Deloitte study finds organisations’ confidence exceeds current crisis preparedness capabilities
Organisations are now keenly aware of the increasing threat of crises. According to Deloitte Global’s 2018 crisis management survey, entitled ‘Stronger, Fitter, Better: Crisis Management for the Resilient Enterprise’, nearly 60% of respondents believe that organisations face more crises today than they did a decade ago, yet many may overestimate their capabilities and capacity to respond.
The study, which builds on the findings of Deloitte Global’s 2015 study ‘A Crisis of Confidence’, surveyed the opinions of over 500 senior crisis management, business continuity and risk executives about their organisations’ crisis management and preparedness.
“With the rapid pace of change now facing companies worldwide, and given that crises are on the rise, it’s critical for organisations to be ready to respond with skilled leadership and plans that have been tested and rehearsed,” observed Peter Dent, Deloitte Global’s crisis management leader. “Organisations that are adept at crisis management adopt a systematic approach towards steering clear of potential crises and managing those that do arise with an eye to both preserving and building value.”
This year’s study has uncovered “dramatic gaps” between a company’s confidence that it can respond to crises and its level of preparedness. The gap becomes even more evident when evaluating whether organisations have conducted simulation exercises designed to test their preparedness.