What is operational risk?

It is one of the key types of risk that businesses and organizations face, alongside strategic risk, credit risk and market risk. Operational risk management (ORM) involves identifying, assessing and mitigating these risks to reduce the likelihood and impact of potential losses.

These are just a few examples of operational risks that can blindside a business if it is unprepared to manage such risks:

• A small business faces a cash flow crisis because of delayed payments from key customers, leading to difficulties in meeting payroll and operational expenses.
• A fast-food chain faces a public relations crisis after a viral video shows unsanitary conditions in one of its restaurants, leading to a drop in customer trust and sales.
• A software company faces a lawsuit over intellectual property infringement, leading to legal costs, potential damages and a halt in product development.

Every company faces many kinds of operational risks, ranging from those largely within the organization’s control, such as the risk of failing to comply with regulations, to factors that are completely outside the company’s ability to even predict, like an unanticipated pandemic outbreak.

As operations grow in complexity, for example, involving many types of operations across many systems and countries, the organization’s exposure to risk increases, making it more likely that some sort of operational failure will occur and impact the organization’s reputation or bottom line.

The types of risks involved in various business practices can be broadly categorized. Here are 6 categories commonly used to break out different types of risk.

These risks are related to the efficiency and effectiveness of internal processes. For example, errors or delays in processing transactions, inadequate procedures for handling customer complaints, supply chain breakdowns or failures in internal controls.

To avoid process risks, organizations can improve workflows by introducing automation powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the chances of slowdowns, outages and shortages. Documentation of processes can also help senior management to see where improvements can be made.

• unauthorized trading by employees (internal fraud) 
• vendor breach of contract (external fraud)
• errors in data entry
• workplace accidents
• failure to comply with regulatory requirements due to lack of training.

Sometimes called “technology risk,” this refers to risks stemming from the use of technology and systems within an organization. Risk events might include bugs, system failures, cyberattacks or other cybersecurity failures, data breaches or inadequate IT infrastructure.

Systems can break down or be compromised in innumerable ways, and it’s up to chief technology officers (CTOs), chief information officers (CIOs), chief data officers (CDOs), and IT managers to help ensure that systems are safe, secure and running smoothly.

Financial risk encompasses the risk of financial loss from financial decision-making, such as insufficient cash flow to meet operational needs, bad investments or the risk of partners failing to fulfill their financial obligations to the organization.

This is a catch-all term used to describe any business risk resulting from strategic initiatives. Mergers and acquisitions, new product offerings and branding changes, all of these business decisions involve some element of risk.

These are risks arising from external factors beyond the control of the organization. Examples include natural disasters impacting physical assets, political instability and breakdown of financial services or failure of large financial institutions, sudden regulatory changes or pandemics.

Events that might trigger business disruptions occur outside the four walls of the organization all the time, and even though they can’t always be prevented, it’s up to operations managers to develop ways to anticipate them, quickly respond and maintain business continuity.

Operational risk assessment is the process of identifying, analyzing and evaluating the risks associated with the day-to-day operations of an organization. Operational risk cannot be avoided all the time. The goal of operational risk assessment is for stakeholders to identify risks, evaluate the level of risk and find ways to mitigate risks.

Understanding the differences between risk appetite, risk tolerance and risk profile is crucial for effective management of operational risk.

Risk appetite is broad and strategic, defining the overall approach to risk-taking. Risk tolerance is more specific, setting acceptable risk levels for particular areas. The risk profile provides a snapshot of the current risk landscape.

This is the overall level of risk that an organization is willing to accept in pursuit of its strategic objectives. It reflects the organization’s attitude toward risk-taking and its capacity to bear the risk of loss without jeopardizing its core mission and objectives. It aligns with long-term goals and strategy and can be expressed from low to high.

This is the specific level of risk that an organization is prepared to accept in a particular area or for a specific project. It provides more detailed thresholds within the broader ORM framework set by the risk appetite. Risk tolerance is typically expressed in more defined, measurable terms such as maximum acceptable loss or variance from budget.

A risk profile is a comprehensive summary of the types and levels of risk an organization currently faces. It includes an assessment of the likelihood and potential impact of various risks and how they are being managed.

The risk profile reflects the present risk exposure and risk management effectiveness, providing a complete picture of the risk landscape. The profile is regularly updated to reflect changes in the risk environment, emerging risks and the effectiveness of risk controls.

When risks have been identified, assessed and prioritized, organizations can work toward mitigating these risks. This process breaks out into several categories. Effective operational risk management involves choosing the optimal response to risk based on severity, immediacy and many other factors.

• Risk avoidance: Identify activities that are too risky and consider avoiding unnecessary risks if they lie outside the scope of the organization’s risk appetite.
  
  
• Risk reduction: Implement measures to reduce the likelihood or impact of risks. This can include defining metrics, enhancing internal controls, improving business processes and developing ORM processes.
  
  
• Risk transfer: Transfer the risk to a third party through insurance, outsourcing or contractual agreements.
  
  
• Risk acceptance: Accept certain risks if they are within the organization’s risk appetite and it is not cost-effective to mitigate them further. Help ensure that there are plans to manage and monitor these accepted risks.
  

Operational risk management programs can be enhanced by the use of ORM software, which is designed to help organizations identify, assess, mitigate and monitor operational risks across their business operations, all in one environment.

ORM programs provide self-assessment tools for capturing and documenting various types of risk and allow users to record risk controls. Beyond identification, risk management software offers the ability to assess risks by using various analytical techniques like risk scoring methodologies and risk matrices.

When they’ve identified and assessed risks, users can use tools to mitigate and control them to reduce their likelihood and impact. When operational losses inevitably occur, risk management processes can help managers track incidents and determine responsibilities and remedies.

Software can also help with compliance management by offering tools for tracking laws, regulations and standards, and pinpointing areas where a company might have a compliance gap. Risk management software can also integrate with enterprise risk management (ERM) and other systems for risk data sharing and to streamline collaboration across cross-functional teams.