Reflections ... APM Pillar Showcase - Risk Review Process

APM Team,

Starting today we will be featuring a dedicated blog post each month that showcases one of the APM Pillars —Accountability, Candor, Collaboration, and Transparency. These posts will highlight how each pillar is actively being implemented across various functions within our business. Through these insights, we aim to illustrate the integral role these Pillars play in driving our success and fostering a cohesive work environment. This month, we asked Adam Frank, our Business Intelligence Director, to share his insights on the new Risk Review Process.

Adam shares:

The new Risk Review Process exemplifies several of our cultural pillars, including Accountability, Transparency, and Candor, but it primarily hinges on Collaboration. This program is designed to foster teamwork among various APM teams to assess risk and develop, implement, and monitor mitigation strategies effectively. The evolution of the Risk Review process marks a significant shift in APM's approach to risk management. Historically, risk models were enhanced to identify high-risk jobs, but limited visibility often hampered active mitigation efforts. Following discussions with the Board of Directors, it became evident that a structured Risk Management strategy was necessary. Consequently, a comprehensive process was established, and a cross-functional Risk Council was formed to lead the initiative. This Council includes representatives from Operations, Data Analytics, Safety, and Quality, and it ensures that relevant job site team members participate in Risk Review meetings.

The initial challenge was gaining early acceptance of the process, as change often meets resistance. However, as more teams participated, the value of the discussions became apparent, turning participants into advocates for the process. Maintaining momentum and continually enhancing the process remains a future challenge. The process's initial successes include the effective identification of jobs for review and strong team support for the discussions. Each review strengthens the available mitigation actions and fosters a mindset of proactive risk management. Key contributors to this initiative include Danielle Carilli, who has led the Risk Council and facilitated job reviews, and Matt Kunzelman, who has brought a strong operational perspective to challenge traditional methods.

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I am excited to see this Risk Review Council & Process gain momentum. This effort is specifically called out on our 2025 APM Blueprint under Delivery: Initiate & mature the Risk Review Process, and it furthers our 2025 Theme: Understanding Capacity + Reducing Risk à Delivering Excellence. As Adam stated, we have highlighted the Risk Review Process & Council to our Board of Directors in the last few meetings, and they too are excited to see our momentum. Thank you to Adam, Danielle, & Matt, plus the others who have engaged in the Council, for the good work here. We will be better at delivering excellence because of your Collaboration.