Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - (Page 21) hose firms that are more open are able to keep small problems small. Dave coLLInGs aMes & GouGh t Randy Lewis, vice president of loss prevention and client education at XL Insurance in Denver. “For example, the structural engineers in a firm make a design change, but they fail to bring M/E/P into the loop or they do it with e-mail. They don’t talk it through and make sure it goes through. M/E/P has to scramble, and then someone wonders if anyone told the fire control people. It all cascades if it’s not dealt with.” In a recent Ames & Gough survey of a large multidisciplinary firm, engineers cited communication as the primary key to risk management—communication up and down within the firm, across disciplines, and especially with the client. Putting Policies in Place Managing professional liability risk in multidiscipline firms requires many of the same strategy components used by engineering firms of all sizes. Risk management experts say it’s more difficult to implement these components and point to five key risk management strategies: technical expertise, client relationships, communication, contracts and training. Syska Hennessy’s Magliano believes technical expertise is the foundation of successful risk management. “If you produce your product in a disciplined way, if you produce a quality technical product, you are going to avoid much of the risk,” he says. “You preclude the results of your risk creation.” “Technical expertise is very important, especially on larger, more complex projects,” concurs Ames & Gough’s Collings, “but firms also have to have a high level of awareness of risk.” Let’s say, for example, that a less experienced person in a local office runs into a professional liability problem. Some firms are open to calling in senior people from the home office to solve the problem. Others don’t want the home office to know, and the inexperienced people try to deal with the situation. “Those firms that are more open are able to keep small problems small,” says Collings. David Evans’ Beemer says the most important risk management factor is the firm’s relationship with the client. Firms need to know with whom they are september / october 2008 eNGINeerING INc. 21 http://www.donovanhatem.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 Contents From ACEC to You News & Notes Market Watch Legislative Action Decision '08 Managing Risk in a Multidiscipline World Healthy Designs Taking the Next Step Business Insights 2008 Fall Conference Primer Members in the News One On One Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 (Page Cover1) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 (Page Cover2) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Contents (Page 1) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - From ACEC to You (Page 2) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - From ACEC to You (Page 3) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - News & Notes (Page 4) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - News & Notes (Page 5) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - News & Notes (Page 6) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - News & Notes (Page 7) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Market Watch (Page 8) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Market Watch (Page 9) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Legislative Action (Page 10) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Legislative Action (Page 11) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Decision '08 (Page 12) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Decision '08 (Page 13) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Decision '08 (Page 14) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Decision '08 (Page 15) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Decision '08 (Page 16) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Decision '08 (Page 17) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Managing Risk in a Multidiscipline World (Page 18) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Managing Risk in a Multidiscipline World (Page 19) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Managing Risk in a Multidiscipline World (Page 20) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Managing Risk in a Multidiscipline World (Page 21) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Managing Risk in a Multidiscipline World (Page 22) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Managing Risk in a Multidiscipline World (Page 23) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Healthy Designs (Page 24) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Healthy Designs (Page 25) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Healthy Designs (Page 26) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Healthy Designs (Page 27) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Taking the Next Step (Page 28) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Taking the Next Step (Page 29) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Taking the Next Step (Page 30) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Taking the Next Step (Page 31) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Business Insights (Page 32) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Business Insights (Page 33) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - 2008 Fall Conference Primer (Page 34) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - 2008 Fall Conference Primer (Page 35) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Members in the News (Page 36) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Members in the News (Page 37) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Members in the News (Page 38) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - Members in the News (Page 39) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - One On One (Page 40) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - One On One (Page Cover3) Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 - One On One (Page Cover4)
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