BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - March 11, 2009) - In the newly released benchmark study,
"Enterprise Risk Management: The Art of Avoiding Unpleasant Surprises,"
Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (
NYSE:
HHS), found that Best-in-Class
companies realized a 21% increase in management's ability to access the
company's current risk status through an emphasis on and investments in
operational efficiency, goal-oriented accountability, and the development
of a risk-aware organizational culture that continually advances targeted
corporate goals throughout the continuum of the ERM program; an average
increase more than 9.5 times greater than all other companies. To obtain a
complimentary copy of the report, visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com/summary/report/benchmark/5722-RA-enterprise-risk-management.asp.
There are two fundamental purposes behind the report. First, to identify
the strategies, high-level tactics, internal capabilities and frameworks,
technologies, and services top performing companies are employing to
realize substantial business benefits from their ERM programs. Secondly, to
provide a roadmap of actionable analysis and recommendations that both (a)
companies planning to develop an ERM program for the first time, and (b)
companies seeking to augment and optimize an existing initiative can
leverage to improve their performance in assessing and managing risks
strategically across the enterprise.
Considered an integral part of their ERM strategies, Best-in-Class
companies unite strategically implemented risk prioritization, measurement,
and reporting technologies with top-down driven ERM program commitment,
characterized by business leaders that actively work towards and advocate a
culture of open risk communication, to realize the sustainable operational
efficiencies and C-Suite oriented business advancements that flow from a
consistent, repeatable, and measurable ERM program. By focusing on
developing risk-intelligent management capabilities, the Best-in-Class
realized an 11% increase in the accuracy and timeliness of financial
forecasting and a 9% increase in both the speed at which business critical
issues are able to be made and the elimination of redundant risk management
activities and processes; an average increase more than 3.75 times greater
than all other organizations.
"Best-in-Class companies understand that the end goal of an ERM program is
the embedding of a risk-aware culture into the DNA of the organization,
best characterized when risk management is incorporated into every-day
business activities such that it is 'something that is consistently being
done' rather than 'something else employees have to do,'" said Stephen M.
Walker II, Esq., GRC specialist, Aberdeen. "Promoting a work environment
that encourages and rewards risk-centric ideas and discussions while
facilitating a forum that consistently collects, tweaks, and re-focuses
risk strategies, enables organizations to consistently re-prioritize their
resources and devote them to the risks that have the largest potential
impact on both their core business processes and highest-priority corporate
objectives."
A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part to the
following underwriters: Aline and Paisley. To obtain a complimentary copy
of the report, visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com/summary/report/benchmark/5722-RA-enterprise-risk-management.asp.
For additional access to complimentary Information Technology Research,
please visit
http://research.aberdeen.com/index.php/-information-technology.
About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market
intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more
than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely
positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating
demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment
analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets,
corporations turn to Aberdeen™ for insights that drive decisions.
As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in
context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's
analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of
Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement -
Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role
Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit
Aberdeen
http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more
about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to
http://www.harte-hanks.com.
© 2009 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
451 D Street, Suite 710
Boston, Massachusetts 02210-1928
Telephone: (617) 854-5200
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Stephen Walker
Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(617) 854-5349
Stephen.walker@aberdeen.com