Creating a Culture of Innovation
In the world of health and safety, we often talk about systems. We talk about protocols, apps, and compliance. But if you strip away the software, you are left with the one thing that actually keeps people safe: the culture.
Eighty20 works across diverse sectors, from housing associations to construction law firms. Because our platform is fully customisable, the deployment process offers us a front row seat in how organisations operate. We’ve noticed that the most effective teams don’t just use the app; they explore and collaborate ways to make it more useful and more effective.
“If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect.” - Steven Johnson
Our partnership with Novus Property Solutions is a perfect example. A simple suggestion from the site to add photos to reports didn’t just result in a new button; it led to the evolution of e20 Vision and the creation of “Smart Uploads.” It placed Novus at the cutting edge of site safety, but the technology was only possible because the idea was allowed to travel.
The Lens of Experience
One thing that stands out about Novus is that their CEO, Lee Hartley, started as an apprentice. A lived experience that feels relevant to this conversation.
We asked Novus: Do you think that journey influences how ideas are treated at Novus? Does it shape how site voices are heard or trusted? What specific examples can you give of how Lee encourages (reciprocity in/conversation around) the way things work?
Edward Hawksey, Head of SHEA explains that creating space for dialogue across the business is fundamental to how the company operates.
“Through our safety observation platform via Eighty20, colleagues and supply chain partners are able to share observations relating to safety, health, environment and assurance. That creates an opportunity to raise improvements, highlight best practice and share lessons learned from across our projects.”
This openness to ideas is reinforced through leadership behaviour across the organisation, where creating space for people to speak up and share insight is actively encouraged and visibly modelled by Lee and his leadership team.
“These insights don’t sit in isolation. The data feeds into our SHEA briefing, which takes place monthly and brings together more than 150 colleagues from across the business. It’s an open forum where we share updates, discuss insights from inspections and give operational teams the opportunity to raise questions, new ideas or concerns.”
Crucially, the conversation isn’t limited to safety teams.
“The session is designed so that information flows both ways. Supervisors, site managers, operational teams and senior leadership all have the opportunity to contribute, and the information discussed is then cascaded throughout the business so that lessons and improvements are shared widely. It means ideas raised on site are treated as valuable input into how the whole organisation operates, not just as local fixes.”
Pathways, Not Just Ideas
Most organisations don’t lack ideas. They lack pathways. We are interested in how ideas move from site, to system, to real change.
We asked Novus: Where do those pathways exist at Novus? Where do you think they break down in the sector more widely? If someone raises a small idea today, what is their experience likely to be?
At Novus, Edward says those pathways are intentionally built into the organisation.
“Historically across the industry, site inspections have largely been carried out by site teams and project managers. At Novus we’ve broadened that approach. Colleagues from across the business, including commercial teams and senior leadership, regularly visit sites. Even our parent company is involved in site visits. That means people at every level of the organisation are engaging with the realities of site activity.”
This broader involvement creates more opportunities for insight to surface and move beyond site level.
“When people from different parts of the business visit sites, they bring fresh perspectives. It encourages conversations and allows ideas to emerge naturally from those interactions.”
“In many organisations those ideas can stop at site level. Our focus has always been on making sure they continue travelling, from conversations on site into our systems, forums and decision-making processes.”
Recognition also plays an important role in reinforcing that culture. Each year, Novus holds company-wide awards, including a Health and Safety Champion award - recently sponsored by Eighty20 - which recognises individuals who demonstrate outstanding commitment to safe working practices.
“These nominations often come from peers and recognise colleagues who go above and beyond to support safety on projects, engage positively with clients and teams, and champion our Novus values in the way work is delivered. It signals that speaking up and acting on ideas is noticed and rewarded.”
The company also focuses on embedding those values early.
“Our SHEA team inducts all new colleagues to ensure they understand our standards and expectations from the start. That process reinforces the idea that everyone’s voice matters and that raising ideas or concerns is part of how we operate, not an exception.”
The development of Smart Uploads is a clear example of that philosophy in action. The idea originated from a desire within the SHEA team to strengthen how photography could be used to identify issues and provide clearer context within reports.
“We wanted to be able to upload photographs alongside observations so teams could better illustrate issues and provide narrative around them. We raised the idea with Eighty20 to enhance the existing platform, and from that collaboration the Smart Uploads feature was developed.”
That development has since helped shape the next stage of innovation, including the evolution of AI-based e20 Vision within the platform.
“It’s a good example of how a small operational idea can move through the organisation and ultimately shape wider innovation. Importantly, that idea didn’t come from a technology roadmap. It came from people on the ground thinking about how the system could better support the way safety is managed on site, and from having a clear route to turn that thinking into real change.”
For Edward, that openness to ideas is one of the organisation’s strengths.
“We have colleagues joining the business from a wide range of organisations and industries, and they often bring new perspectives. Ideas are welcomed, and where people identify opportunities for improvement those suggestions are listened to. Many of the advancements we’ve introduced across the business have started exactly that way, with a small suggestion that is given the chance to travel.”
Where Ideas Live or Die
Trust is won or lost in the small moments: briefings, training rooms, and supervisor handovers. We’ve seen ideas get stuck when leadership behaviour shuts them down, or when close-out feedback is ignored. At eighty20, we position ourselves as a listening partner, ready to prototype these ideas rather than just selling a “solution.”
Whether it’s through everyday conversations or formal briefings, the way an organisation handles “unfinished” ideas could define its future.
Innovation doesn’t only exist in the boardroom - it can come from a site-level reality.
We invite you to look at your own business:
What ideas are sitting quietly on your sites right now, simply waiting for someone to listen?