Writing a real change-control procedure for an MT5 broker

Specification changes — swap, dividend, contract roll, group migration — are where most brokers get burnt at least once. The fix is not a smarter platform; it is a written procedure that survives staffing changes.

This is the four-eye procedure we run for every client change.

Step 1: Pre-trade brief

A one-page memo: what changes, why, what could go wrong, who signs off, what the roll-back plan looks like. No change goes to production without one.

Step 2: Sign-off

Two signatures — operator and principal. The principal is not a rubber stamp; we have killed plenty of changes at this gate.

Step 3: Scheduled deployment

Deployment is scheduled, not opportunistic. It runs against a documented checklist. Any deviation is logged.

Step 4: Post-trade reconciliation

Reconcile against LP feeds. Explain every delta. Sign the reconciliation pack.

Step 5: Audit trail

Every step is time-stamped, signed and stored in a tamper-evident log. A regulator can read it end-to-end without us being in the room.

This is unglamorous work. It is also the work that prevents the after-hours phone calls.