Technology Trends: App-iness for EHS Teams Focused on Safety Management Systems


Whether you are still heavily reliant on paper-based processes or an existing software user in
need of an upgrade, certain telltale signs will indicate when it’s time to invest in a new EHS safety management software system or app. This is a guide to EHS software solutions on the market and outline what you should look for when considering a new management system.

Purchasing and implementing new software can be a cost and time consuming business, depending on the functionality the business requires, the size of the organization and the number of users and when it needs to go live.
Recent research carried out by Verdantix found that the biggest barrier to tech investment was a lack of sufficient budget within the health and safety function, so managers may need to tap into budgets for IT, operations or the legal department to make a software project stack up.
“Try to quantify factors such as how much money EHS software could save you, how many hours you currently spend on reporting and how much money you spend on fines and penalties,” says Bronson. “Make sure people in operations and legal compliance understand why health and safety management software is going to help them. It could dramatically improve your chances of a successful implementation.”
Bronson says health and safety teams should be looking to spend one to two months on research to define their needs, then shortlist around seven software suppliers able to deliver it. It could take a full year from initial investigation work to the
software roll out, he says.
“Our customers complete around 70% of their investigation work before contacting us,” says SHE Software’s Matthew Elson. “Look for recommendations, review websites, and think very carefully about what requirements and characteristics are most important.”

Verdantix has produced the Green Quadrant report that ranks the strengths of different EHS safety management systems across 29 different categories and helps guide you through EHS software. The consultancy is able to work directly with clients to adjust the weightings attached to each of the categories to reflect their specific needs, for example increasing the focus on safety management and excluding functions for ergonomics and industrial hygiene, to build a more accurate profile.

 

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