DHL 2014 Annual Report Download - page 95

Over and above the aforementioned internal accounting control system and risk
management structures, Corporate Internal Audit is an essential component of the
Group’s controlling and monitoring system. Using risk-based auditing procedures,
Corporate Internal Audit regularly examines the processes related to nancial report-
ing and reports its results to the Board of Management. Upstream and downstream
checks and analyses of the reported data are performed under chronological aspects.
If necessary, we call in outside experts, for instance in the case of pension provisions.
Finally, the Group’s standardised process for preparing nancial statements using a cen-
trally administered nancial statements calendar guarantees a structured and ecient
accounting process.
Reporting opportunities and risks
Identifying opportunities and risks – and swily capitalising upon or counteracting
them – is a key objective for our Group. is is why we account for the anticipated
impact of potential events and developments in our current business plan as well as
in our revenue and earnings projection. In the following we primarily report those
risks and opportunities which, from the current standpoint, could have an additional
signicant, potentially positive or negative, impact during the current forecast period.
We assess opportunities and risks based on their probability of occurrence and
impact. Subsequently, we distinguish between opportunities and risks of low, medium
and high relevance. We characterise opportunities and risks of medium and high rele-
vance as signicant.
e opportunities and risks described here are not necessarily the only ones the
Group faces or is exposed to. Our business activities could also be inuenced by add-
itional factors of which we are currently unaware or which we do not yet consider to
be material.
Opportunities and risks are identied and assessed decentrally at Deutsche Post 
Group. Reporting on possible deviations from projections, including latent opportun-
ities and risks, occurs primarily at the country or regional level. In view of the degree of
detail provided in the internal reports, decentrally reported opportunities and risks are
combined into categories below for the purposes of this report. It should be noted that
the underlying individual reports – with the exception of those on the world economy
and global economic output – usually exhibit a zero to minimal correlation. It is rather
unlikely that a number of major opportunities or risks in a single category or across
categories would occur systematically at the same time.
Unless otherwise specied, a low relevance is attached to individual opportunities
and risks within the respective categories and in the forecast period under observation
. With respect to opportunities and risks arising from possible legal proceedings
or those already underway, we generally refrain from making an assessment to avoid
aecting our position in the proceedings. e opportunities and risks generally apply
for all divisions, unless indicated otherwise.
Deutsche Post  Group —  Annual Report
89
Group Management Report — OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS — Opportunity and risk management processes