Financial crime risk assessments (FCRA) are a foundational component of effective anti-money laundering, sanctions, fraud, and corruption frameworks. When implemented correctly, they provide financial institutions with a structured and defensible means of identifying, measuring, and mitigating exposure to financial crime. As regulatory expectations continue to evolve, institutions are under increasing pressure to demonstrate that their risk assessments are comprehensive, consistent, and embedded within broader risk management frameworks.

OpusDatum supported a global banking client to modernise and standardise its financial crime risk assessment process, enabling improved regulatory compliance, stronger risk governance, and more effective decision-making.

Our Client

Our client is a global banking and financial services group headquartered in the UK, serving more than 48 million customers worldwide. Operating across multiple jurisdictions and business lines, the bank faced increasing regulatory scrutiny and a rapidly evolving financial crime threat landscape.

Like many large institutions, the client lacked a single, consolidated view of its financial crime risk exposure. Existing processes were fragmented and heavily manual, limiting the organisation’s ability to assess risk consistently and deploy controls proportionately.

The Challenge

An effective FCRA framework underpins the identification of risk indicators, control design, and ongoing monitoring across AML, sanctions, fraud, terrorist financing, and corruption. However, the client’s existing process relied on emails and spreadsheets, resulting in inefficiencies, inconsistent data, and limited auditability.

To meet the expectations of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and US regulators, the bank needed to implement a standardised, global risk assessment process capable of capturing meaningful risk metrics across jurisdictions and business lines. The challenge was to move away from reactive or defensive risk management practices—such as indiscriminate de-risking—and towards a proportionate, risk-based approach aligned with regulatory guidance and commercial reality.

Our Approach

OpusDatum worked closely with the client to design and implement a tailored, risk-based financial crime risk assessment framework aligned to its business model, geographic footprint, and regulatory obligations.

A centralised technology platform was deployed to replace manual data collection, providing a secure, scalable, and auditable mechanism for capturing risk assessment data globally. This enabled consistent data standards while preserving local accountability.

We designed a robust security model to protect sensitive risk data, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and compliance with regulatory and data protection requirements. Global training was delivered to ensure effective adoption, equipping stakeholders with the knowledge to assess financial crime risk accurately and use the new platform confidently.

Quality assurance controls were embedded to validate submissions for completeness and consistency, improving data reliability and strengthening regulatory defensibility. We also developed tailored Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) to benchmark financial crime risk across regions, products, and business lines, enabling comparative analysis and trend identification.

Advanced data analytics were applied to customer and transaction datasets to enhance understanding of inherent risk exposure. This insight supported targeted optimisation of the financial crime control framework, balancing effective risk mitigation with business viability and avoiding unnecessary de-risking.

Key Benefits & Measurable Outcomes

The global implementation of the financial crime risk assessment framework delivered significant and measurable improvements.

Stronger Risk Governance

Standardised methodologies provided a clear and consistent view of financial crime risk across jurisdictions, supporting more informed decision-making and oversight.

Enhanced Regulatory Compliance

Alignment with FCA and US regulatory expectations improved auditability and reduced regulatory risk, supported by consistent, evidence-based reporting.

Improved Operational Efficiency

Automation replaced manual processes, reducing administrative burden, improving accuracy, and allowing teams to focus on risk analysis rather than data collection.

Increased Risk Awareness

Senior management gained actionable insight into emerging financial crime risks, enabling proactive and proportionate control enhancements.

Scalable and Future-Ready Framework

The platform’s adaptability allowed the client to extend risk assessments into additional financial crime domains as regulatory and threat landscapes evolved.

Optimised Resource Allocation

Improved risk clarity supported more efficient use of compliance resources, delivering cost savings while strengthening control effectiveness.

How We Can Help

Financial crime risk management requires more than periodic assessments—it demands a structured, intelligence-led approach that evolves with regulatory and threat developments.

If your organisation needs to strengthen its financial crime risk assessment framework, enhance regulatory compliance, or move away from inefficient manual processes, OpusDatum can help.

Contact us today to discuss how we can support your organisation in building a robust, scalable, and future-ready financial crime risk management strategy.