Workers’ compensation rates have increased by more than 40 percent since 2009, and according to the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau, the rise isn’t soon likely to stop. That’s why proactive business leaders like Rod Barbour and Adrian Borg are thinking strategically in advance to guard against risk. They bid traditional workers’s comp providers adieu and joined cooperative insurance pools that are now saving their companies tens of thousands of dollars annually.
Circumventing risk involves carefully analyzing a situation to determine the major hazards, then taking steps to minimize potential damage. In the pages of our November issue, we look at a variety of business threats — from Congress’ consideration of net neutrality (“Protecting Ourselves From a Slower Internet,” page 20), to malicious computer hackers’ propensity for feeding on small businesses (“Web of Thieves,” page 60) to the imperiled livelihoods of beekeepers (“As the Bees Go,” page 52) — to understand how business owners manage their risks.
During the recession, risk management seemed a lot more like crisis management than a forward-looking, enterprise-wide approach to handling risks in a way that promoted sustainable growth. But today, smart companies align their risk management tactics with their strategic plans, which is helping them achieve their most important business priorities. These companies are proactively searching out vulnerabilities and changing processes and procedures to prevent them in the future.
Organizations have historically viewed risk management as amassing capital to address workers’ comp, security breaches, regulatory requirements and emergencies. But today’s companies — having learned from the trials of our nation’s recession — are beginning to view risk management as a vital part of a their comprehensive strategic plans. As Borg Fence and Decks discovered when it joined an insurance captive (“Captive Market,” page 84), a solid risk mitigation strategy can have tremendous impacts on a company’s reputation and profitability.
But the types of risks to which companies are exposed, as well as their severity, are growing, leaving businesses of all stripes and sizes vulnerable and underprotected. According to a 2011 report by Accenture, “Companies are increasingly concerned about the spectrum of risks — from supply chain to operations to regulation to reputation.”
Financial fraud and cybercrime are on the rise, the market is volatile and dozens of industries are being hammered by California’s drought. As such, 98 percent of participants in Accenture’s 2013 Global Risk Management Study reported an increase in the perceived importance of risk management at their organization.
Many are responding by improving their access to robust data, investing in technology that can provide extensive reporting capabilities and “visibility into individual scenarios,” according to Oracle, which released a white paper on the topic last year.
“There is a renaissance in analytics technology underway today, and it arrives just as the issue of risk takes on an even higher profile for leaders across industries,” wrote Deloitte analytics expert Vivek Katyal on the company’s blog. “You probably have been using analytics — or some version of it — for years. … But today risk analytics is more focused on data exploration, segmentation, statistical clustering, predictive modeling, and event simulation and scenario analysis.”
Leaders of companies and jurisdictions of all sizes fight a daily battle against risks both seen and unseen — and many have come up with creative strategies to ward off losses. This month’s stories explore ways to recognize and thwart the hazards that stand between your business and economic prosperity.
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Strategic Thinking
Are you employing your highest quality of thought?
You’ve been there. You’re on a deadline with limited information, and what you’ve got to draw from is a similar episode that transpired eight months ago, or eight years ago or with an entirely different company. But hey, there are some parallels. This time sounds like that time (sort of), so you base your present reaction on your past experience. The process is called reasoning by analogy, and while it can be a powerful method in the decision making process, it can also be problematic and limiting.
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Made to Last
Trusteed IRAs can stretch assets over generations
You’ve made all the right financial decisions. You’ve saved, you’ve planned, you’ve invested. But what if your heirs aren’t quite ready for the responsibilities and tax advantages that go along with inheriting your dutifully funded IRA? Your best bet for control from the grave may be a trusteed IRA.
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Risky Business
How employees are opening doors to hackers
At first glance, the email appeared innocuous enough. All employees were being asked to change their passwords. Just click the link.
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Waterborne Disorder
In the event of flood, area hospitals are at risk
In the hours before Hurricane Sandy hit New York last year, the country’s oldest public hospital thought it was ready.