Overview
Security questionnaires are one of the most time-consuming parts of compliance. Customers, partners, and prospects send questionnaires that can have hundreds of questions — and answering them manually takes days. LowerPlane’s Questionnaire AI analyzes each question, matches it against your existing compliance data, and generates accurate answers automatically. You review, edit, and export — cutting response time from days to minutes.How It Works
Import a questionnaire
Upload a questionnaire in CSV, Excel, or PDF format, or paste questions directly. LowerPlane parses the questions and organizes them by section.
AI generates answers
For each question, the AI:
- Searches your policies, controls, and evidence for relevant information
- Identifies which controls and policies map to the question
- Generates a draft answer with references to your actual compliance artifacts
- Assigns a confidence score based on how well your data covers the question
Review and edit
Review AI-generated answers in the editor. Each answer shows:
- The generated response
- Source references (which policies/controls were used)
- Confidence level (high, medium, low)
- Suggested edits or missing information
Supported Formats
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| SIG (Standardized Information Gathering) | Shared Assessments SIG questionnaire |
| CAIQ (Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire) | Cloud Security Alliance CSA STAR |
| VSAQ (Vendor Security Assessment Questionnaire) | Custom vendor security assessments |
| Custom CSV/Excel | Any questionnaire in spreadsheet format with question columns |
| Parsed from uploaded PDF documents |
AI Answer Sources
The AI draws from your organization’s actual compliance data:Policies
Searches approved policies for relevant statements, procedures, and commitments.
Controls
Maps questions to implemented controls and their evidence.
Evidence
References collected evidence artifacts (screenshots, configs, reports).
Previous Answers
Learns from previously approved answers to similar questions.
Confidence Scoring
Each AI-generated answer includes a confidence score:| Confidence | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| High (80-100%) | Strong match with existing policies and controls | Quick review, likely ready to send |
| Medium (50-79%) | Partial match — some gaps in supporting data | Review and supplement with additional detail |
| Low (below 50%) | Limited supporting data found | Manual answer recommended |
Auto-Answer Rate
Organizations with a mature compliance program (policies approved, controls implemented, evidence collected) typically see:- 70-80% of questions auto-answered with high confidence
- 15-20% with medium confidence (minor edits needed)
- 5-10% requiring manual answers
The auto-answer rate improves over time as you approve more answers, add policies, and collect more evidence. Each completed questionnaire trains the system to give better answers next time.
Best Practices
Complete your policies first
Complete your policies first
The AI’s answer quality depends directly on your policy coverage. Ensure all required policies are created and approved before running questionnaire AI.
Review every answer
Review every answer
AI answers are suggestions, not final responses. Always review before submitting — especially for questions about specific technical implementations.
Build your answer library
Build your answer library
Save approved answers to build a reusable library. Future questionnaires with similar questions will get higher confidence scores.
Use for gap analysis
Use for gap analysis
Low-confidence answers highlight gaps in your compliance program. Use the questionnaire as a diagnostic tool, not just a response mechanism.