Guest Post by Geary Sikich (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

Heightened Awareness or Reactive, Backwards Looking?

From financial crises to energy catastrophes to earthquakes and threats of terrorism, we hear a lot about events that challenge our ability to identify and manage risk.

Unfortunately, some of the things that emerge from many of these events are reactive regulatory rules and requirements. [Read more…]

Guest Post by Geary Sikich (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

We hear a lot about things that are being called “Black Swans” today thanks to Nassim Taleb and his extremely successful book, “The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable,” now in its second edition. I have written several articles centering on the “Black Swan” phenomenon; defending, clarifying and analyzing the nature of “Black Swan” events. And, I am finding that wildly improbable events are becoming perfectly routine events. [Read more…]

Guest Post by Roxann Dawson (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

In order to improve business performance, manufacturing companies need to reduce the levels of non-conformance and attendant failure costs stemming from poor product design and development. Failure costs generally make up the largest cost category in a manufacturing business and include those attributable to rework, scrap, warranty claims, product recall and product liability claims. This represents lost profit to a business and as a result, it is the area in which the greatest improvement in competitiveness can be made. [Read more…]

In May of 2015, we finished ISO: Risk Based Thinking book.  We answer more than 300 questions about risk, quality, RBT, risk based auditing, and certification.  We will start answering questions that we get weekly.

SO WHY YOU?

So, what gives us credence since ISO 9001:2015 is coming out in 4 months.  Well ….   We coined and trademarked the expression: Future of Quality: Risk®.  We used the expression CERM: Risk Based Problem Solving | Risk Based Decision Making years before ISO developed Risk Based Thinking.   Twenty years ago, we wrote best selling ISO books.  We worked with the first ISO CB’s in 1987.  Anyway, you get the idea, we’ve been in this business a long time. [Read more…]

Guest Post by Stuart Rosenberg (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

The supply chains of most companies, large and small, exploit a world of opportunities.  But increasing global exposure comes with an increasing range of risks.  These companies’ complex networks of suppliers and customers are as diverse as the goods and resources they manage.  Within the same supply chain, giant multinational companies can sit side-by side with small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Yet among companies large and small there is growing awareness that extreme weather and a changing climate pose new risks and opportunities to old ways of doing business. [Read more…]

Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

Most companies have policies and procedures for concurrent engineering but many are ineffective for various reasons resulting in poor implementation of improved producibilty in their products. I have made this observation based on working for a variety of companies in different industries. Three examples of different approaches I encountered are presented below for your consideration. Two of the examples were used by defense companies, one of which I consider excellent and the other poor. One method was used by a commercial company is one I consider to be very good. [Read more…]