Managing Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) responsibilities is a balancing act on a high wire for large, global enterprises. Regulatory requirements shift unpredictably, risk factors emerge from unexpected directions, and technological advancements demand constant adaptation. Many companies rely on outdated, fragmented software solutions that are rigid, unable to scale, or lacking the flexibility needed to meet their evolving needs. The result? Inefficiencies multiply, compliance gaps widen, and operational risks loom larger than ever. And, for large global companies, these EHS pain points can cause significant risk to sustainable operations, healthy workforces, and the communities in which they operate.
We needed an environmental solution in which we could program the necessary tasks and alarm triggers to keep us not only in compliance but ahead of the curve” ~Environmental Superintendent, Tucson Electric Power – Case Study: ‘Tucson Electric Power Achieves Inspection Success Using Cority’
The Challenges of Changing Markets and Regulation Compliance for EHS Programs
For large global enterprises, the complexity of EHS management is amplified by several key challenges:
1. EHS Pain Point: Regulatory Compliance in an Ever-shifting EHS Landscape
Compliance is one of the most critical EHS pain points facing global organizations. EHS regulations are complex, dynamic, and vary significantly across different regions and industries. As regulations evolve, maintaining compliance becomes increasingly difficult, especially for companies with operations spanning multiple countries. The consequences of non-compliance are severe: fines, legal action, and damage to reputation.
How Technology Can Help:
An EHS software solution that stays current with evolving regulations can automate compliance tasks, monitor regulatory changes, and ensure that organizations remain aligned with the latest standards. However, not all technologies are created equal. Solutions must be intuitive, comprehensive, and capable of handling the unique compliance challenges faced by multinational companies.
Customer Success Story: Central Arizona Project
For the Central Arizona Project, missed deadlines, difficulty in monitoring compliance program requirements, and a lack of visibility into corrective action follow-through ultimately prompted the organization to seek new ways to streamline its environmental and waste management programs. The solution was to transition from an archaic Excel-based system of record into a digitalized environmental management software solution from Cority. With Cority’s help, the organization now manages the entire cradle-to-grave waste management process—from logging and barcoding to shipping and real-time tracking of all waste streams.
“We haven’t missed any dates since moving to Cority. We have a big screen TV in our office with a Cority dashboard, and it lets us know at a glance everything we need to get done. It tracks our upcoming permit dates, compliance events, how much waste is going to be shipped, and other key info that helps us manage our day and ensure we’re on top of everything.” ~ Aaron Welch, Environmental Supervisor, Central Arizona Project (CAP) – Case Study: Central Arizona Project Digitally Transforms Waste Management Program to Streamline Compliance and Minimize Environmental Impact
Results Quick View:
Challenges: A complex spreadsheet system that led to missed deadlines.
Results: A streamlined waste management program supported by a trusted partner.
Impact: 49% decrease in Opportunities to Correct, significant time savings on reporting, and 835 tons of waste diverted from landfills.
~ Case Study: Central Arizona Project Digitally Transforms Waste Management Program to Streamline Compliance and Minimize Environmental Impact
2. EHS Pain Point: EHS Risk Management Whack-a-Mole
As industries grow and evolve, new risks constantly emerge in the EHS landscape. Managing these risks proactively—before they result in accidents, injuries, or environmental damage—is essential for global enterprises and one of their top EHS pain points. This requires a solution that can anticipate and address risks through predictive analytics, real-time monitoring, and robust reporting capabilities.
How Technology Can Help:
Advanced EHS software solutions use machine learning and data analytics to identify potential risks, generate early warnings, and recommend corrective actions. This proactive approach helps organizations minimize the likelihood of adverse events. However, the software must be sophisticated enough to handle the nuances of risk management across different geographies and operational environments.
Customer Success Story: An F100 Auto Manufacturer
An F100 auto manufactures more than 500,000 automobiles annually and is one of its vehicle brand’s top five global manufacturing facilities. Consistently recognized by JD Powers & Associates for its manufacturing quality, the company was the first plant outside Japan to be awarded luxury vehicle production, has received numerous AJAC and JD Power gold awards for quality, and is also considered one of Canada’s leading employers for its family- friendliness, diversity, and green initiatives.
“The [Cority] dashboards were very helpful to our managers because they could easily see which incidents were being investigated or needed approvals, and they could also see trends and breakdowns of incidents by categories to understand what was happening in their facilities.” ~ Team Manager, F100 Auto Manufacturer – Case Study: Case Study: F100 Auto Manufacturer
Results Quick View:
Challenges: Paper-based processes and incomplete incident data
Results: A centralized solution with supervisor dashboards
Impact: 100% compliant with the 3-dayreporting regulation
~ Case Study: Case Study: F100 Auto Manufacturer
3. EHS Pain Point: Keeping Up with Technological Advancements
Rapid advancements in technology—such as artificial intelligence (AI), IoT (Internet of Things), and predictive data analytics—have transformed how organizations approach EHS management. Companies need a solution that not only integrates these new technologies but also uses them to enhance data collection, monitoring, analysis, and decision-making processes.
How Technology Can Help:
As technology develops exponentially, with one breakthrough leading to another, there is an ever-increasing need for companies to keep up with market-changing EHS & ESG data requirements. Solutions that streamline and advance supply chain processes, operations, total worker health, safety management, and environmental compliance and stewardship help organizations stay in lockstep with the changing landscape of data and tech advancements and solve this common EHS pain point.
Leveraging AI and IoT devices can provide real-time monitoring and data collection from remote or hazardous locations as well as highlight meaningful patterns across vast data points and calculations. Robust data analytics with predictive features can turn raw data into actionable insights, improve decision-making, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Yet, organizations need a solution that can easily integrate with other systems, scale across multiple sites, and adapt to changing technological trends.
Customer Success Story: Koch AG & Energy Solutions
Koch and its affiliates bring practical solutions to the agriculture, energy, and chemical industries worldwide. Koch relies on various Cority solutions–like compliance calendaring and environmental, health, and safety tools–to keep EHS compliance in check across two of its affiliates. By tapping into the expertise at Flint Hills Resources (FHR) and Koch Ag & Energy Solutions (KAES), they’ve formed a preferred partnership that helps streamline EHS processes and simplify third-party integrations.
“Cority is competitively advantaged when it comes to environmental software and compliance calendaring. The software offers robust calculations and enables end users to change their calculations. We haven’t found a comparable software.” ~ Stephanie Harden, EHS Systems Manager, Koch Industries. – Case Study: ‘Koch AG & Energy Solutions Streamlined Data Collection and Improved Compliance’
Results Quick View:
Challenges: Needed access to unified data across user groups to better communicate on calculations, reporting and best practices.
Results: Implemented a collaborative compliance system that supported data integrations while improving accuracy, calculation builds, and automated compliance reporting.
Impact: Improved Cority power user adoption and internal IT collaboration as well as implemented an advanced operational analysis system to create a more competitive organization.
~ Case Study: ‘Koch AG & Energy Solutions Streamlined Data Collection and Improved Compliance’
4. EHS Pain Point: Enabling Scalability & Configurability for Long-Term Growth
As organizations expand, their EHS management needs become more complex. A scalable and configurable software solution that can grow and adapt with the organization is crucial. However, many legacy systems are rigid and unable to accommodate changing requirements, forcing organizations into costly software migrations or upgrades. And, managing cumbersome technology, instead of managing health and safety, is a prominent EHS pain point for professionals in the field.
How Technology Can Help:
A modern EHS software solution that is built to scale can adapt to new operational demands, support expansion into new markets, and handle increasing volumes of data and users without degradation in performance. However, not all solutions are built with scalability in mind, which can limit an organization’s growth and flexibility.
Customer Success Story: Tucson Electric Power
Tucson Electric Power (TEP), a utility company serving over 432,000 customers in Southern Arizona, was grappling with complex regulatory requirements. The existing systems were cumbersome, paper-based, and unable to support the company’s compliance needs effectively. TEP initially considered developing a custom solution. However, the need for scalability and customization to fit specific regulatory requirements proved to be a significant hurdle. After evaluating several competitors, TEP selected Cority for its unparalleled configurability and user-friendly interface, which after deployment has helped to eliminate paperwork, improve documentation, and automate inspection processes
“Two key benefits to Cority are that it’s web-based, which means it can be accessed anywhere, and that it supports reporting using Excel templates in macros, which is important to TEP. We continue to be impressed by Cority’s capabilities – the more our needs expand and change, the more configurable it becomes. Cority is the center of TEP’s environmental activities.” ~ Environmental Superintendent, TEP – Case Study: ‘Tucson Electric Power Achieves Inspection Success Using Cority’
Results Quick View:
Challenges: TEP sought a software system to help address the company’s complex regulatory environmental requirements systematically.
Results: Eliminated the need for paperwork, improved documentation, and streamlined processes for media programs, permits and plans, data collections, and inspections.
Impact: TEP plans to expand Cority to all of the company’s generation stations.
~ Case Study: ‘Tucson Electric Power Achieves Inspection Success Using Cority’
5. EHS Pain Point: Empowering Employee Engagement
Ask any EHS manager and they will undoubtedly tell you that one of their biggest EHS pain points is engaging the broader workforce in envirobnmental, health, &/or safety programs. Without engaging the people impacted by and managing EHS programs, new initiatives are often doomed to fail. Key criteria for getting employees onboard are usually centered around
- “Does this actually make my job easier?” and
- “Have the people who need to use it been trained sufficiently?”
If those are checked off, the adoption period can go smoothly and be a prompt transition to the new processes.
How Technology Can Help:
By introducing the tools that genuinely make employees’ jobs easier and ensuring comprehensive training, technology addresses the core concerns that often slow down and create hurdles to program adoption. It empowers employees to take initiative and suggest improvements—much like NASA’s medical and industrial hygiene teams who identified the need for a better system and implemented it. This not only boosts productivity and innovation but also improves safety and compliance through better tracking and management of occupational health. Furthermore, when employees feel their voices are heard and their contributions valued through technology that meets their specific needs, it leads to higher morale and job satisfaction, facilitating a smoother transition to new processes.
Customer Success Story: NASA
NASA’s Langley Research Center’s medical clinic and industrial hygiene employees wanted to improve how they manage occupational health. They saw the need for a new electronic system to track and manage occupational health requirements more efficiently while also identifying health programs that could benefit employees. This proactive approach to employee wellness showcases just how vital employee engagement is.
In response to this need, NASA chose Cority’s data security management solution to ensure all electronic health records were secure while complying with both state and federal regulations. By involving their employees in the decision-making process and addressing their concerns about health and safety, NASA demonstrated a clear commitment to their workforce’s well-being.
“It is centrally procured and centrally managed. It’s cost effective for the agency overall because centers will no longer need to maintain individual programs.” ~Verba Moore, manager of the NASA Occupational Health Support Office at Kennedy Space Center – Case Study: NASA Implemented Cority to Amalgamate Health Records in a Centralized Repository
Results Quick View:
Challenges: Data Security
Results: An Advanced Occupational Health System, top-of-the-line data security management to keep health records secure
Impact: Industrial hygienists will be able to document equipment inventories, track industrial surveys and lab results and validate if employees are enrolled in the correct exposure groups for monitoring
~Case Study: NASA Implemented Cority to Amalgamate Health Records in a Centralized Repository
Final Thoughts
Many enterprise customers find themselves challenged by existing EHS solutions that fall short of solving their EHS pain points. They are seeking platforms that are not only scalable and customizable but also capable of empowering and engaging their workforce. Additionally, they require products and services that are continuously updated and enhanced by a team of experts with deep industry knowledge. Where Enterprise EHS Challenges Meet Leading EHS Management Software Solutions
For large, global organizations, managing Environmental, Health, and Safety responsibilities is like navigating a ship through unpredictable waters. Regulatory tides can shift without warning, new risks may surface unexpectedly, and rapid technological advancements demand constant vigilance and adaptation. By adopting robust and flexible EHS solutions designed to meet these complexities, enterprises can steer confidently through the ever-changing global landscape, maintaining balance and progressing toward their goals.
To learn more about Cority or chat with one of our experts, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
