Where Technical Advisory Meets Elite Assessment.
The federal compliance landscape demands more than generic consulting and disconnected assessments. It demands precision. It demands technical depth. It demands partners who operate as extensions of your engineering team, not obstacles to your timeline.
bladestack.io and Schellman represent a deliberate alliance between the only advisory-only 3PAO on the FedRAMP Marketplace and the leading assessment firm by volume. This partnership eliminates the friction that derails authorization programs: misaligned materials, surprise findings, endless rework cycles.
When our cyber-samurai engineers prepare your environment, Schellman's assessors encounter systems that are technically sound, documentation that mirrors reality, and evidence that validates on contact. No scavenger hunts. No scope creep. No explanation fatigue.
The result is predictable: assessments that complete 40% faster, budgets that hold, and teams that maintain their sanity. This is what happens when two firms refuse to compete with each other and instead focus entirely on accelerating your path to ATO.
Complementary Expertise, Aligned Incentives, Shared Success
The Alliance That Eliminates Assessment Friction.
Most advisory firms and 3PAOs operate in parallel universes. The advisor writes documentation. The assessor finds gaps. The client pays for rework. Everyone blames everyone else.
bladestack.io and Schellman rejected that model.
Our partnership is built on a structural truth: bladestack.io never performs assessments. Schellman never provides advisory services. Zero conflicts of interest. Complete specialization. When we prepare a client for Schellman, our only metric is assessment success. When Schellman assesses our clients, they encounter systems engineered to their standards.
This alliance is proven, not theoretical. The relationship is forged through successful engagements, not marketing agreements.
Two firms. Separate disciplines. One outcome: your ATO, faster.
Differentiators
The Technical Advantage.
Most partnerships are based on referrals. Ours is based on rigorous operational compatibility. We are not generalists; we are specialists who stay in our lanes to accelerate your velocity. bladestack.io is the only firm on the FedRAMP Marketplace dedicated exclusively to advisory work, meaning our engineers are masters of construction, not inspection. Schellman is the volume leader in assessments because they prioritize quality above all. Together, we provide a "checks and balances" system that is faster, stricter, and more reliable than any single-vendor "one-stop-shop" could ever legally provide.
Zero Conflict Architecture
bladestack.io advises. Schellman assesses. Never the reverse. This structural separation eliminates the conflicts that plague single-vendor engagements where the same firm prepares documentation and validates it. When we prepare your environment, our only success metric is Schellman's assessment outcome. When Schellman assesses, they evaluate without advisory bias. Two independent validations. One bulletproof authorization.
Assessment-Calibrated Preparation
We know exactly what Assessors, including Schellman looks for because we have prepared dozens of clients for their assessors. Our documentation standards, evidence formats, and boundary diagrams are built to Schellman's assessment methodology. No translation layer. No format mismatches. No "that's not how we do it" friction. Your preparation speaks their language from day one.
Unified Client Advocacy
During your assessment, bladestack.io operates as your technical advocate while Schellman operates as your objective validator. We attend interviews, clarify engineering decisions, and bridge communication gaps. Schellman gets accurate answers faster. You get assessors who understand your architecture without repeated explanations. Two firms working the same engagement, aligned on your success.
Compressed Assessment Timelines
Typical assessments drag to 90+ days because assessors spend weeks untangling documentation from reality. The bladestack.io-Schellman partnership eliminates that drag. We validate technical accuracy before Schellman arrives. They validate compliance on a system already proven sound. Assessment duration compresses to 45-60 days because neither firm wastes time on the other's work.
Continuous Partnership Value
Authorization is year one. Annual assessments, significant change requests, and continuous monitoring extend for the life of your ATO. The bladestack.io-Schellman partnership delivers continuity: the same advisory team that built your program, the same assessment team that validated it. No re-education cycles. No relationship rebuilding. Ongoing excellence from partners who know your environment.
Dual Reputation Backing
Schellman is the leading 3PAO by assessment volume and skill. bladestack.io is the only advisory-only 3PAO on the marketplace. When both firms attach their names to your authorization, agencies notice. Your ATO carries the weight of the most trusted assessor and the most technically rigorous advisor in the federal compliance ecosystem. Two reputations. One authorization. Maximum credibility.
Eight Measurable Outcomes From Advisory-Assessment Alignment
The Schellman Partnership Payoff.
Partnership claims are easy. Measurable outcomes are not. The bladestack-Schellman alliance delivers results that appear on timelines, budgets, and team calendars. These eight benefits are not aspirational marketing language. They are documented outcomes from joint engagements with enterprise clients like Samsung, Dynatrace, and Checkpoint. When advisory preparation aligns perfectly with assessment methodology, the friction that typically consumes months and budgets simply disappears. Your teams spend time on product development, not audit firefighting. Your CFO sees predictable spend, not change order surprises.
Faster Assessments
When documentation matches reality and evidence is pre-validated, assessments compress. Schellman spends time on attestation, not archaeology. Typical 90+ day assessments reduce to 45-60 days of predictable, focused validation. Your ATO timeline accelerates because preparation eliminated the typical friction points.
Protected Project Profitability
Scope creep destroys budgets. Discovery of undocumented systems mid-assessment triggers change orders, extends timelines, and erodes margins. bladestack.io preparation locks the boundary pre-assessment. Schellman arrives knowing exactly what to assess. Budgets hold because scope is validated before the first interview.
Pre-Packaged Evidence
Evidence collection typically resembles a scavenger hunt. Teams scramble to locate scan results, configuration exports, policy documents, and approval records. bladestack.io curates an organized evidence library mapped to control requirements. Schellman receives what they need, when they need it, in the format they expect.
Unified Communications Management
bladestack composes and manages all correspondence with the 3PAO and Agency PMO. We present your preparations cogently, respond to RFIs technically, and maintain the communication cadence that keeps assessments on track. One voice, one message, one coordinated engagement.
Interview Acceleration Support
We stand with your team during assessment interviews, providing technical context and engineering perspective that accelerates understanding. Instead of your developers struggling to translate security implementation into auditor terminology, bladestack.io bridges the gap. Interviews become efficient knowledge transfer, not painful interrogations.
Reduced Attestation Risk
Schellman puts their reputation behind every assessment. When they assess a bladestack.io client, they encounter technically sound implementations backed by deterministic evidence. The underlying engineering is validated before their name attaches to the authorization. Your success protects their brand. Their standards protect your authorization.
Seamless Evidence Platform
We operate natively within Schellman's evidence management platforms, streamlining collection and submission workflows. No format conversions. No platform confusion. No friction between advisory deliverables and assessment requirements. The handoff is invisible because the systems are already aligned.
Ongoing Relationship Value
Authorization is not the finish line. Continuous monitoring, annual assessments, and Significant Change Requests demand sustained partnership. bladestack.io and Schellman provide continuity: the same technical depth, the same assessment rigor, engagement after engagement. Your compliance program matures with partners who know your environment.
Ready to Experience Assessment Without Friction?
Compliance programs stall in isolation. A single technical discussion with bladestack principals often reveals shortcuts, eliminates false assumptions, and reframes the entire authorization approach. Schellman readiness becomes tangible, not theoretical. Pick a time. Bring your architecture. Leave with direction.