Every organization is faced with risks and needs to practice some form of risk management in order to maintain the health of the entity. Many take a traditional approach, where risk is managed in silos, with each leader of a business unit (sales, operations, finance, HR, etc.) responsible for managing the risks that fall within his or her area of responsibility.

One of the most effective ways to implement a company-wide Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Program is to make it interactive and involve participants from all levels of the organization. This will create a sense of teamwork and foster an environment of understanding. Risks are inherent at all levels of an organization, hence the need for interaction and input from various team members throughout the business.

What is Total Cost of Risk and why should I care?

“What gets measured…gets managed!” This statement is the fundamental principle behind the concept of “Total Cost of Risk” (TCoR), and I’ve been saying this for years. The question that I am asked all the time is, “what is total cost of risk (TCoR) and why do I care about it?”

So you may have received a Certificate of Insurance (COI) from your vendor, and you feel comfortable that its employees now can be allowed on your building’s property. To you this may seem like they have given you a familiar card from Monopoly. With your supposed “get out of jail free” card, you allow vendors access to your building and allow contractors to perform work on your property. However, you may not be as “free” as you think.