our internal teams prepared to take part in the documentation process and would having expert guidance and templates make that work more manageable and efficient?
• How confident are we in interpreting what’s required based on our contracts?
• If our CEO signs an affirmation, are we fully confident in what we’re submitting?
• If you’re unsure about any of those, that’s a sign that some outside guidance might be worth considering.

Related: Overcoming the Top CMMC Compliance Challenges

What the Right Partner Brings to the Table

If you’re starting to think some outside support might help, it’s worth understanding what that actually looks like in practice. Working with a guide means your team stays in control while getting the clarity, momentum, and support needed to move forward with fewer delays.

At XPERTECHS, we bring tools and expertise designed specifically for CMMC compliance. Our system gives your team visibility into every step—you answer compliance questions, attach documentation, and track progress all in one place. We help interpret requirements, build out documentation, and maintain readiness, not just for the initial assessment, but for staying compliant over time.

Your internal expertise—knowledge of your business processes and IT systems—is essential. We enhance it with a CMMC-specific roadmap, actionable templates, and ongoing support so your team can focus on execution instead of figuring everything out from scratch.

A Real-World CMMC Compliance Example

One of our clients, a government contractor new to CMMC, came to us just weeks before needing to submit a Level 1 self-assessment. They had done some prep but didn’t feel confident. We helped them clean up documentation, audit their systems, and get their assessment submitted on time with everything backed up in one organized file.

Now, that client is ready to renew annually without starting from scratch each time. That kind of continuity can be tough to build internally, especially if staff roles change or documentation gets lost in someone’s inbox.

Is it Time to Get a Guide for Your CMMC Journey?

If your team has the knowledge, the time, and the clarity to handle compliance on their own, that’s great. But if the stakes feel high and the requirements feel murky, there’s value in working with someone who’s done this before.

XPTS is a Registered Practitioner Organization (RPO), and our team includes Certified Registered Practitioners (RPs) with the training and credentials to guide companies through their compliance journey. That kind of expertise can make a difference, especially when it comes to avoiding costly mistakes and building a process you can sustain year after year.

Want to explore what outsourced CMMC support might look like for your business?

Get in touch and we’ll walk you through it.

Frequently Asked Questions About In-House vs. Outsourced CMMC Support