Examiners Aren't Just Checking Boxes: How to Show Real Control of Policies and Procedures
By SimplifyIT | Published
Examiners don't just want to see your policies and procedures - they want to see proof that you control them. Having a binder or a shared drive full of files isn't enough anymore. FDIC and NCUA regulators want evidence of ownership, accuracy, and consistency.
For banks and credit unions, that means intranet tools like version control, acknowledgments, and audit trails aren't just nice-to-have. They're the difference between a confident exam and a scramble.
The Old Way Fails Under Scrutiny
In many institutions, policies live in shared drives, email attachments, or printed binders. It works - until an examiner asks:
- "Show me the official version of this procedure as of last year."
- "Who approved this update, and when?"
- "How do you know staff actually saw the latest policy?"
If you don't have a digital paper trail, you're left scrambling to prove something you should already know.
What Examiners Really Want
Examiners aren't out to trap you - but they are out to see that you have control. That means:
- Clarity: Only one version is live, and it's easy to prove.
- Ownership: Every document has a clear owner and review schedule.
- Proof: You can instantly show acknowledgments and approvals.
- Governance: Expired documents don't linger; they're retired automatically.
This isn't theory - it's what regulators expect when they test your compliance framework.
How a Modern Intranet Proves Control
SimplifyIT helps banks and credit unions move beyond shared drives and binders by building compliance into daily operations:
- Version Control shows exactly when and how a document changed.
- Workflow Approvals ensure nothing goes live without review.
- Audit Trails log every edit and update.
- Policy Acknowledgments prove staff received and read updates.
- Content Expiration automatically retires outdated documents.
The result: When examiners ask, you don't guess. You show proof instantly.