Risk Assessment Tips & Strategies From Our Webinar

Risk assessment isn’t just a checkbox in your project plan — it’s a crucial process that can determine whether your delivery runs smoothly or devolves into costly chaos. Still, many teams treat it as an afterthought, leading to rising costs, stress, and unhappy clients.

In our recent webinar with Bruce Mason, Igor Kovalenko, and Kateryna Andronova, we explored how organizations can approach risk assessment more strategically and get ahead of potential issues before they turn the progress around. Below are some key discussion points and ideas from the webinar.

1. Risk Identification Is Not a One-Off Task

Too often, risk identification happens once at the project’s start and then gets forgotten. But risks evolve, new ones emerge, and old ones become irrelevant. Making identification a continuous process ensures you’re responding to the current reality, not outdated assumptions.

Words by

Igor Kovalenko, QA Lead, TestFort

“Early identification equals proactive response. It helps avoid the firefighting mode when we have to mitigate later in the software lifecycle.”

2. Risk Mitigation Deserves Its Own Spotlight

Ongoing monitoring, updating, and communication are essential. Assign responsibility, create visibility, and make it a shared responsibility across the team — not just the project manager’s concern.

Words by

Kateryna Andronova, Senior QA, TestFort

“If we know about the risk, we know how to deal with it. Early planning gives us the chance to fix issues before they become critical.”

3. Risk Ownership Can Make or Break Results

Every risk should have a clear owner who’s accountable for tracking and responding to it. Without ownership, risks persist until they become urgent crises.

4. Involve Diverse Perspectives

Risk assessment benefits from multiple viewpoints — technical leads, QA specialists, business stakeholders, and even end users can spot different kinds of risks. The more perspectives, the more complete your risk picture will be.

5. Proactive Assessment Beats Firefighting in 100% of Cases

Firefighting may seem heroic in the moment, but it’s a sign that something was missed earlier. By investing in proactive risk assessment, you minimize last-minute efforts and preserve team energy for real innovation.

Want to Dive Deeper Into These Ideas?

Watch the full webinar recording to hear Bruce, Igor, and Kateryna share real-life examples, practical techniques, and expert insights on mastering risk assessment.