How a 10-Person Manufacturing Company Prepared for CMMC Level 2 After Nearly a Decade of Compliance Work
A 39-year-old defense subcontractor with government expertise finds the documentation and consulting guidance needed to finally feel confident about assessment
CMMC Level 2
Applied solution
Kieri Compliance Documentation
Consulting Support
years in business
Target Assessment
SIEM Cost Reduction
About Advanced Design Fabrication Corp
Advanced Design Fabrication Corp has been making signs, nameplates, labels, and control panels for nearly 40 years. Their work shows up on buses, trains, airplanes, and buildings across the commercial and government sectors. They even built the tallest sign in Virginia, displayed on a hotel in Virginia Beach.
But it’s the government work that brought them to CMMC. As a subcontractor receiving purchase orders from defense primes, much of what they fabricate involves CUI. With just 10 employees, they’re exactly the kind of small manufacturer the Defense Industrial Base depends on.
Jim, the company’s founder, isn’t new to government requirements. He spent 15 years at Norfolk Naval Shipyard before starting his business, leaving as chief engineer for combat systems covering carriers, surface ships, and submarines. He’s a registered professional engineer in Virginia with decades of experience writing policies and navigating federal bureaucracy.
When DFARS 7012 first appeared, Jim took it seriously.
“I’ve been working on this since 2015, literally.”
Challenge
- Jim had a head start most small contractors don’t have. His government background meant he understood the stakes. He’d already achieved DFARS compliance and ITAR registration. His team had written policies and procedures. They’d done the work.
- But when CMMC emerged, the goalposts moved. The challenge wasn’t starting from zero. It was knowing whether what he’d built would actually pass.
- Jim started attending webinars, researching online, trying to fill the gaps in what the government had left undefined. He knew his documentation was solid by DFARS standards. But CMMC assessment was a different test, and the consequences of failing were real.
- For a 10-person company where government work is part of the revenue mix, the financial pressure is significant. Jim needed an assessor’s perspective on whether his documentation would hold up.
- He needed it from people who actually understood what small businesses face.
Amira just impressed me to the nth degree from the first day I ever heard her say a word. She just spoke off the top of her head. She knew exactly where to go to get a control when she was talking about something. She seems to have a real in-depth knowledge of the architecture in computer systems. I hold her in very high regard.”
Jim, Founder,
Advanced Design Fabrication Corp
Solution
- Jim had been watching Amira Armond’s webinars for years. Her expertise stood out immediately. But what sealed his decision wasn’t just technical knowledge. It was Kieri’s approach to small business. “She verbalized that we’re not trying to take advantage of people. We’re in business to make money, but we want to help small businesses get where they need to be.”
- Jim purchased the Kieri Compliance Documentation (KCD) in July 2024 and added consulting hours with Erik Gifford from Kieri’s team.
- Advanced Design Fabrication Corp runs a unique environment: 100% on-premises infrastructure, except for Microsoft 365 GCC High for email. The KCD needed to adapt to their setup, not the other way around.
- Jim used the KCD to transform his existing DFARS documentation into CMMC-ready formats. The process revealed gaps he hadn’t known existed. “I didn’t have a data spillage procedure, which was in the KCD. So it gave me those other things that an assessor felt like I might need to pass an assessment.”
- The real value came from consulting with Erik Gifford. Erik also helped Jim avoid over-engineering his compliance program, a common trap for detail-oriented professionals. “Be careful. A lot of these things you’re really going into what you think they ought to be, and you’re setting yourself up for an assessment trap. Don’t read more into it than what is there. Do what the controls require.”
Key Results
One example saved Jim thousands of dollars every month. He’d been getting quotes for a SIEM solution at $4,000 to $5,000 a month. Erik Gifford pointed him to an alternative at $300 a month. Without that consulting guidance, Jim wouldn’t have known where to go.
Cost Savings Snapshot
| Item | Before Kieri | After Kieri |
|---|---|---|
| SIEM Solution | $4,000-$5,000/month | $300/month |
| Annual Savings | – | $44,400-$56,400 |
After 18 months of preparation using the KCD and Kieri consulting, Advanced Design Fabrication Corp is targeting their CMMC Level 2 assessment for mid-2025. Jim’s confidence has grown substantially.
“I feel more confident in going into an assessment.”
The combination of battle-tested documentation templates and expert consulting helped a company that was already DFARS-compliant identify and close the gaps that separate “we think we’re ready” from “we know we’re ready.”
Jim has gone further than most. In his drive to understand the program thoroughly, he’s passed the RP, RPA, and CCP certifications and is preparing to take the CCA exam. At 74, he’s considering becoming an assessor himself after retirement.
“I would not hesitate to tell someone to go buy your documentation. From the documentation perspective, it absolutely fills a lot of holes for people who don’t really know what they need to do.”
Jim, Founder,
Advanced Design Fabrication Corp
Advice for Defense Contractors
Jim doesn’t sugarcoat the reality for companies just starting their CMMC journey.
“If you’re just starting? You’re way too late.”
He’s been working on this for a year and a half, and he already had comprehensive DFARS documentation when he started. For contractors beginning from scratch, the timeline is even longer.
“I’ve been a year and a half just morphing and polishing up what I have. And I just don’t know how people are going to do it. I really don’t.”
His advice: don’t underestimate the lift, and don’t assume buying documentation means you’re three months from assessment.
“Just because you buy this documentation, you’re not three months from being where you need to be. You’ve got a lot of work to do.”
But for companies willing to do that work, Jim’s recommendation is clear.
Why Kieri?
Jim chose Kieri for a simple reason: they understand what small businesses actually face, and they deliver expertise without taking advantage of people in a difficult situation.
“We’ve referred quite a few people to you.”
For a 10-person manufacturer preparing to protect their government contracts, the KCD and Kieri’s consulting provided the assessor perspective and practical guidance needed to approach assessment with confidence.
Ready to Prepare for Your CMMC Assessment?
Advanced Design Fabrication Corp spent nearly a decade building toward CMMC compliance. With the KCD and Kieri’s consulting support, they transformed existing documentation into assessment-ready materials and identified gaps they didn’t know existed.
Your company can do the same.
Schedule a consultation with Kieri Solutions to discuss your compliance journey.
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Reynolds Construction Achieves Perfect CMMC Level 2 Score Without an IT Background
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How a 10-Person Manufacturing Company Prepared for CMMC Level 2 After Nearly a Decade of Compliance Work
A 39-year-old defense subcontractor with government expertise finds the documentation and consulting guidance needed to finally feel confident about assessment.
93%
SIEM Cost Reduction
Exigo Corporation Achieves CMMC Level 2 Certification with a Cloud-First Approach
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We deliver modern CMMC solutions designed to simplify compliance, eliminate uncertainty, and protect your contract pipeline — without forcing one rigid path.
See how defense contractors achieve CMMC certification with Kieri.
See how defense contractors achieve CMMC certification with Kieri.
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