Closing the gap: from signals to defensible action

Based on a survey of 600 senior risk, compliance and financial crime decision-makers across APAC, EMEA and the United States, this report explores how organisations are bridging the gap between identifying potential risk and making decisions that can be confidently explained, evidenced and defended. 

Spanning the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, UAE, United States, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore, the research provides a global perspective on how organisations are responding to increasing regulatory scrutiny, growing screening volumes and evolving compliance expectations. 

The findings highlight the trends, challenges and priorities shaping risk screening today, from strengthening governance and auditability to balancing human oversight with advances in automation.

• Confidence in screening does not always translate into decision readiness: While 94% of organisations are confident their screening data is complete and current, fewer than one in two (48%) say they could produce a complete audit trail very easily if challenged by a regulator. 
• Preparing for increased regulatory scrutiny remains a challenge: More than two in five (41%) are not fully prepared for closer regulatory review, highlighting ongoing challenges around governance, documentation and access to supporting evidence. 
• Manual processes continue to create operational friction: Despite advances in screening technology, more than two-thirds (69%) of organisations frequently or always verify screening results against another source before taking action, underscoring the resource-intensive nature of moving from a screening signal to a defensible decision.
• Strong decisions depend on strong data: While more than four in five rate their internal (83%) and external (84%) data as strong, only three-quarters (76%) have confidence in both sources, highlighting the importance of trusted data across the screening process. 
• Organisations want AI they can trust, explain and validate: Fewer than 1% of organisations report full trust in AI-supported screening today. Trusted, high-quality data (40%), regulator explainability (37%) and regular testing (36%) are the leading requirements for increasing confidence.