Model Sentinel

Use the checks the model already contains, and declare narrow gap checks when it does not. Model Sentinel watches those pointers against a baseline so new failures stand out without changing the workbook.

Adopt the model's checks

Model Sentinel looks for the model's own check system: audit sheets, named check cells, inline check rows, and key-results register cells. Adoption keeps those locations as live pointers in a .mxchecks sidecar beside the workbook. It is an all-or-none review step: you decide whether the proposed pointers are the checks you want Sentinel to watch.

Sentinel never changes the workbook

Sentinel writes check state to the companion .mxchecks file and Proof snapshot records. It does not edit cells, insert formulas, unhide sheets, recalculate workbooks, or run macros.

Declare gap checks

When the model has no suitable check, or when a gap remains outside the model's own check system, use Declare a check. Select exactly one cell for a cell expectation, or exactly two cells for a reconciliation. Declared checks are saved as pointers in the .mxchecks sidecar, grouped as Declared by you, and evaluated by Sentinel without writing anything into the workbook.

  • One-cell expectations can be is TRUE, equals a value, or is not an error.
  • Two-cell reconciliations require an explicit tolerance you supply.
  • Ranges are not supported for declared checks.
  • Remove declared check is available only for checks you declared; adopted workbook checks are not removed from this pane action.

Watch and baseline

  • Evaluate now. Re-read the watched pointers and show the current pass/fail state.
  • Snapshot now. Capture the current check state as an evidence snapshot.
  • Set as baseline. Store the current pass/fail state as the baseline Sentinel watches against.
  • New-failure alarms. Sentinel alarms only on failures that are new against that baseline.

History and Explain value

Compare with previous version compares check state against an earlier workbook version. For register rows after that version compare, Explain value can hand the moved register value to Material Change Intelligence so reviewers can see the drivers behind the move.

Attest and hand off

Sentinel snapshots can feed the Proof story: a sealed SentinelSnapshot ledger record, a Model Sentinel summary section in the signed certificate, and a .mxchecks sidecar that rides in the Evidence Pack when present. When declared checks are included, the certificate and pack wording split adopted model checks from checks declared by the user. The sidecar is still a companion file, so keep it beside the workbook when you want Sentinel state to travel across saves, email, or review handoff.

What Sentinel is not

  • It does not decide whether the model is correct; it watches adopted or declared checks and reports what they report.
  • Declared checks are not inserted into the workbook and are always labelled as yours, not the model's own.
  • It does not silently unhide sheets, recalculate, or run macros to discover hidden state.

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