Review workforce movement first
Start with people who joined, left, changed role, extended a contract, moved assignment, or are approaching an end date. Confirm that the relevant onboarding, access, device, ownership, and offboarding actions reflect the current position.
Workforce changes often explain differences elsewhere in the review. A device without a clear user or an application account without a current owner may trace back to a transition that was only partly completed.
Look at access and device exceptions
Review temporary permissions, overdue access decisions, devices that differ from the normal baseline, pending returns, unresolved support issues, and endpoints whose ownership or readiness state is unclear.
Each exception should still have a valid reason, a current owner, and a future action or review point. If those elements are missing, the exception is no longer being actively managed.
Check vendor dependencies and open commitments
The review should surface vendor actions that affect onboarding, access, devices, applications, or client delivery. Confirm the next action, internal owner, expected update, and escalation route for items that have not moved as planned.
Test whether records match operating reality
A control check should not become a presentation exercise. Select a small number of current items and follow them through the available records. Can the team identify the owner, status, device, access, dependency, and next action without relying on private context?
Where the record and reality differ, decide whether the issue is a missed update, an unclear workflow, duplicated data, or an ownership gap.
Finish with decisions and named actions
The review should produce a short list of corrections, decisions, and improvements. Every action needs an owner and review point. Some findings will be individual fixes; others may justify changing a request route, baseline, vendor routine, or reporting field.
A useful monthly check is consistent and focused. It helps the team maintain operational truth without turning the review itself into a large administrative process.