How to Choose the Right EHS Software: A Useful Guide

Finding an efficient and cost-effective Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) management software that meets your companies needs is undoubtedly not an easy feat to pull off. Every company or organization is different which means they will eventually require at least certain customization to use the right EHS software properly. Customizing software to fit certain requirements for a company is oftentimes more complicated than you think it is. 

So many vendors and service providers promise the ultimate and most secure solution. However, with a little research, you’ll find there’s hardly any difference between software. Thus, it can feel like you’re wading through a myriad of choices in the EHS marketplace. 

We hope that with this article, we will be able to provide you with useful information on how to choose the right EHS software for your company. 

But first, we need to know…

 

WHAT IS AN EHS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE?

EHS stands for Environment, Health and Safety. It’s a term generally used to refer to laws, rules and regulations, programs, professions and efforts to protect employee’s health and safety at the workplace. This also includes protecting the public from environmental hazards associated with the workplace. 

EHS software, on the other hand, refers to a database-driven software application that includes information from various areas of safet and industrial hygiene, occupational health and medical, environment and waste management.

EHS managers are usually the ones responsible for collecting and storing EHS information in an EHS software app for their company. The EHS manager will then use the data gathered from the software to do trending, data mining, and risk analysis by using the right EHS app reporting tools. EHS managers play an important role in compliance and risk reduction. They’re also able to maximize savings corporate-wide with the help of a good EHS management tool. 

 

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GOOD EHS SYSTEM?

Before we can answer that question, it is first important to understand what you are getting when you purchase a cost-effective EHS software. Nowadays where technology rules the world, everyone should already be quite aware that the efficiencies achieved from using software tools is by far superior to any pen and paper or excel spreadsheet. Unfortunately, even though companies depend on their employees to get work done, they are doing themselves a disservice by not using the powers of technology to the fullest. A good cloud-based EHS system would be able to give companies the tools they need to take their production and employee efficiency to the next level.  

As technology evolves, we must also upgrade te kind of technology we use. This is the reason why cloud-based systems are effective. They make sense; they are consistently updated and evaluated by their creators so they don’t become operational dinosaurs. Employing the right software will do wonders for your business—from improving accuracy, maximizing efficiency and improving your work and company in general. 

 

HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT IMPLEMENTING AN EHS SOFTWARE SYSTEM?

In general, the implementation of an EHS software involves the following:

• Research and consultation –understanding exactly what it is that you and your network needs. 
• Installation and configuration
• Data transfer
• Training and startup
• Continuous business analysis –modifying and adjusting the application to fit your shifting business needs. 

You don’t have to worry about anything as your EHS software provider will be with you every step of the way, and walk you through each level. 

 

INTEGRATING AN EHS SOFTWARE INTO YOUR SYSTEM

Any business or organization that understands the importance of integration will be able to maximize its ROI in a number of ways. Streamlining each department’s systems into a single integrated, centralized database allows your business to move forward with analytic trending. It will be easy for you to identify the locations or areas where accidents happen. You can also determine, within the company, where money is being used and lost. You’ll know when, where and why employees get injured. 

By going through the herculean task of importing legacy data from 5-10 years ago into a single EHS database, companies are able to observe disturbing trends by analyzing data that could help prevent tragic and costly accidents. Companies have saved millions of dollars and maximized their ROI by a hundred fold thanks to such software. 

 

CHOOSING THE RIGHT EHS SOFTWARE SYSTEM

Before you purchase and use any type of software, it is absolutely necessary to test the product out and see if it suits your company’s needs and requirements. 

To determine whether the program you are looking for is the best match for your business needs, you’ll have to try it out first, right? A lot of service providers offer free trials—avail it. Talk to their representatives, share actual data from your company files, and spin it all. Some companies offer subscription-based EHS programs. You pay as you go with these types of programs and they actually make sense—they help reduce the risk in a considerable way. 

Even though streamlining all your data into one, centralized database can be time-consuming and exhausting, it is one of the most important process of integrating an EHS software. One of the most common mistakes big companies make is that they use the same program they have been using for years, rather than testing and looking for newer and better programs that fit their ever growing (and changing) needs.

Test-driving an EHS software means you need actual users to try out the system too. It’s completely useless to just have the CEOs or high-ranking officials in the company purchase an expensive program because of its reputation or brand. It’s completely important to make sure that the people actually using the software are able to access and use the program and say whether it is easy to use, efficient, and matches the needs and requirements of the company. While we are talking about collaborating using technology, there is no doubt that human communication remains the most important and essential part in creating a good workplace environment. This means that members of the company or organization should mutually agree on the software they use and share. 

Another thing to consider when choosing the right software is the need to change existing workplace customs and behavior. It is a good idea to choose a software favored by industry leaders. Not every software is the same; not all of the can fit the specific program that already exists in your company. You need to be open to the idea of changing gears once in a while to adapt to something that can potentially increase production in the future. While change is hard to accept, it is the only constant in this every evolving world.

 

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU SPEND ON AN EHS SYSTEM?

How much an EHS software costs actually depends on the parts or elements you choose. Because an EHS system encompasses a broad range of areas—environment and waste management, occupational health and medical, industrial hygiene and safety, and compliance and risk management. Having a modular solution in place is the most logical thing to do. You can pick and choose which data you want to manage.

 

DO YOU WANT TO PURCHASE EHS SOFTWARE?

Purchasing EHS software is quite simple, but there are a couple of important details you want to be aware of. For example, it would be wise to look for an EHS management system package that doesn’t limit you into one way of doing things. Simply put, you need to find a solution that’s flexible enough to adapt over the years. After all, your business rules and needs will change as time goes by. Additionally, look up on how complicated or difficult it is for an EHS solution to adjust to your business’ needs. Knowing how much you need to purchase an EHS software will depend on several factors such as:

• Modules you choose 
• Number of concurrent users you license

Concurrent users are defined as the number of users that are actually logged into the system at any given time. This means you may have close to 600 people using your EHS software, but if at any one moment in time, if only 40 people are actually logged in, then it means you only have 40 concurrent users in the system. 

 

CONCLUSION

Getting or acquiring a new EHS software sounds easy, but it’s actually quite a challenging plan. It means you’d have to introduce something unfamiliar to your employees, and it also means they have to adjust, and re-learn how to do their daily work differently from the way they were originally accustomed to. Not only will you end up spending a considerable amount of money for the software, but you’ll also have to spend time re-training your employees. 

Employing a health and safety software is something that takes time and patience—but it’s definitely worth it! Choosing a good EHS management system will no doubt help your business reach new heights in a safe, effective and cost-efficient manner. You just have to believe in it!