Control depth follows consequence.
We classify before we build. Customer impact, data sensitivity, autonomy and dependency determine the approval path.
We choose the least complex technology that safely achieves the outcome: deterministic automation where rules are enough, and AI only where it adds justified value.
Ethos alignment
Client promise, conduct, risk appetite and service standards.
Governance
Systems and automation inventory, named owners, approvals and senior reporting.
Data governance
Quality, lineage, purpose, retention and approved data sources.
Data privacy
Lawful use, minimisation, transparency, rights and sensitive-data boundaries.
Human oversight
Review standards, overrides, escalation and clear accountability.
Operational resilience
Vendor controls, monitoring, fallback, incidents and safe recovery.
Assistive
Internal search, summaries and first drafts.
Approved data, access controls, training and output sampling.
Controlled
Customer communications, triage and operational recommendations.
Source grounding, maker-checker review, exceptions and outcome monitoring.
High consequence
Advice, eligibility, pricing, vulnerability, complaints or financial-crime decisions.
Specialist approval, impact assessment, independent testing and meaningful human decision.
Stop
No lawful basis, accountable owner, reliable control route or acceptable customer outcome.
Do not deploy. Redesign, reduce autonomy or remove the use case from scope.
Four gates from idea to assured operation.
Frame
Define purpose, people affected, regulatory perimeter, data, autonomy, dependencies and credible failure modes.
Control
Set data boundaries, human oversight, security safeguards, acceptance criteria and named approvals.
Prove
Test realistic quality, fairness, privacy, security, resilience and customer-outcome scenarios before release.
Operate
Monitor outcomes and change, manage incidents, reapprove material updates and retain a safe fallback.
A compact assurance pack.
Systems use-case register
Purpose, risk tier, owner, status and dependencies.
Data & privacy record
Data flow, lawful basis, minimisation, retention and DPIA where required.
Control & approval record
RACI, review gates, limitations, decisions and accountable sign-off.
Evaluation report
Representative tests, results, failures, remediation and release decision.
Security & resilience pack
Threat model, access, vendor assurance, incident response, fallback and recovery test.
Ongoing assurance
KPIs/KRIs, overrides, incidents, near misses, material changes and periodic review.
Secure the whole workflow.
We assess prompts, retrieved data, identities, permissions, integrations, tools and suppliers. Prompt injection, data leakage, unsafe actions and fallback routes are tested before release.
From expectation to evidence.
Applicability depends on the firm’s permissions, activities, customers, use case and jurisdictions. Final interpretation remains with the client’s accountable legal and compliance owners.
FCA Principles, SYSC & SM&CR
Systems and controls, clear responsibilities and proportionate senior accountability.
Consumer Duty
Where applicable: good outcomes, foreseeable harm, customer understanding and support.
UK GDPR & DUAA 2025
Lawful, fair, transparent and secure processing with safeguards for significant automated decisions.
Operational resilience & third parties
Dependencies, important services, impact tolerances, scenario testing, incidents and exit planning.
Secure AI development
Secure design, development, deployment, operation and maintenance across the complete workflow.
Useful systems. Controlled automation. Evidence your team can stand behind.
Governance diagnostic
Map the use case, duties, data, owners, dependencies and control gaps.
Controlled pilot
Build the smallest useful workflow with acceptance tests, review gates and fallback.
Assured operation
Train the team, monitor outcomes and retain evidence as the system changes.