Intelligent SME.tech Issue 23 | Page 15

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// TECH TRENDS // demand to get our hands on purchases right away . We expect issues to be resolved in realtime , the first time and also loathe repeating ourselves – we want the companies we contact to know about our desires and issues and handle them proactively .

Australian companies have invested millions to accommodate this evolving consumer behaviour . Supermarkets supercharged their apps , venues adopted check-in systems and governments added feature after feature to their online offerings .
As businesses fund efforts to get to know their customers better , the increase in digitalisation has increased risks . This risk isn ’ t just in the form of potential cyberthreats which are now well understood and heavily publicised – it ’ s also in the shape of inadvertent privacy and compliance lapses .
Having recently fired a trader as part of a compliance sweep , HSBC reportedly reminded staff that apps like WhatsApp shouldn ’ t be used to engage clients , as unauthorised channels like these fell outside regulatory obligations . Whether any data is compromised is a moot point .
Consumer-grade smartphone applications are extremely common in professional contexts and personally identifiable information ( PII ) and other sensitive data are regularly shared through these platforms .
An alternative route
In a large number of cases , the reasons are far from malicious – negligence can be blamed for a percentage of them , but in many instances , they occur because workers face roadblocks when trying to do their jobs and so they look for alternative means .
Consider a recent report conducted by Censuswide , which revealed a staggering 94 % of Australian workers experienced frustration with inadequate technology to support hybrid work as the nation was living with COVID-19 . It ’ s no surprise those staff would make do with other tools at their disposal .
Similarly , at a recent event I attended , decision-makers from some of the country ’ s largest companies noted that insufficiently resourcing their staff led to roadblocks that impacted their ability to serve customers , as well as their general quality of work life .
Jeremy Paton , Team Engagement Solutions Lead , APAC , Avaya

94 % OF AUSTRALIAN WORKERS EXPERIENCED FRUSTRATION WITH INADEQUATE TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT HYBRID WORK .
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