Scaling Safety and Standardizing EHS Globally with Trusted Technology Partner
With over 15 years of experience using Benchmark Gensuite (dating back to the PowerSuite days at GE), Chris Masters has witnessed firsthand how the right EHS software can unify data, empower teams, and elevate safety culture. In this Q&A, Chris shares how he and his team are transforming safety programs across global sites with standardized processes, mobile tools, and data-driven insights.
Key Takeaways from Chrisโs EHS Journey
- 15+ yearsโ experience using integrated EHS software
- Successfully standardized global safety processes across teams
- Mobile tools empower frontline audits, inspections, and reporting
- Tiered scorecards and KPIs drive continuous improvement
- AI tools streamline permitting, data analysis, and contractor reviews
- Trusted relationship with the platformโs support team drives success
How did you first start using enterprise EHS software, and what impact did it have on your safety programs?
Chris: Coming into GE you had to use it, right? When you first start using it, youโre like, oh my God, thereโs so much in here. But then when you go someplace else and itโs not there, youโre like, wow I want that back, right now. Having the standardization, being able to go in, look at your incidents, your trends, your data, your framework, tiered scorecardโnow itโs all in one place instead of trying to go here, here and here.
What made this EHS platform intuitive and easy for your teams to adopt?
Chris: Itโs very intuitive. I have a new team thatโs using it now. We used a different software company for almost three years, and nobody was using it, then we brought in Benchmark Gensuite, now everybodyโs excited and ready to use it. Itโs so intuitive, itโs so easy, itโs click-and-drop screensโฆ Asking the Genny AI, โHey, how do I get here?โ or being able to search for things that way. Itโs been fantastic.
How would you describe your implementation experience rolling out EHS software across global sites?
Chris: Theyโve been awesomeโฆ For a new team like I have, itโs great because it systematically approaches and walks through every little detail. There are program rollout notesโฆ They really make sure you stay on task. Weโre getting ready to wrap up the first phase of our implementation. We have three phases that weโre working through.
To learn more about how Benchmark Gensuite supports successful implementation, explore the full Tropicana Case Study.
What advice would you give other EHS leaders choosing safety software?
Chris: Thereโs no other one to consider. Itโs 90% of what you need. You donโt need programmers or a dev teamโฆ All the stuff that we need from an EHS perspective, 90% of itโs thereโฆ Itโs backed by 20+ years of EHS work. Itโs right out of the box.
How does the mobile EHS app support your frontline teams?
Chris: The mobile app is basically the desktop appโฆ Totally different ballgame now. Theyโve done a ton of work on that. You literally have the whole platform in your hand on a tablet. The benefit is tremendous.
How does collaboration and user-driven innovation show up in your EHS work with this platform?
Chris: Theyโre 100% engaged. They want the feedback. They want to know, how can we make it better? What can we do to make that little thing smoother? Iโve had the opportunity to be on a couple of the early working groupsโฆ Theyโre not going to make it exactly what I wantโtheyโre going to make it what the industry is really looking for. And they keep evolving.
What stands out about the platformโs full EHS capabilities for global safety management?
Chris: They play well in all the different areasโEHS, sustainability, qualityโand theyโre playing at a very high levelโฆ As an EHS professional, thatโs tremendously important. The value of what youโre getting is huge. You have one place to go for everythingโฆ concern reports, incidents, framework, sustainability data, quality data. Thatโs priceless.
How would you describe your relationship with the EHS support team behind the platform?
Chris: Skye Sawyer has been fantasticโฆ Sue Boone, awesome. I know them on a first name basis. I have their cell phone numbers. If you need something, youโre able to just reach out. And thatโs what this teamโs aboutโโHow can we help you? What can we do for you?โ
How do you use dashboards, analytics, and tiered scorecards to drive EHS performance?
Chris: Tiered scorecardโฆ thatโs the measure of your program. Just because youโre not having injuries doesnโt mean you have a good program. And just because you have a good program doesnโt mean youโre not going to have injuries.
As your program increases, everything else should start coming downโinjuries, concern reports, all thatโฆ Being able to trend that data and see our biggest ops opportunities for improvementโthatโs what the company is interested in.
Learn more about how you can keep up with all your EHS team’s KPIโs with our Dashboards & Analytics solution.
What is the ROI of EHS software for leadership and safety decision-making?
Chris: Itโs invaluable because of what it gives you and the power it gives the organization to really understand what theyโre up against from a program perspectiveโฆ You can bring in a piece, take a global approach, standardize. It works well with 500 sites or 5 sites. Itโs fantastic.
Measure your potential ROI with our calculator today
What is your experience with configurable dashboards and personalized EHS home screens?
Chris: When you go on the home screen, you can set up how you want it to come up. I typically have the full KPIs listed there on the right-hand sideโฆ It shows me everything.
Very configurable. Theyโve really made that home screen usable for the person that comes in that maybe doesnโt use it that often.
How is AI technology transforming EHS data and compliance management?
Chris: Weโre using AI. Our CIO is talking about AI and how we can use it to simplify work and make it more efficient. So, weโre exploring different ways we can do that with the data thatโs in the system.
Thatโsโ been a big thing that Benchmark Gensuite has been working on โ asking, โWhat are some of those things that you as an EHS professional want to see?โ Weโre looking for little nuances and things within the data that maybe we didnโt see, because weโre looking through the same lens all the time.
With AI you can ask, โHey, change this up and show me this differently based off industry trends,โ and see if we have any of that in there. Itโs great for that kind of stuff. Itโs that large-scale data crunching โ what used to take months, you can literally have in like a minute and a halfโฆ if you ask the right question.
Discover how Benchmark Gensuite is setting the pace in AI for EHS here.
How are you applying AI to streamline EHS workflows?
Chris: ChatGPT โ I use it for often. Writing job descriptions, it does everything.
Weโve really started looking at it from a permitting perspectiveโreviewing permits, making sure content is up to date. Instead of having a person sit there and read it, you load it in, have it review, and it tells you whatโs outdated. Contractors โ can we set it up to auto-review safety programs? Make sure all the components are in place? Thatโs what Iโd be looking at.
Why do you think more companies should adopt this EHS platform?
Chris: It amazes me that everybodyโs just not using Benchmark Gensuite. 90% out of the box, willing to work with you, willing to do the things you ask them to doโฆ Overall it gives you the best output of any of the software Iโve seen out there.
Final Reflections: Driving Standardized, Data-Driven EHS Programs at Global Scale
Chris Mastersโs journey shows how the right EHS platform can do more than just track compliance โ it can transform how organizations approach safety, performance, and continuous improvement. By unifying data, empowering frontline teams, and embracing new technologies like AI, Chris and his team at Tropicana Brands Group are setting a new standard for what modern EHS leadership looks like.
