A new report on the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) consulting services marketplace from respected independent researcher, Forrester Research, rates Deloitte as the leader in the field. The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Risk Management Consultants Q4 2005 evaluates the relative capabilities of the leading global providers of ERM consulting services across a total of 37 criteria grouped into three high-level areas.

"We’re delighted that Forrester recognises Deloitte work with clients around the world on their enterprise risk management strategies," explains John Trotter, Deloitte’s Australian Leader for Enterprise Risk Services. "Deloitte brings a comprehensive approach to delivering ERM services that meet client's specific needs. Forrester's report confirms that Deloitte is highly capable of delivering and executing ERM across a wide range of industries and business models. In Australia we provide a number of ERM services to major organisations and the practice is rapidly growing to meet market needs."

Trotter notes, "We are seeing that most of the market purchases a compliance or governance project, Basel II review, or a general risk assessment. Deloitte focuses on educating management on how ERM, and its components can help drive effectiveness and efficiency — and frequently how this can be enabled by technology."

Trotter adds, "Deloitte helps clients by providing enterprise risk intelligence, that supports them in making educated and risk-informed decisions to drive growth and protect assets. The risk management professionals work with senior management to link key performance indicators to risk indicators, and develop strategies which help to enhance value and achieve business goals."

In "The Enterprise Risk Management Consultants Scorecard Summary: Deloitte" (Forrester Research Inc., October 2005), Christine Ferrusi Ross, co-author and leading services analyst writes, "Deloitte sees ERM as a fundamental component of doing business in today’s economy. Proper corporate governance requires linkage of key performance indicators to key risk indicators around business strategies aimed at maximising value. Deloitte led in Forrester’s evaluation by showing clear ability to set strategy and business integration of ERM from the top of the organisation down into the business processes and systems."

According to Forrester, today clients mostly look at short-term tactical risk perspectives, such as regulatory compliance, or from siloed perspectives where each business unit within a large company develops independent risk initiatives.

"Clients will not gain the full business benefits they hope to achieve until they take an enterprise approach to risk," adds Ferrusi Ross. "Because most companies don’t know how to achieve ERM, they will hire consultants to help ... Deloitte led the Forrester Wave™ in the overall service offering score by demonstrating its ability to execute a complete ERM strategy offering that integrates ERM into the culture of the business."