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Australian Business Assurance Report 2021

To understand the challenges currently facing businesses, SAI Global conducted a survey of 328 Australian executives.

We found that to deal with the challenges imposed by COVID-19, including disrupted supply chains (21% of respondents), reduced business opportunities (14%) and high risks (13%), businesses had to implement more agile processes.

The survey also uncovered three risks posing significant threats to businesses:

Employee Health & Safety;
Environmental Sustainability; and
Cybersecurity.

Download the Report to learn how Australian businesses were affected by COVID-19, as well as how they’re preparing for the three emerging risks.

Insight 1: Problems Impacting Australian Businesses

The most common challenge currently facing businesses is impacted supply chains, according to 1 in 5 respondents.

Transportation was also affected. Increased customer demand for goods purchased online, coupled with the reduced import capacity at ports around the world due to restrictions, caused further disruptions in supply chains and increased the cost of goods.

What’s Next?
Businesses needed to be agile to survive. Learn how businesses are planning their recovery post-pandemic by downloading the report.

Insight 2: Employee Health & Safety

Our survey revealed that 45% of organisations have not made adequate changes to prepare for new industrial manslaughter laws.

Among these businesses not fully protected, 30% have not made any changes to be compliant, and 15% have made some improvements, but not enough to fully protect the organisation.

What’s Next?
Businesses need to take the right steps to protect their employees and demonstrate compliance to WHS legislation.

Insight 3: Environmental

A silver lining of the pandemic is that it shifted our current trajectory and allowed us to rethink our future.

As it recovers, Australia’s business sector believes it can rebuild in a more sustainable way and focus more on environmental sustainability than it has done previously. On a scale of 1 to 100, businesses, on average, will put 57% more budget, time and people toward this goal.

What’s Next?
85% of businesses are already taking measures to reduce their environmental impact.

Insight 4: Cybersecurity

The rapid change to remote working meant businesses had to scramble to install or adapt new technologies to aid the transition to working from home.

We found that, alarmingly, 68% of Australian businesses believe they are vulnerable to a cybersecurity attack or are not sure if they are vulnerable to a cybersecurity attack.

What’s Next?
To mitigate the risk of cybersecurity attacks, 47% of businesses say they need to ensure skilled people are trained to identify and raise potential threats.

Speak to us today to discuss how ISO Certification can create new business opportunities.

Australian Business Assurance Report 2021

Insight 1: Problems Impacting Australian Businesses

Insight 2: Employee Health & Safety

Insight 3: Environmental

Insight 4: Cybersecurity

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