Maker-checker is not a checkbox
Why dual control fails on fintech platforms when exception paths and admin tools sit outside the approval trail.
Maker-checker looks solid on a process map: one person initiates, another approves. In fintech platforms, the failure usually lives one layer deeper — admin panels, support tools, or batch jobs that can move money without touching the same approval trail.
When we test payment controls, we ask three questions. First, can anyone with privileged access bypass the maker-checker UI? Second, are emergency overrides logged with a second person and a time-bound reason? Third, do reconciliation teams see those overrides the same day?
If the answer to any of those is soft, the control is theatre. Fixing it rarely means buying another workflow tool. It means closing the side doors, naming who holds break-glass access, and making overrides visible to finance before the ledger closes.
Autodatatech reviews these paths as part of payment controls testing and broader internal controls assessments. If your board only sees the happy-path diagram, it is time to walk the exception routes with them.