ACME protocol is a powerful tool in public key infrastructure (PKI) to automate certificate lifecycle management, solving common problems such as manual tracking and security issues associated with traditional methods of managing certificates. By leveraging ACME, organizations can improve their security posture, reduce the risk of system outages caused by human error, and easily switch between Certificate Authorities. HashiCorp Vault is a popular platform that supports the ACME protocol, providing IT teams with automation tools to manage certificate needs, eliminating dependency on manual processes or alternate products. The adoption of ACME simplifies certificate management complexities for organizations, enabling them to focus on other critical tasks.