93 Compliance help Concepts
Controls and the control matrix
For each requirement: the policy that covers it, the procedures that carry it out, and their runs in the period.
Concept
Control
A step in a procedure that checks something, shown as Check on a checklist. A control can require evidence, and can be kept apart from other steps so the same person can’t both do and check the work.
Requirement or risk
Policy that covers it
Procedures that carry it out
Runs in the period
with evidence
The control matrix is that chain for every item, with gaps flagged: a requirement with no policy, or a policy that no procedure carries out. Auditors see it in their portal under Controls, and it’s in the audit package. You can see the same view from Audits → Auditor’s view.

- 1How many requirements have a policy, a procedure and runs behind them
- 2Sections: controls, policies, training, procedure runs, risks, vendors and systems
- 3A gap: the requirement has a policy but no procedure carries it out
- 4The same package the company downloads
Screens show Fernhollow Health, a made-up company we use for demos.
See a full example: an example control matrix.
Related
Procedures, runs, steps and evidence
A procedure starts on an event, hands steps to roles, checks them, and keeps the proof.
The audit portal
What an auditor sees: controls, policies, training, procedure runs, risks, vendors and systems, read-only.
Risk tests
Check every risk and requirement against your documents, the way an auditor would, and fix what’s missing.
More in Concepts
- Policies, drafts and versions
- Requirements and frameworks
- Risk tests
- Controls and the control matrix
- Procedures, runs, steps and evidence
- Training: listening, acknowledging, study games
- Vendors and systems
- Customer security questionnaires
- Discovery: your website and how you work
- “How we really do it” reports