EHS Software serves as an enterprise to help managers in handling key components of compliance and regulation. EHS is an acronym for environmental, health, and safety. The software is database-driven. That means it will cover data from different fields of environment and waste management, industrial hygiene, occupational health, and medical safety. Continue reading to know more about EHS management software.
What does EHS management software do?
There are a lot of things an EHS software can do in terms of helping EHS managers. By using EHS management software, EHS managers are able to track incidents, handle waste management, risks, behavioral safety, and a lot more. The analytic tools in this software are very useful, as they help improve accountability and visibility.
A lot of companies now are using EHS software. With their strong commitment to follow the health and safety regulations, they use this software to manage responsibilities and EHS risks easier. Below are the benefits of using EHS management software:
- EHS management software saves time. Consultants and EHS teams spend a lot of time doing administrative tasks. Features such as notifications and dashboards can help eliminate these tasks. Such features can help save at least 50% of the time for tasks like analysis and data review, management reporting, and following up.
- EHS software streamlines reporting. One of the most time-consuming tasks for EHS professionals is reporting. Using this software can save time. You can create complex reports in just a few minutes. You can also create fully-formatted reports using the data warehouse tool. You can use these custom reports for water, air, waste, GHG, and other permits.
- This management software allows you to work at your own pace. Among the most promising developments in EHS management software are mobile apps. Because of these apps, you wouldn’t need to travel to each facility. You can simply assign inspections or other tasks at the facility level using the mobile app. Employees and supervisors can even capture data offline and sync this data to the central database.
- Increasing Employees’ productivity can help reduce costs. It can also help prevent any unwanted event, as well as their related fees and expenses. Most customers receive paybacks on their investments in less than a year.
- EHS software helps improve performance. In a normal setting, you can only see the trends in environmental performance or safety if you run a report at the end of the period. However, the EHS management software can help you visualize your data in real-time, on dynamic dashboards. You can immediately see the red flags if there are any. This way, you can manage them even before accidents happen.
- This management software connects all employees. If the company has hundreds or thousands of employees in different locations and departments, it may be impossible to communicate with everyone. But since EHS systems bring all activities and data together in one place, employees will be able to collaborate.
- EHS management system increases transparency in the company. Customers and shareholders demand transparency around health and safety, environmental, and sustainability performance, which causes many companies to struggle with reporting. With EHS software, it will be easy for companies to report on key metrics in a more efficient and integrated way, allowing EHS leaders to know where they stand. And with the added help of automatic notifications and alerts, employees are well-informed about their key metrics real time anywhere.
- EHS management system in place can reduce risks. If you have a lot of excel spreadsheets and databases for your sources, it will be very challenging to understand what your risk profile is. EHS software will allow you to score your risks and then build a risk register in your dynamic dashboards. Doing this will allow you to be proactive in identifying issues and setting up mitigation plans.
- EHS software helps in adding a layer of intelligence to your data. The good thing about this software is that it leverages system intelligence in a way that cannot be achieved using spreadsheets. This software can help optimize your company’s performance by automatically notifying you when limits or thresholds are exceeded.
- This software makes everything centralized and standardized. Imagine spreading your EHS data everywhere – spreadsheets, papers, and homegrown databases. Employees will have to exert so much time and effort to find the information they need. This contributes to data inconsistencies, which makes it hard to get a better understanding of your performance. With an EHS system in place, employees will be able to keep track of all activities, deadlines, etc., in a centralized manner.
What do people use if they didn’t have an EHS system?
Without an EHS system, businesses will be forced to use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets; Businesses will be forced to use basic processes in handling EHS responsibilities. This isn’t advisable because Excel spreadsheets aren’t sufficient when it comes to reporting, tracking, and analysis. Also, using spreadsheets can affect management operations. It will cause the departments to work independently from one another.
How flexible is EHS management software?
The flexibility level in EHS software depends solely on the supplier you’ve purchased it from. For instance, Frontline Data Solutions offers high-quality EHS systems to allow companies to create and make changes to their reports and workflows. You’ll be able to access all the tools you need in becoming a safer organization, optimizing your workflows, and achieving compliance.
- Say goodbye to the old spreadsheets and say hello to new web-based applications.
- Minimize the risks of safety incidents to create standardized workflows and optimize performance for the entire organization.
- Finally, achieve regulatory compliance by having clear documentation, standardized procedures, and responsibilities.
Does an EHS system allow centralized reporting?
EHS systems allow businesses to collect large amounts of information and then do something with it to affect change. For example, global reports pull information from different locations and applications. Given that a lot of forms of EHS software can be used together with third-party reporting tools, it’s considered as a piece of technology that can help businesses in driving behavioral change. It can also help them in making cost-efficient and time-saving improvements. Therefore, an EHS system allows centralized reporting. In fact, it is one of its key benefits.
Is the EHS system effective in terms of document control?
If there’s one thing many companies hate, it would be paperwork. It is a huge headache in terms of environment, health, and safety. Companies need a work health and safety management system that provides document control to prevent multiple documents and other versions of documents from floating around on office desks and in briefcases.
Document control is possible with the help of an EHS system, which allows you to link between documents and track revisions. It also allows you to require signatures and to filter the documents based on the dates when they were updated. It also allows you to disseminate electronic paperwork and documents if you configure the settings.
Is there a requirement when using an EHS system?
To get the best results from EHS, companies need to set up other systems in place. For example, you may need to set up a strong MES (Manufacturing Execution System), a reliable EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Schemes) system, and a good ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system.
If you still don’t have this type of infrastructure, it means that you’ll need to flick between the systems. That means your EHS system will only be useless. So, if you want to buy an EHS system, make sure that you communicate with the supplier about the kind of system you already have.
What should you look for in an EHS management software?
- Safe and Secure. When it comes to EHS systems, make sure your data is encrypted in the secure data centers. Also, make sure that your information is available 24/7 to authorized users.
- Unlimited Support. It’s important to have easy access to technical support when necessary, via phone or email, especially during and after the implementation phase.
- Quick Implementation. Migrating to a new EHS system isn’t easy. But there are dedicated teams who can help you go live for as fast as two weeks.
- Easy to Use. We learned that the EHS system should help our jobs easier. Choose an EHS system that uses apps that are simple. Users should be able to complete tasks in just a few minutes.
- Customizable. Good EHS system should be customizable, in a sense that you can create custom workflows, forms, and roles to perform tasks the way you want them to.
- Automated. Choose a system that works for you even when you’re not working. It will help if your system automatically schedules reports to go out and reassign tasks whenever an employee is absent.
- Low maintenance. High-quality software doesn’t depend on how much it costs. Choose a system that requires no installation and runs on any laptop, desktop, or phone. Don’t pay for something you should be getting for free.
- Integrated. Lastly, consider a system that can integrate tasks from all departments across the company. It should be able to handle your asset management, human resources information, document management, and other systems.
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