CLIENT'S CHALLENGE
A national infrastructure services provider approached Metropolis Advisory seeking to reinvigorate its risk assessment process. While the organisation had an established risk framework and regular assessment cycles, leadership identified critical gaps that limited its value:
Compliance Over Strategy
The process was viewed as an obligation rather than a decision-making tool. Risks were recorded but rarely discussed or challenged
Lack of Forward Thinking
Assessments largely captured current operational risks without considering strategic disruptors, emerging threats, or new market opportunities
Unclear Accountability
Risk actions and mitigation plans lacked defined ownership and follow-through, resulting in limited improvement over time
Low Engagement
Reports were often lengthy and overly technical, leading to minimal leadership and team-level engagement
Missed Opportunities for Resilience
Hidden risks, such as supply chain vulnerabilities and assumptions about business continuity, were not being surfaced early enough to act on.
The organisation wanted a risk assessment process that was practical, forward-looking, and capable of sparking meaningful conversations across leadership and operational teams.
OUR APPROACH
Metropolis Advisory applied a structured yet tailored approach, designed to turn the risk assessment into a strategic and actionable exercise
Uncovering Hidden Risks
- Facilitated scenario-based workshops to explore potential disruptions, from operational breakdowns to long-term industry trends.
- Challenged leadership assumptions and tested the resilience of current strategies and controls.
Engaging Stakeholders in Real Conversations
- Shifted from static reporting to interactive forums, using real-world scenarios to drive debate and insight.
- Encouraged open dialogue between executives, managers, and frontline teams to build a shared understanding of risks and their implications.
Embedding Action and Accountability
- Translated insights into clear, prioritised actions with defined owners and realistic timelines.
- Structured assessments to answer the key strategic questions.
What needs fixing now?
What changes must we prepare for in the future?
What risks are acceptable, and why?
Sustainable Integration
- Designed easy-to-use templates and practical risk tools to embed assessments into ongoing planning and decision-making.
- Provided coaching and training to ensure teams could independently conduct meaningful assessments going forward.
FROM OUR CLIENT
“We no longer see risk assessments as a compliance chore; they are now one of our most valuable decision-making tools. We can anticipate issues earlier and plan with confidence”
VALUE-ADDS & CLIENT OUTCOMES
Through our tailored approach, the client achieved significant benefits:
Strategic Risk Visibility
Leadership gained a clearer view of emerging risks, including market and supply chain vulnerabilities that had previously been overlooked.
Actionable Outcomes
Each assessment concluded with defined actions, assigned accountability, and follow-up mechanisms to ensure completion.
Greater Engagement
Risk conversations became part of business planning, enabling leaders and teams to challenge assumptions and consider trade-offs.
Proactive Resilience
Early identification of hidden challenges allowed the organisation to act before risks escalated, improving operational continuity and preparedness.
Cultural Shift
Risk assessments were reframed from being a compliance burden to a valuable tool for making informed, confident decisions.
At Metropolis Advisory, we believe that risk assessments should be living, strategic tools, not just paperwork. We help organisations uncover risks, focus on action, and embed sustainable practices that build resilience and drive success.
