Sanctions screening for small businesses: a practical workflow

Start with one check and a named reviewer

A small team can use SanctionsKit's dashboard without building an API integration. Try the synthetic demo to see how a possible match is reviewed, then practice saving checks in your workspace's Sandbox. Use invented people and companies while learning.

Before Production, decide which legal parties and lists your process requires. Name the person who will handle uncertain results and their backup. The contracting company and a separate payee may need different checks. Company size alone does not define your obligations; use the requirements guide as a starting point for that assessment.

Enter the supplier's actual identity

Open New screening in the dashboard. Enter the legal name, subject type and reliable facts you have. Use a saved Counterparties profile for an ongoing supplier. Leave unknown dates blank, and do not enter a staff contact as though that person were the company.

Choose the approved policy or available sources and select Run screening. If a required list is unavailable, keep the check pending and resolve the problem. Dropping the list would change the question you meant to ask. A failed request also needs a clear recovery step.

Give an uncertain match a next action

Open the retained case in Review queue and compare the listed record with the supplier. A similar name means there is a candidate to investigate. It does not establish that your supplier is the listed company. Add a reliable fact that helps distinguish the parties or record the specific fact you still need.

Save a reason for each identity decision and record the business action separately. Complete outside checks and approval when required. If the reviewer is away or the evidence is not enough, keep the work open and follow the escalation process. Finishing a form is not a reason to dismiss an unresolved match.

Make the record useful to a backup colleague

Keep the screening and case references with the supplier record. Use evidence exports when you need a local copy. Original supporting documents stay in your approved storage service; linking an external document does not upload the original file into the case.

Ask the backup reviewer to find the case, identify the lists checked and explain the decision. If they need the first reviewer's memory to understand it, improve the note or evidence links. This is a practical way to find gaps before staff change or a record is needed months later.

Plan repeat checks for continuing relationships

Create a monitor with the intended supplier details and coverage. Check the usage forecast and confirm its first completed screening. Assign someone to the Monitoring inbox. A daily schedule does not help if the monitor is paused or still holds outdated supplier details.

The frequency guide explains the supported intervals. If volume later justifies an API, the quickstart connects the same screening and review flow to your application. You do not need to build your own sanctions-list importer first.

Rehearse the difficult cases as well as success

Before using real data, try a synthetic no-match, a similar-name candidate, a missing birth date and a failed check. Ask the responsible person to explain what happens next and find the evidence. Fix any unclear step while the examples are still fictional.

Revisit the process when you enter a market, change services or add sources. Keep the people, coverage and records aligned with the approved process. This guide shows how to carry out the product work; it does not decide which legal obligations apply to your business.

Frequently asked questions