The RailStaff Awards 2024

Tracy Donohue

Said the following about Matthew Burgess:

“I would like to nominate Matt for this award as he took a concept and turned it into something amazing - The Briefing App was born, to date has over 70,000 briefs digitally signed for by frontline grades, eliminating paper signature sheets and printouts, improving access to essential information, and promoting self-development from individuals. Matt has worked with Paola Parise GTR’s app developer to create a simple-to-use app that has briefs that go to every frontline team member. Some key features that Matt has led the implementation of:

• Individuals receive a notification at the start of each month that briefs are outstanding for them to access

• Has ensured a knowledge check after each safety brief to ensure team members understand the content they have just viewed

• Included Accessibility and Customer Service briefs as standard leading to periodic operational customer service briefs being written focused on key themes and communication points

• Has created a dedicated space for “ad-hoc” briefs if there was a need

• Created a library for briefs to live when the sign-off period is closed so they are always accessible and a couple of clicks away to allow teams to refresh their knowledge at any time

• Launched twice yearly knowledge checks via the app which in real-time provides line managers with insights into their team’s results to allow for supportive follow-up to ensure standards remain high

• A dedicated communication button to get to the team that manages the app (Matt) to resolve queries quickly. is checked by a quiz in the brief to ensure our standards of knowledge stay high

• A dedicated support tool for managers to review in a visually simple and efficient way their team’s completion by the app with further options to direct targeted nudges to their team creating a self-managing system

This app has made a real difference to empower people to read a variety of briefs, not just safety. No longer is it "sit there and read this". By going digital this is available 24 hours a day in any location. This positive impact and improved engagement, awareness not to mention the environmental savings on paper and printing. Matt has been integral to its success, managing content, creating briefs, and providing constant support to team members at all levels. I want to say thank you to every team member for completing the briefs but a huge thank you for taking an idea and turning it into something amazing and something that now makes up our BAU activities and is a bedrock tool across 3000 GTR frontline Stations and Onboard colleagues.“

Paola Parise

Said the following about Matthew Burgess:

“Matt has been the product owner for a series of GTR applications that I had the pleasure to be the developer for. I would like to thank him and nominate Matt for his informed judgement, generosity and logical thinking: he transformed a dev experience that is usually lengthy and complex into a worthwhile, rewarding journey for all people involved. Seldom, I felt developing a product with such clarity of purpose and benefit to users. Thanks, Matt“