Get a read on risk.

Making informed decisions is crucial in risk management, and good decisions start with good data—but not just any data. Clean and well-organized reports are the difference between reacting to problems and getting ahead of them. When reports are clear and timely, patterns emerge. And when patterns emerge, risk professionals can stop chasing issues and start preventing them.

In 2024 we highlighted the following risk trends: cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI), environmental, social, and corporate governance, market capacity, and shifting views towards managing risk. The complexity of these issues became more interrelated and integral to an organization’s operations.

2023 was a difficult year for all industries. Risk became more complex as organizations continued to navigate cyber security, labor shortage and employee turnover, supply chain issues, and shifting risk profiles.  

In 2022, global industries were forced to adapt and respond to a growing list of emerging risks and disasters. This past year, strides have been made to amplify the adoption of new technology, expand  the talent pool and adopt innovative, data-driven, risk management strategies. For 2023, the risk landscape is expected to change faster than most organizations can manage - leaving executives and risk managers struggling with the question: “How can I make my organization more resilient?” 

Here are some strategic considerations to get started.

One of the key advantages of having ClearRisk as your Risk and Claims Software provider is that our system is built by Risk Managers, for Risk Managers. Our team prides itself on understanding the daily challenges and needs of our customers. 

In the modern business world, effective cybersecurity is a crucial priority for management. Cyberattacks can take your information, gain access to your operating system, and demolish your entire network in more extreme cases. Every digital device should encompass some sort of cybersecurity for your protection from theft and viruses.

8 things you missed in the SEC climate disclosure guidance

The SEC’s long awaited guidance on climate-related risk disclosures in the United States was recently released, calling for corporations to report their physical and transition climate risks, impacts and targets. 

Over the past couple of years, small businesses have been through the ringer. With so much unprecedented turmoil from a global pandemic, economic decline, and inflation affecting businesses, it’s important that SMBs take steps to protect themselves from preventable risks.

In 1985 two accountants from Bedford, Nova Scotia developed the Bedford Accounting Software program. Later, Bedford was sold and became Simply Accounting and then Sage Accounting, as it is known today.

Risk management departments have become commonplace and necessary for large public or private organizations that have broad and diverse operations. Risk management teams are responsible for keeping track of a huge amount of data, including details related to incidents, claims, insurance policies, physical assets, certificates, contracts, employees and more. Effective risk management relies on reports produced from this data to enhance visibility, inform decision making, and optimize risk organization-wide. 

If you’re a large organization with a high incident frequency, large number of physical assets, and a broad range of diverse operations, you’ve probably considered acquiring a Risk Management Information System (RMIS). However, adopting a new solution may be time consuming due to budget constraints and lengthy RFP processes. This blog will discuss how risk managers can benefit from the tools available to them to develop risk management plans before they are ready to take on a more robust solution.

While the main concern for everyone is their safety, the safety of their loved ones and of their homes, businesses can be impacted just as forcefully from such powerful storms.

Lack of preparations can cost business owners thousands or even millions of dollars in damages.

There are many things you can do to prepare your business for storms, so you can focus on the safety of more important aspects of your life until all is calm again.

This is a guest post by Sara Carter. Sara is a co-founder of the website Enlightened Digital, entrepreneur, and Bostonian.  While writing in the tech and business space, her goal is to explore how changes in the digital world affect business growth and professional development, especially for women.

There are many options and vendors when it comes to computing software. For example, there are application suites such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) offerings, and collaboration and content management applications in the software as a service (SaaS) race. However, there are a few other decisions to be made when it comes to utilizing this type of software solution. Organizations can either look to cloud hosting services or they can maintain their on-premise system.

Organizations have always been managing risk, both formally and informally. Risk management as a profession, however, has become increasingly popular in the last few decades. With promises of huge financial savings and other benefits, organizations are eager to begin.

However, it should not be taken lightly. There is a process to follow, and there are several key issues that risk managers often have trouble with. If you feel your initiative isn’t fully effective, here are several actions that may be hindering your project and how to fix them. 

“How much does it cost?” is one of the most common question buyers ask when looking for cloud-based software solutions. Price is definitely a major factor when purchasing, but there are many other important questions that can  get missed at the beginning of the buying process. Asking the following questions upfront can save buyers some big headaches down the road.

Every organization, no matter the structure, nature of operations, or size, has reputational risk. All risks are significant in and of themselves, but resulting reputation damage can be even more catastrophic, as a reputation is one of a company’s biggest assets.

Sometimes all it takes is a rumour to make the public lose confidence in an organization, ending it quite quickly. As Warren Buffet said, “it takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it”.

What happens when an incident occurs in your organization? Will all the relevant details be recorded, ensuring that you will have this information on hand when it’s needed in the future?

Whether reporting an employee or customer injury, a defective product, property damage, or any other type of incident, it is extremely important for an organization to be able to easily and efficiently create reports. We've discussed the benefits, but what should actually be included in these incident reports?

When something goes wrong in your organization, do you have a method to keep track of it? Will all the relevant details be recorded, ensuring that you are protected from legal liability?

Whether reporting an employee or customer injury, a defective product, property damage, or any other type of incident, it is extremely important for a business to be able to easily and efficiently create incident reports. For best results, draft a template and use it consistently so that all incidents will have the same level of data and detail.

Risk managers know the purpose of their role and the value they bring to any organization. However, other employees may not understand what the risk department does or the widespread benefits of their strategy and actions. In many cases, they might be unable to accurately define risk management! This creates a problem. It’s harder for risk managers to get the buy-in to implement mitigation procedures when risk management isn’t common knowledge. To illustrate the importance of risk, here are 10 reasons all employees should care about risk management. We encourage you to share this with your team!

At ClearRisk, we're proud to publish new and valuable content to our risk management community weekly. This week, we thought we'd take the opportunity to recognize some other blogs that are doing a fantastic job of sharing risk information. Here are the top eight risk management blogs to follow, whether you've been in the industry for years or are just starting out. 

The risk industry and the professionals within it have changed drastically over the last few decades.

Once, risk professionals simply purchased insurance to transfer losses onto another company. Now, they are expected to monitor the risk environment, identify and predict risks, and implement proactive strategies to prevent issues from occurring or minimize their impact when they do. Top-leadership positions based on risk management, such as Chief Risk Officer (CRO), are becoming increasingly common.

With this in mind, what skills and competencies are now necessary for a risk professional to be successful? Certainly a general knowledge of the insurance industry and financial risk will no longer suffice. In addition to an understanding of many topics and environmental factors, there are necessary personality traits, such as influential, flexible, and collaborative.

It's a normal human tendency to stay optimistic and believe that you are immune from disaster. We say, "that'll happen to other people, I'll hope for the best and focus on my day-to-day activities."

Organizations use risk management systems to track claims and risk information, analyze and report on data, and monitor and control the overall cost of risk management. You’ve recognized the need for a risk management system in your organization. Great! But how do you ensure that you choose the right system? There are several vendors to choose from, each slightly different. You also need to choose a system that’s right for your organization: it should be a tool to help you manage risk. It must streamline your process, not add another task.

There are three steps that will allow you to feel confident in the risk management system you choose for your organization. First, consider your internal environment. Then, use this to identify your primary and secondary system criteria. Finally, use this knowledge to research and select the vendor that is best suited to your organization.

Culture, in general, is “the attitudes and behaviour characteristic of a particular social group”. In an organization, it is comprised of employees’ beliefs, values, and mindsets and how these influence their behaviour. It is how they choose to go about their jobs on a daily basis and why they act in this way.

One of the most crucial aspects of an organization is its safety culture. This is particularly true in manual work environments where incidents and injuries can be common. Safety culture involves the general mindset of employees about risks and how to prevent them through reporting unsafe actions, taking proper precautions, and so on.

Organizations are constantly searching for opportunities to reduce insurance costs. Companies need to view their role in the insurer/insured relationship differently. The insurance company isn’t selling you insurance; you are selling them your risk. Don't let them assume what you do and what your risks are.

By providing detailed risk management plans, including your organization's ability to produce and implement trend analysis reporting, your organization is promoting its proactive and risk-conscious environment. When history is unknown, or the internal approach is more reactive than proactive, insurers will typically err on the side of caution. This frequently translates into higher premiums and more restrictive coverages and limits.

Follow these tips below to get the best insurance for your organization:

A fire has destroyed your manufacturing facility that produces 80% of your products. Your staff has nowhere to work, your suppliers have nowhere to ship goods, and your customers start looking for new suppliers. Now what?

Moving data into the cloud is an intimidating step for most organizations. IT teams must worry about security and privacy issues, while employees are concerned about the implementation of such a substantial change.

However, in today’s increasingly automated environment, cloud computing is the best way to manage data and effectively compete in the marketplace: in 2017, 74% of Tech Chief Financial Officers said that cloud computing had the most measurable impact on their organization. The cloud lowers workload and cost, enables flexibility and collaboration, and actually increases security. Here are six reasons all organizations should embrace the cloud:

If you've never formally managed risk before, starting can be a daunting process. However, it's likely that you're already using strategies throughout the business. These 25 tips are simple to implement in your insurance process and will help you lower costs and better manage risk. 

This week we're pleased to feature a guest post from Shannon Devane. Shannon is a ClearRisk user and also the Risk Manager at the City of Vaughn, Ontario. 

Full disclosure – I am not an Information Technology Specialist nor a Business Analyst. In fact, I’m a Risk Manager ‘moonlighting’ in software implementation and development. My background involves various areas of insurance, risk, and claims, primarily in the Public Sector. Throughout my career, I have been involved in several large software purchases and designs. From a large, multi-organization project to one catered to a specific group of clients with a single municipal implementation on the side, I have come away from each project feeling more confident and knowledgeable.

Deciding on any significant organizational change is difficult. There are multiple stakeholders to please, a budget to meet, and risks to manage. When the change involves choosing and implementing a new system, there are even more issues: establishing that it meets your organization’s security needs and expectations can be complicated. If you’re looking for a new system, here are 30 questions you may consider asking to determine if it’s the right option:

Data analysis can help predict the outcome of a situation or allow you to protect your organization against risk. As discussed in a previous blog post, analysis has many benefits including mitigating repetitive losses, lowering insurance premiums, and more.

We recognize that data analysis can be difficult, particularly for organizations with a lot of data and complex processes. In fact, an estimated 75% of organizations lack the technology or strategy to effectively use their data. That’s why we came up with this simple guide on the steps for data analysis.

Municipal risk managers have significant responsibilities. Resident complaints, employee incidents, and a continuous stream of claims are just some of the challenges that are compounded by an inefficient system and the need to juggle priorities. Claims and risk automation allows the public sector to streamline their processes and achieve numerous benefits.

There are three primary reasons all risk professionals should actively manage cyber risk: to comply with regulations, its frequency, and its severity. But what can be done about this problem?

In a study by Accenture Insurance, only 43% of executives believed that their organization’s cyber defence was fully functional. Cyber risk is a difficult threat to manage as technology is constantly changing and there isn’t one clear-cut solution. This list of strategies can be used individually or in tandem to reduce an organization’s cyber risk.

Does your organization have a process and program enabled to report on near misses easily? Are corrective actions being implemented to lower the frequency and severity of future occurrences? Are employees risk sensitive?

A near miss is an unplanned event that did not result in injury or damage - but had the potential to do so. When only reporting claims and omitting near misses, your organization is not getting the full picture of potential hazards.

This is a guest post written by Carol Williams, founder and principal consultant of ERM Insights by Carol. Carol helps mid-sized organizations prioritize resources to focus on the biggest threats and opportunities. Grab her free ebook on how enterprise risk management is different from traditional risk management.

All successful endeavours that stand the test of time look at the big picture. History is replete with examples. If Henry Ford did not think about the big picture of mobility and production, would the iconic brand still be around today?

The same principle is true for initiatives within an organization – if you do not consider the big picture of how it will deliver value and achieve long-term goals, the effort has a higher risk of stagnation and even failure.

Insurance is essential but costly. Every organization needs it, or they risk shutting down in the face of a crisis they can’t recover from.

Even so, insurance premiums come with a hefty price tag. Smaller organizations may feel that insurance coverage is out of their reach while large corporations must control the hundreds of claims they face per year. Either way, all organizations must find a way to reduce their insurance costs to ensure they can protect themselves without spending too much money.

Product recall is a terrifying phrase for both manufacturers and retailers. If not handled properly, it has the ability to destroy brands and bankrupt companies. With the ability to have such a detrimental impact, you would think that most companies have an effective product recall plan in place. However, many companies are not prepared to handle a large product recall incident.

Loss control is a management priority whether a fleet is large or small. A Fleet Loss Prevention Program can decrease insurance claims and help mitigate the frequency and severity of future losses. Often the other tangible and intangible benefits of these types of programs can be overlooked, but are just as valuable to your company!

You’ve recognized the need for a risk management system, evaluated vendors’ products, and chosen the system that’s best for your organization. It may seem like the work is done, but there’s still a significant challenge ahead: the implementation of the system.

This step is arguably the most important: failure to smoothly implement a risk management system will make it much harder to achieve success. Before beginning implementation, consider the following advice:

Residents in coastal British Columbia experienced an unusual occurrence yesterday: a tsunami warning. A large earthquake struck about 250km off the coast of Alaska around 1:30am Pacific Time on Tuesday, January 23. Alaskan and B.C. residents were warned to move to higher ground in preparation of the wave that was feared to be on its way. Full CBC coverage of the event can be found here. 

Even if you don’t realize it, you’re probably employing some kind of risk management in your organization. Over time, you develop procedures to make sure things don’t go wrong and put plans in place to reduce organizational impact if they do.

Creating a risk management plan is simply about formalizing that process and being able to devote your resources more effectively. The first step in this process, and one of the most important, is identifying your risks.

You will need to make a list of all the specific risks that could impact your organization. This can be a daunting task, especially for new businesses that don’t have years of experience and history to rely on. Fortunately, there are some strategies you can turn to for help:

In a previous blog post, we discussed the importance of storing data and the value it can bring to any organization. Now, we’re going to talk about the next step in using data: analytics.

Analytics turn your data from useful to extremely effective and allow you to make changes that will benefit your organization as a whole. A survey by Deloitte found that 55% of organizations believe that analysis improves the organization's competitive position and 96% agree that it will continue to become more important over the next three years. Risk managers should utilize data analytics as they allow you to:

If your organization has a physical area where employees work or customers visit, you need to proactively manage the risk of slips, trips, and falls. If you’re not convinced of the severity of these incidents, check out these concerning statistics:

• Over 1,000,000 people annually need emergency medical care due to a slip or fall incident
• 67% of falls are due to slips and trips
• The average cost to defend a slip or fall claim is $50,000
• Hip fractures and traumatic brain injuries are most commonly caused by falls

Many companies do not keep claims information internally. They simply defer this record-keeping process to their insurance provider. However, there are several benefits to tracking this data in-house.

While it may be a bit of an adjustment at the start, you will quickly see a return on your investment as your risk management department and your organization as a whole benefits.

In Canada, bodily exertion and contact with objects and equipment are the top two events that cause employees to miss work. Risk assessments can be used to protect both the safety of the employees and the security of the business or organization.

In industries where heavy machinery and intense labor are required, it's important to take extra measures to thoroughly manage the risks that can put employees in danger.

Next to controls, the single most effective way to prevent fraud is to create an environment that is fraud-resistant. It is possible to limit opportunities for fraud before they impact your organization by identifying unacceptable practices and advocating stringent consequences for offenders.

An average organization only uses 50% of their available data for decision-making. This is significant when you consider 70% of late adopters base their decisions on gut feeling or experience, while 60% of best-in-class companies use data analytics when making decisions.

Data is powerful when used to its full capability; by using all available data, an organization can establish a clear competitive advantage. Storing and regularly accessing relevant information will allow your organization to save time and money while drastically improving decision quality. Below are some of the key benefits that data utilization can have on your organization.

Even though risk management is a relatively new area for organizations, dating back a few decades at the most, the systems and processes that risk managers use are often outdated and ineffective. This could be the reason your risk management team is having trouble producing actionable information and delivering on results: the system is damaging their efforts. If you have experienced any of the following 10 signs, it may be time to change how you manage risk.

Are you spending too much time performing repetitive tasks or searching for documents? Tired of limits on your ability to report to your boss, help your customers, and collaborate with your coworkers? Do you think a change could decrease your organization’s losses?

A paperless system might be exactly what you need to increase profit, reduce labour, help the environment, and change the way you manage risk from reactive to proactive. Here are just some of the advantages that going paperless with ClearRisk can bring to your organization.

Data analytics are extremely important for risk managers. They improve decision-making, increase accountability, benefit financial health, and help employees predict losses and monitor performance. Not convinced? Check out two of our blog posts on the topic: Why All Risk Managers Should Use Data Analytics and 6 Reasons Data is Key for Risk Management.

However, achieving these benefits is easier said than done. There are several challenges that can impede risk managers’ ability to collect and use analytics. Fortunately, there’s a solution:

When water and sewer systems begin to show weakness, residents look to municipalities to come to the rescue. By knowing the main issues that result in liability claims, municipalities can take steps to mitigate the risks imposed by faulty water and sewer systems. In this post, we discuss the three primary liabilities for water/sewer operators and what municipalities can do to avoid them. 

Last week, we presented 8 best practices for managing cyber risk. Now we're going to explain why it's so crucial to implement these strategies today. As technologies advance, risk teams are in a constant battle to protect their organizations against new threats. The most recent trend to gain attention is cyber risk. In a 2018 survey conducted by Risk.net, areas of cyber risk ranked #1 and #2 on a list of top ten operational risks.

As an occupier, you have an obligation to maintain your property at a reasonable standard of care so as to not be held liable in case of an accident involving a patron.

An “occupier” may be broadly defined as someone in possession of premises, responsible for premises, in control of premises, responsible for activities on the premises, in control of activities on the premises, responsible for people allowed on the premises, or in control of people allowed on the premises.

Why should your organization be using risk maps? 

Building a risk map brings valuable benefits. You will have a thorough understanding of your risk environment and how individual risks compare to one another. You can use this to strategically prioritize your risks and determine where to use your limited resources.

A risk map is built by plotting the frequency of a risk on the y-axis of the chart and the severity on the x-axis. Frequency is how likely the risk is or how often you think it will occur; severity is how much of an impact it would have if it did occur.

If you think the cost of claims and incidents within your organization is too high, it’s time to address that problem.

But how can you know what steps to take when all you have is an overall number?

By breaking down occurrences by location, department, division, and so on, it will be easier to figure out the root of the problem and work towards solving it. That’s why it’s important to make these individual units accountable for their costs.

Mid-market is the most profitable and coveted segment, and therefore the most fiercely competed over. Medium-sized companies have the same problems as Fortune 500 companies, just on a smaller scale.

The problem lies in risk solutions; these solutions don't scale and small companies are unsure of where they can turn for help. As a result, medium-sized businesses do not benefit fully from risk management.Insurance brokers deal with these companies every day, sharing advice on one important aspect of risk: their insurance.

Brokers specialize in helping these same companies use broader risk management resources, tools, and services. If the brokers do not provide risk management services, others will: accountants, lawyers, and OHS and WCC consultants. Insurance brokers should talk to their clients and prospects about risk management in a way they understand.

While conducting business, there are countless legal issues that a company may run into. Some, such as negligence in product liability and occupier’s liability, are obvious and most companies already have mitigation measures in place. Others are not considered as frequently and can even happen accidentally.

While unintentional, these mistakes can have consequences that are just as severe. Here are several legal risks that all companies should incorporate into their risk management plan.

Risk data includes information regarding risks, claims, incidents, losses, and mitigation strategies in an organization. While risk data is important to the success of the organization as a whole, it can sometimes be difficult to stress its importance to employees who don’t realize the impact it has on decision-making, processes, and financial savings. (If they need extra convincing, show them our blog post on 10 Reasons Risk Management Matters for All Employees!)

When staff have multiple tasks to complete, submitting data to the risk department may not take priority, which can limit the effectiveness of the organization. 

How can risk managers and other staff members overcome issues when communicating risk data? The answer is simple: with technology. Let’s tackle each of the challenges and illustrate their technology-based solution.

Practically everyone in an office environment has some understanding of Excel and similar spreadsheet programs. They revolutionized computing for finance and accounting firms and can be incredibly useful for a number of purposes.

However, as organizations become increasingly complex, spreadsheets can create more problems than they solve. For risk management in particular, organizations should consider moving to a more modern approach, such as a Risk Management Information System (RMIS). Here are some of the reasons why:

Ethical risk management is incredibly difficult, mostly because you cannot predict what an employee is thinking or control every one of their actions. However, finding ways to manage this risk is vital: one person’s choices can cost millions of dollars, close down a business forever, and do significant damage to customers.

While risk avoidance is impossible, here are a few things you can do to lessen the chance of being a part of the latest scandal.

Vehicle inspections are critical in not only ensuring that a driver of a company vehicle is safe, but that other drivers are safe as well. Negligence of vehicle inspections and maintenance could have dire consequences for a company in the event of an accident. This post outlines daily, monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual fleet vehicle inspection procedures that protect companies from the risks imposed by uninspected vehicles.

Property managers face a wide variety of risks in their work, and a study by Deloitte found that risk management is now one of the top three concerns held by property managers.  As their portfolio grows, so does the number of property and tenant risks.

A potentially overwhelming amount of information has to be effectively managed and used. There are legal risks every step of the way, as well as the general market exposure that almost every organization has to overcome.

Implementing a change is difficult in any kind of organization. You must handle employee resistance, convince top management, and satisfy a number of different requirements from multiple departments. In fact, research from McKinsey and Company has shown that approximately 70% of large organizational transformations fail.

However, with effective planning and communication, you can overcome these issues. You simply have to prove the new system or process is worth it. Here are some strategies for gaining support for a new risk management system:

Over the past few weeks we've been covering topics such as "6 Reasons Data is Key for Risk Management", "Why All Risk Managers Should Use Data Analytics", and "Data Analysis Steps for Risk Managers". Data has been deemed today's most valuable asset: the "oil of the digital era". Now, let’s delve into some types of analysis that may be particularly helpful for your organization or risk team. 

Crime prevention within municipal operations can be an important way to mitigate related risk. Steps towards crime prevention can include securing premises, implementing financial management systems, preventing theft of special equipment, marketing all valuable property, and assigning costs associated with possible theft scenarios.

The most tempting targets for thieves include:

• Cash and other items of considerable value
• Special machines, equipment, vehicles, etc.
• Items that can be resold
• Confidential materials
• Computers and electronics

Slips, trips, and falls are a common cause of liability claims affecting organizations. These occurrences can range from minor incidents to major claims that can involve multi-million dollar lawsuits. It’s unlikely to avoid these types of potential accidents completely, but it is possible to take precautions that will help in reducing the frequency and severity in case of an event.

Many insurance adjusters and third party administrators (TPAs) provide claims systems as part of their services. While this is undoubtedly convenient, you may be leaving a lot on the table in terms of flexibility, independence, and data ownership. This post outlines some reasons why your organizations should consider seeking out an external claims system as opposed to relying solely on your adjuster’s or TPA’s built-in system.

A risk map is built by plotting the frequency of a risk on the y-axis of the chart and the severity on the x-axis. Frequency is how likely the risk is or how often you think it will occur; severity is how much of an impact it would have if it did happen. The higher a risk ranks for these qualities, the more threatening it is to your organization.

Last week we discussed the importance of risk mapsand why every risk-conscious organization should begin using them (check out our post on how risk mapping allows you to gain insight, use valuable resources efficiently, and improve mitigation). Now, we’re giving you four tips on how to build the map itself.

Wholesalers, like their retail counterparts, incur many risks while purchasing inventory from manufacturers and selling it to their customers. However, there are some special considerations that a wholesaler must make.

If you're a wholesaler, here are some issues you must be aware of and ready for:

Last week, we discussed the importance of reputation management and how risky it can be. Controlling public perception is always important, but it is absolutely crucial in a crisis situation. When something goes wrong in your organization, managing public perception will prevent a simple mistake from becoming catastrophic. Key sectors for crisis management include ethics, quality, safety, and security.

Risk managers are increasingly using software to ensure they’re mitigating the risks in their organization. This is especially true in the construction industry, as these organizations face a larger variety of risks than most others. 

Risks such as employee injuries, on-site accidents, automobile incidents, and property damage are only a few examples. A successful risk manager must be aware of all these risks and must be able to respond timely to each one.

As a manufacturer, have you considered what could happen if something goes wrong in your production line? What if a defective product leaves your factory doors and makes its way to a consumer? Do you know what types of warnings and labels you are responsible for?

Your work does not end when your product leaves in a shipment. Liability risk management extends so much further. Consider these common claims:

As the global economy continues to change, all organizations and industries must adapt and evolve to stay relevant and successful. Risk management is no exception.

Once a siloed department in large companies, risk management is now being formalized and integrated throughout organizations across the world. As this change takes place, risk professionals must adjust to three primary changes: an increasingly uncertain environment, risk management becoming primarily digital, and cultural shifts.

The risks that impact the supply chain of manufacturers are continuously growing and changing. The supply chain is vulnerable to countless risks such as supplier relationships, manufacturing processes, shipment of finished products, and more. When conducting a risk management plan for your business, there are many major risk factors that are completely out of your control.

It's important to consider your company’s risk exposure when entering into a business relationship with a third party. How will your operations be impacted when a supplier is late delivering essential materials? What if you receive damaged materials? There are a number of options that can be implemented to mitigate risks associated with your supply chain.  

When there is an accident in your place of business, it is easy to panic. Whether an employee or a customer is injured, anyone would fear for the person’s well being and, after that, the operational consequences of what just occurred.

However, it is most important to stay calm, reassure the person, and make sure they are safe; then you must handle the business side of the incident.

Operating any size business, whether it be a small local shop or a large retailer, can be costly. Your business could end up having to close its doors as a result of having to pay out the cost of an insurance claim. As a retailer, it is essential to both be aware and prepare for the most prominent types of insurance claims facing your industry.

85% of surveyed global chains experienced at least one supply chain disruption risk in 2017. Deloitte has shown that organizations who proactively manage supply chain risk spend 50% less to manage disruptions.

As always, proactive risk management is more cost efficient than reactive action. An efficient supply chain is essential for the production of quality products and effective customer service.

The City of Saint John New Brunswick has done some incredible things when it comes to Risk Management including saving the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in claims costs annually.

Before 2013, like many municipalities, Saint John was experiencing multiple issues in managing its risk and insurance data. With the number of claims and incidents on the rise year over year, they knew they needed to do something to take control of the situation. Enter ClearRisk.

The importance of employee training is obvious; any successful risk manager knows that employee training is a direct way to prevent incidents. Whether to help improve job performance, minimize workplace incidents, or create a set of standard practices, employee training should be a top priority of any business.

However, some organizations aren’t entirely sure of what aspects should be included in employee training, and what knowledge they can reasonably expect the employee to have.

In this article, we’ll cover the major topics that should be included in employee training, and breakdown what specific knowledge any employee should know.

Utility providers face significant risks, both in high-level management and on the front line of operations. Managers and executives must balance increasing government regulations, complex cost structures, and consumer expectations and concerns. Risk managers and other employees face high-risk tasks, fleet incidents, and more in their daily work. How should utility companies combat these challenges?

Utility providers face significant risks, both in high-level management and on the front line of operations. Managers and executives must balance increasing government regulations, complex cost structures, and consumer expectations and concerns. Risk managers and other employees face high-risk tasks, fleet incidents, and more in their daily work.

Have you ever considered what would happen to your organization if a fire were to occur? How would operations be affected?

Every year, fire is the cause of millions of dollars in damages to Canadian businesses. And it is not only a safety issue - organizations are legally required to take certain fire prevention measures.

Organizations must manage the risk of fires in order to protect the safety of employees and customers and limit physical damage. It is imperative that any organization has a plan in place to minimize the likelihood and impact of fires.

Recreational cannabis use has now been legal in Canada for one week. The federal government formalized as much legislation as possible before October 17th. However, there are still several issues up in the air, some of which relate to employers. What risks do they face now that employees can use marijuana freely at home, and how do they combat them? Key considerations include tolerance, safety, testing, policies, and stigma.

Metro Inc. is the third largest food retailer in Canada and has been a ClearRisk customer since 2013. Before ClearRisk, incidents were reported via phone, fax, or mail and manually submitted into their outdated system as well as a physical filing cabinet(s).

The risk management team was frustrated with time delays for collecting the data, data integrity, the risks associated with paper filing, and the inability to report on individual stores and hold them accountable. This led them to seek out ClearRisk.

Universal Parking of America is a national leader in hospitality and management services. Like many organizations with legacy systems, they dealt with lengthy incident forms and submission processes, which made risk management, incident analysis, and reporting time-consuming and ineffective. With ClearRisk, they have managed to decrease the time spent per claim by 88% and time spent reporting incidents has lowered by 75%.