Field note

Dual control without deadlocks

Educational article · Approvals & custody operations

Two-person rules fail in predictable ways: the second signer is on a flight, the chat thread becomes the “system of record,” and Friday close turns into a hostage situation. Dual control should slow risk — not freeze the desk.

Name a backup pair in advance

Backup approvers need the same training and the same system access, not a verbal promise. Publish who covers which window in KST and which events still require the primary pair.

Escalation clocks beat heroic wait times

If an approval sits untouched for a defined interval, the queue should surface an escalation path. Waiting “until someone notices” is how pending lanes rot into forgotten intents.

Screenshots are evidence scraps, not ledgers

Capture approvals inside the register with timestamps and roles. Screenshots can support an incident review; they should not be the only proof that dual control occurred.

For structured practice, see our courses. Reminder: Not Financial Advice.