In RCM, what is the difference between a source document and a regulatory alert

[AmeetPatra1]

In Regulatory Change Management, what is the difference between a source document and a regulatory alert ?

Please provide but a technical and a functional answer.

#grc #irm #rcm

[Jean Ferreira]

Source Document

• Definition: A source document is the original, authoritative regulatory text issued by a regulator or governing body.
• Examples: A law, regulation, rule, policy, or guidance document — like a PDF from the SEC, OSHA, or GDPR guidelines.
• Purpose:
  • Acts as the primary source of truth.
  • Serves as a reference for interpretation and traceability.
  • Usually uploaded or linked to the platform for analysis and context.
• Use in RCM:  Organizations use source documents to extract obligations and requirements to ensure compliance.

Regulatory Alert

• Definition: A regulatory alert is a notification or summary that an update, change, or new regulation has been issued by a regulator.
• Examples: A news-like item such as “New AML rules effective Q3 2025” or “Updated GDPR enforcement guidelines published.”
• Purpose:
  • Alerts compliance teams about new or changing requirements.
  • Typically created manually or received via integration with a regulatory content provider (e.g., Thomson Reuters, LexisNexis).
• Use in RCM:
  • Triggers the regulatory change workflow.
  • May reference one or more source documents.
  • Can be reviewed,  assessed, and then converted into regulatory changes, tasks, or action items.

Key Difference Summary

Aspect	Source Document	Regulatory Alert
What it is	The actual regulatory content (law, rule, etc.)	A notification or summary of a regulatory change
Origin	From regulatory bodies (e.g., PDF, HTML, etc.)	Often from content providers or regulatory watch services
Function	Basis for identifying obligations	Triggers assessment and compliance workflows
Example	GDPR Regulation PDF	Alert: "EU updates GDPR guidelines for cross-border data"

In practice, regulatory alerts lead you to source documents. The alert tells you something has changed; the source document tells you exactly what and how.

[AmeetPatra1]

But still if a customer says that at the end an alert will be a part of a source document, why do I need two different types of alerts, what should one say?

And why do we need a source document table for import, we can directly add new citations in citations table?

Is it just to manage approvals through import tasks?