Interview: Matt Browne

How has Australia coped with COVID-induced changes to operations and workplaces? Will things go back to a ‘new normal’ in 2022?

Workplaces over the last decade have rapidly evolved, driven largely by the adoption of cloud-based platforms and digital transformation initiatives. This has ultimately led to more flexible forms of working from ‘hot desking’ to remote working arrangements.

What we are seeing is that COVID-induced changes have simply accelerated this transition to a more permanent workplace change that have now become the ‘new normal’ as we head into 2022. How businesses evolve their workplace health and safety protocols to align with this ‘new workplace’ environment will be one of the key priorities for business and safety leaders in 2022. Given more stringent safe work obligations and mandates from regulatory bodies throughout 2021 for compliance, I expect OH&S to be a major operational focus in the coming year.

What is the major potential tech pain point that will face all organisations large and small in 2022?

There is no doubt the concept of ‘cloud first’ is now a reality when it comes to tech strategy. The first pain point businesses will likely face will be around migrating off outdated on-premise infrastructure that currently supports core business systems as security, flexibility and accessibility become increasingly a priority.

The second pain point will be around creating a ‘connected’ workplace ecosystem where digital workflows are seamlessly connected across various systems alongside hardened end-to-end security and privacy measures. Essentially creating a true paperless organisation is now a reality as security and productivity ‘anywhere’ is the norm.

How can I.T. have a greater impact on organisational efficiency in 2022, and who (CEOs, CIOs) should lead the charge?

I.T. now plays a leading role as integrators within organisations as they become more digitally connected from the ground up. CIOs and CTOs are increasingly asked to play an ‘enabler’ role working with other functional leaders to ensure various platforms are seamlessly connected throughout the workplace.

That being said, functional leaders now need to collaboratively work across the business given the interdependence of various platforms, big data and security factors that play a critical part in all businesses regardless of industry or size.

How can I.T. become more environmentally friendly, socially responsible and privacy-conscious in 2022?

I.T. leaders must go beyond simply reducing the I.T. footprint of an organisation to looking at some of the broader strategic factors at play.

Data security alongside protecting both customer and employee privacy are critically important as all businesses naturally become data-led. This needs to be a prerequisite when I.T. leaders perform due diligence on new and existing platform choices.

Adopting an enterprise grade Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) software such as Donesafe is another way to centralise, manage and automate an organisation’s objectives around achieving sustainability, risk and safety objectives.

Matt Browne is the co-founder and former CEO of Donesafe, a market-leading global EHS SaaS platform with 1.5million+ paying users. Matt took the business from launch in 2013 to the acquisition by HSI in 2020. He is on a mission to build greater technology efficiency and literacy.