Risk Identification: The objective is to uncover and quantify where possible the key risks your organization faces. Some risks will be intentionally retained, but ideally, no risk should be retained because of the lack of knowledge of its existence!

Risk Control: Some of the identified risks will be subject to treatment via loss control. This involves steps to control the physical or operational environment to prevent or reduce loss. Simple examples would be installation of sprinkler systems to reduce damage by fire, or computer firewalls to prevent unauthorized access to your systems.

Risk Transfer: Some of the risks that are not or cannot be fully treated by loss control can be transferred to other parties via contract. This can be an effective means to legally shift risk to other parties to create competitive advantage for your organization. It is our experience that the success of this strategy depends to some extent on industry custom and practice, and on the relative bargaining power of the contracting parties.

Risk Finance: Finally, risks that remain must be financed or knowingly assumed by your organization. Low severity losses are usually best financed out of cash flow, but potentially large or concurrent losses typically should be subject to a financing method such as insurance. Self-insurance (as distinguished from "non-insurance") is a formal financing method that can be utilized to capitalize on the net present value of loss costs and/or to enhance stakeholder value. Stakeholders are the biggest “insurer” of any enterprise, because when the organization encounters unplanned risk, stakeholders pay the “premium,” usually via a hit to the organization’s Income Statement and Balance Sheet.