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Four-eyes control
without inbox approvals

Keep the request, the independent review, and the execution result on one case. A practical way to replace forwarded-email approvals.

01RequestContext & evidence
02ReviewIndependent decision
03ResultExecution recorded
See how it worksAudit Trails →

Someone prepares a refund. A reviewer replies “approved” by email. The refund runs in another system. Later, an operator has to piece together what was requested, who reviewed it, and what actually happened.

Four-eyes control, also called maker-checker, requires independent review. The record should preserve that separation from the request through to the result.

The record splits before the action runs

A forwarded email can show who replied. It does not establish whether the reviewer had the right role, which request details they reviewed, or whether the final action matched the request.

If the amount changes, evidence is missing, or execution fails, the team needs more than the approval thread to explain the outcome.

Keep the request and the action on one case

For a refund, start with the original request and its supporting evidence. Give the reviewer the amount, the target transaction, and the reason for the action in the same place.

Latch keeps case notes, evidence, plugin actions, and execution history together. The payment system still processes the refund. The plugin returns the outcome to the case so the operator can see what happened.

Keep what was requested, who reviewed it, and what ran in one record.

See how the workflow works in Latch →

Make the review boundary explicit

Define who can prepare the action and who can approve it. The requester should not provide the independent review of their own request. Enforce that separation in the workflow.

If the amount or target changes after review, define when the changed request needs another review before execution.

Keep denied attempts visible too. A blocked action explains where a permission or approval check stopped the workflow.

Bring the result back to the case

An approval does not prove that the refund succeeded. The case should preserve:

  • The requested action, target transaction, and supporting evidence.
  • The reviewer, the decision, and its timestamp.
  • Any blocked attempt and the reason it was denied.
  • The downstream status, reference, and execution time.
  • Any failure, timeout, or retry that needs follow-up.

A timeout needs investigation. Preserve the returned status so the next operator knows what still needs checking.

Start with one action you need to explain

Choose a refund path that regularly needs review. Put the evidence on the case, define the reviewer, connect the plugin action, and inspect the record after it runs.

Walk through a denial and a failed execution as well as a successful refund. Expand the pattern once all three leave a record another person can follow.

Continue reading

Continue exploring
Next product pathAudit TrailsSee how case-linked evidence, denied paths, and execution logs stay attached to one record.Related pathFinance ControlsExplore four-eyes control, exception handling, and controlled recovery paths for finance teams.Related pathApproval WorkflowsSee how sensitive actions run with reviewer checkpoints, policy checks, and execution history.
Related reads
Four-Eyes Principle, Maker-Checker, and Segregation of Duties: What Actually DiffersFour-eyes, maker-checker, dual control, and segregation of duties are related but distinct. What changes in workflow design for each.Finance Exception Handling Needs Four-Eyes ControlWhy finance exception handling needs four-eyes control, structured evidence, and audit-ready review before unauthorized actions slip through.Turn Reprocessing from Tribal Knowledge into a Governed ActionMake reprocessing explicit, permissioned, and auditable so teams can retry failed work without tribal knowledge or weak controls.
Ready to move beyond reading?

See the same workflow running end to end.

Follow one ticket from intake through review and plugin execution. See the request, the decision, and the result in its audit trail.

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