Thinking of buying configurable EHS software? Make sure to focus on the right questions

As most people researching EHS software know, the words “configurable”, “multi-tenant”, and “platform” are being discussed everywhere. There are plenty of other great discussions on Platform as a Service (PaaS) and multi-tenancy.  Let’s look at some tips for getting the most out of configurable software.

Locus Platform Configurability

Ask yourself “What sets us apart?”

A key question to ask (as soon as you start thinking about configurable software) is “what sets my company apart?”  What special challenges or circumstances make your EHS needs more nuanced or complex?

  • Are you in an industry or segment of the industry that may have unique tracking and reporting needs? Maybe you are an organic milk producer or only manufacture snacks from sustainable sources following global fair-trade policies.  These more specialized practices may require additional or unique reporting to maintain accreditation.
  • Do you handle non-standard materials in highly regulated environments (such as radioactive materials, for example) that impose additional handling, tracking, disposal, and reporting requirements?
  • Are you a global enterprise with highly variable reporting needs in multiple jurisdictions? Or are you operating in a location with demanding local regulations?
  • Are you operating in an uncertain regulatory environment?

These are just a few of the things that could set EHS customers apart.  The more unique or specialized tracking and reporting needs you have, the more you will value the ability to have software easily configured for requirements that are typically not supported in “off-the-shelf” solutions.

Most modern software handles the “basics” very well, but when you have unique or emerging needs—including future needs that you don’t even know about yet—having a configurable option really pays off.

When needs change, configurable software can be updated easily and quickly by the vendor or even your own in-house staff, saving time and avoiding the agony of “waiting for the next release”. And, best of all, those changes can be done by trained configuration staff, without the need for software developers and the cost and time usually associated with software development.

Configurable Building Blocks

 

Follow best practices and engage with industry peers

Learning and internalizing industry best practices, a hallmark of the EHS professional association NAEM and its outreach events, can help any software buyer make better choices and evaluate software features, platforms, and key differentiators.  Check out the excellent library of resources, including publications, newsletters, and webinars from industry peers.  By taking advantage of shared industry knowledge, you can dramatically streamline and expedite your search for the right solutions.

One word of caution: many industry publications can be influenced by sponsors.  This is not only true in the EHS domain, but in all industry expert reviews.  That’s why actually talking and comparing notes with industry colleagues is an invaluable resource to get beyond the reviews and hear about real-life experiences with the EHS domain itself and the software options that others have actually used.

If you’re looking for advice on how configurable software may be used to address your EHS needs, talking to actual software users will help.  Locus, along with many other vendors and hundreds of EHS professionals, routinely attends NAEM’s EHS and Sustainability Software and Data Management Conference in order to meet with potential customers and dive into any questions you may have.

Locus Platform Configurability

 

Know the boundaries of configurability

“Configurable” means something different to each software vendor.  Some will say “everything is configurable”—for a price.  Others will tell you that you can change report names and add a few fields to outputs, and they call this being “configurable”.

Ask the vendor to explain in detail exactly what can easily be configured—and what is “off limits” and requires actual development effort (i.e., additional cost).  You might ask:

  • Are application workflows easy to change, along with associated notifications and audit tracking?
  • Can I change my forms to add five new sections with new lookup values? Will the update be automatically reflected on my mobile forms?
  • Can I create an entire new application for tracking volume of green recycling vs. plastics (or anything else you need to track)? Will the new application show up on the mobile app, or is that a separate configuration?
  • Can the user interface look different based on the user’s role in the application? For example, could I streamline the interface for my technicians so they only see what is relevant for them?
  • Can I change the filter selections on my dashboard reports? How about the charts?  Can I add new charts?

By knowing the software’s limitations, you can make better choices on the best fit for your current (and future!) needs.  Your software vendor may also identify new configurable features that you hadn’t considered before, but that would greatly improve the usability of the software.  Even if you don’t need these options now, knowing you have access to them in the future is critical when selecting software.

Locus Platform Configurability

Beware the illusion of “the perfect fit”

As we’ve established, “configurable” software can mean anything—from a total blank slate and empty platform, to changing a title of a single data entry field, and everything in between.  A “blank slate” may excite more technical people who love to tinker in software programs.  For others, the thought of building their software from the ground up might elicit general fear and discomfort.

Most customers want something off-the-shelf that perfectly meets their needs. Honestly, who can disagree? That is the gold standard and what everyone wants.  In reality, this solution is hard to find—especially for customers with unique need—and often the software tools that address those unique needs are so focused on a particular niche that they neglect some of the other, more basic EHS needs you might have.

The good news is that configurable software provides almost unlimited options for customers, and it can make a huge difference in how the software fits into your EHS workflow.  With some solutions on the market today, you could choose to build one application from a blank slate and make minor tweaks to another pre-built application in the same software.

One of the common pitfalls that EHS professionals frequently encounter in selecting a software solution for a specialized need is the tendency to narrow their options down to limited set tailored to their specific industry.  For example, if your organization has requirements for refrigerant handling, you might feel constrained to selecting a solution with specific “out-of-the-box” capabilities for that need.  Considering the configurability of the software may allow you to consider new and more robust options, and some simple configurations to an existing chemical inventory application could address your refrigerant reporting needs even more accurately, within a single EHS platform.

Locus Platform Configurability

 

Change is inevitable—make sure your software can handle it

Many customers will buy existing applications that meet their general needs, but eventually realize they need another form, a mobile solution, or changes for new regulations.  Anyone in the EHS industry knows this is the norm rather than the exception.

According to Forbes, federal departments, agencies, and commissions issued 3,853 rules in 2016, while Congress passed and the president signed 214 bills into law—a ratio of 18 rules for every law.  That’s just at the federal level.  It’s not hard to imagine the amount of change when you factor in state and local rules and requirements.

Over the anticipated implementation life for your EHS software, you can be reasonably assured that the EHS requirements for your organization are going to be changed in some way.  Some of these changes you can anticipate, but not all.  Given such routine change, you can safely assume that the more configuration options you have, the more prepared you’ll be for those changes.  You’ll be in a better position if you know you can configure your software quickly, rather than waiting for a scheduled vendor update that may be out of your control.

Locus Platform Configurability

 

Develop a vision of success—for today and tomorrow

Configurable software can be an effective, sustainable long-term management and reporting solution that integrates smoothly into your existing EHS workflows, but it does require you to do your homework.

You can set yourself up for success with some initial reflection and examination of your organization’s unique needs, a few conversations with industry peers, a healthy skepticism of seemingly perfect “out-of-the-box” solutions, and a willingness to ask tough questions of potential software vendors.  Think ahead to the future challenges and regulatory changes that might impact your organization, and make sure your potential software vendor has provided evidence that you’ll be able to handle these changes through configuration.  Take the time to truly imagine your perfect application and EHS workflow, and ask the vendor to show how it can be possible through configurability.  And finally, don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

Locus configurable solutions

 

Marian Carr

About guest blogger— Marian Carr, Locus Technologies

Ms. Carr is responsible for managing overall customer solution deployments and customer relationships with Locus’ government accounts. Her career at Locus includes heading the product development team of the award-winning cloud-based environmental ePortal solution as well as maintaining and growing key customer accounts with Locus’ Fortune 100 enterprise deployments. In addition, Ms. Carr was instrumental in driving the growth and adoption of the Locus EIM platform with key federal and water organizations.

 

Multi-tenancy is the latest buzz in EHS software, but what does it really mean?

In this infographic you will learn the key differences between single-tenancy and multi-tenancy, how to gain a competitive advantage with cloud computing, the reasons why returning EHS buyers look for multi-tenant software, how to spot a fake cloud, and much more.

Multi-tenancy is the latest buzz in EHS software - Infographic

Click image for larger version  

Interested in learning more about multi-tenancy? We recently published a detailed white paper on multi-tenant architecture. It is available as a free download.

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Can your EHS software vendor share SaaS system performance statistics in real time? Across all customers?

EHS SaaS Multitenancy explained and why it matters.

There is a considerable degree of (intended) confusion in the EHS software space when it comes to cloud computing and multitenancy. If your software vendor cannot share statistics in real time like shown in the figure nearby, most likely they do not run on a multitenant SaaS platform.

The real-time information on system performance and security of SaaS cloud platform is the most important element that frequently gets overlooked during EHS software selection process. Success in the cloud is built on trust.  Trust starts with transparency.
Our real time status monitoring (ran by an independent provider of web monitoring services) provide transparency around service availability and performance for Locus’ EHS SaaS products.
Just as with airlines that fly through clouds, our entire business is built on trust and security of our cloud offerings. Over 700,000 locations around the globe trust Locus to safeguard their data in the cloud.

Cloud Computing
Since the turn of the millennium, cloud computing has revolutionized the landscape of the computing world because it provides enterprise-grade computing resources that are affordable and instantly available. Clouds provide straightforward access to IT resources—you just access as many resources as you need when you need them, and never have to deal with the complexities of managing all of the underlying infrastructures that provide those resources. EHS manager job is suddenly a lot simpler and easier with cloud computing. You don’t even need help from IT department (if you don’t want it).

Multitenancy

Multitenancy is the fundamental technology that clouds use to share computing resources cost-efficiently and securely. Just like a bank—in which many tenants cost-efficiently share a hidden, common infrastructure, yet utilize a defined set of highly secure services, with complete privacy from other tenants—a cloud uses multitenancy technology to share IT resources securely among multiple applications and tenants (businesses, organizations, etc.) that use the cloud. Some clouds use virtualization-based architectures to isolate tenants; others use custom software architectures to get the job done. The multitenant design of a cloud service can have a dramatic impact on the application delivery and productivity of an IT organization, yet most CIOs, CTOs, system architects, and developers who use clouds don’t give it a second thought because it’s all magic that transparently happens behind the scenes.

Locus Platform is the proven cloud application development platform that powers popular Locus cloud EHS and Sustainability applications as well as custom applications that customers build to satisfy their specific EHS+S requirements.

Locus celebrates 20 years of innovation in EHS cloud software

Silicon Valley’s oldest EHS cloud software company reaches a major milestone

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., 11 April 2017 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the multi-tenant Software as a Service (SaaS) environmental compliance and sustainability management company, today celebrates the 20-year anniversary of its founding and, with it, 20 years of customer success.  Two decades ago, Locus was founded with a bold vision to lead the EHS software space.  Today, the company’s cloud computing model has enabled new levels of success.  Locus has more net paying subscribers in its single instance multi-tenant SaaS platform than any competitor and has over 600,000 locations around the world.

Locus was founded in 1997 with a vision for three new revolutionary models: a new technology model where customers access EHS services via the cloud rather than buying and installing software; a new subscription-based business model where customers pay as they go; and integrating mobile technology in its cloud offering from the get-go.

As a result, Locus is largely responsible for the creation of the emerging technical sector of EHS&S management software at the intersection of two major trends at the time of the company’s creation: the rise of the Internet and corporate attention to environmental compliance management.  Locus not only defined and pioneered the new space of environmental information management in the cloud, but it also became a leader, leaving many well-funded startups with borrowed ideas and established ERP software companies behind.  The company introduced many industry firsts, including: first cloud-based EHS system in 1999; first EHS mobile application in 2000; first integrated EHS portal in 2001; first web-based GIS in 2003; first user-configurable, drag-and-drop platform (Locus Platform) in 2013, and first IoT (Internet of Things) integration in 1999, before it was called “IoT”.

Locus’ distinction comes both from harnessing the cloud and from a unique perspective on how to address the complex issues of environmental compliance and information management.  Multi-tenant SaaS technology offers Locus’ customers numerous advantages such as improved data collection, aggregation, visualization, business analytics, advanced analysis, and the cost reduction inherent in multi-tenant web-based software.  These features translate into a competitive advantage and increased profitability for customers.

As the industry continues to evolve, competitors merge or disappear, and new markets emerge and grow, Locus continues to stay independent and lead innovation in a space littered with failures.
“Twenty years is a major milestone for Locus,” said Wes Hawthorne, President of Locus Technologies.  “I have watched our software evolve and expand to cover all aspects of environmental information management— from our latest configurable platform where customers can design any application, to integrated mobile apps that truly streamline field data collection.  I can’t predict the next 20 years of technological innovation, but I am sure Locus will continue to innovate and push the envelope to serve a market we understand so well.”

“I’d like to thank our customers, who have created an unprecedented record of success and inspired our best innovations, and our employees to making it all possible,” said Neno Duplan, founder and CEO at Locus.  “As we look forward to the next decade, we see not only applications, but integrated platforms, powered by AI and running in the cloud.  The age of enterprise multi-tenant cloud EHS computing is here.”

Locus Technologies releases new Query Builder tool in Locus EIM

Advanced querying in Locus EIM just got much easier and much more powerful

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., 8 March 2017 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the leader in cloud-based environmental compliance and sustainability management software, is excited to announce the release of the EIM Query Builder tool that is one of a kind in the environmental data management industry. The tool, exclusively in Locus’ EIM environmental information management software, provides users with a graphical “drag-and-drop” interface to design, save, and share customized SQL queries with their teams via the EIM interface. This powerful tool will transform the user experience for Locus EIM customers.

EIM has always allowed users with advanced access and expert knowledge to write custom SQL queries against one site in the database. However, the existing tool required the user to be extremely knowledgeable in both SQL and EIM’s database structure.

The new EIM Query Builder tool allows all users, even those with less knowledge of EIM’s structure and the SQL language, to access their data via an interactive tool for one site, multiple sites, or across a site group. The Query Builder tool saves users’ time through a number of new, useful functions, such as including lists of EIM tables and columns, automatically populating table relationships, joins, and on-the-fly query debugging. It even includes “friendly names” to make table querying even easier. Additionally, users can leverage this new querying efficiency by saving and sharing queries across all user levels. The new version of Query Builder will be available to all customers in Spring 2017 and is included in the basic subscription pricing.

“We believe our EIM users will love this new tool, as it provides the flexibility to dive into the data in any way users wish”, said Wes Hawthorne, President of Locus Technologies. “Many times, experienced data managers need to extract very specific data sets that previously required the use of complex SQL queries. This new tool elevates the experience and provides many extras— including cross-site query and sharing that will greatly streamline advanced querying.”

 

Data mining gains more cachet in construction sector

Locus is mentioned in ENR’s article about data mining, discussing how Locus software helps our long-time customer, Los Alamos National Laboratory, manage their environmental compliance and monitoring.

EHS SaaS explained: Multi-tenancy is a difference that makes a difference

There is a considerable degree of (intended) confusion in the EHS software space when it comes to multi-tenancy.  Companies that are considering Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) hear all sorts of things from EHS software vendors hoping to tap into the momentum of cloud computing.  Among the most common is that multi-tenancy is a “techie” thing that doesn’t need to be part of the conversation.  Many go as far as saying “sure, we can do multi-tenant, single-tenant, whatever you need!”— anything to win the job.

Unfortunately, those vendors simply do not understand what they are talking about.  Multi-tenancy is a major shift in computing and requires all new approach to software architecture and delivery model.  It is transformational, and customers who intend to buy the next generation of EHS software should spend the time to understand differences.

Multi-tenancy is the core foundation of modern SaaS and shouldn’t be taken lightly, generalized, or massaged into something that suits a vendor’s self-serving interpretation of SaaS.  Having experienced first-hand the true benefits of multi-tenant SaaS, I can’t conceptualize how SaaS would have delivered those benefits if it wasn’t multi-tenant.  Can anyone imagine companies like Salesforce, NetSuite, Google, or Amazon offering a “single-tenant” solution side by side to their multi-tenant clouds?  I will go as far as say that any company offering a single-tenant solution cannot be a serious contender in offering multi-tenant SaaS.

I would also add that single-tenant (hybrid) cloud applications are worse than on-premise installment.  Why?  Because they are fake clouds.  In these instances, a customer is, in fact, outsourcing maintenance of their application to a vendor that is not equipped for that maintenance.  No single vendor in the EHS software industry is large enough to undertake maintenance of the single-tenant infrastructure on behalf of their customers, regardless how inexpensive hardware may be.

There are many ways to take the functions of on-premise installed software model of the 1980s and package them as services.  Some of these service delivery modes– such as ASP, single-tenant hosting, and hybrid clouds– merely relocate and reassign long-standing problems and potentially make them worse.  In a single-tenant model, user customizations may infiltrate throughout the stack, in a way that makes it difficult to upgrade the performance of the stack.  The true SaaS models confront and mitigate– or even eliminate– some of the most vexing elements of software installation and maintenance: configurability on the fly, software maintenance, and upgrades.  It is “a tyranny of software upgrades” that kills the single-tenant model.

Let me offer a simple analogy to drive home the point as to why multi-tenancy matters: Tesla vs. Edison– War of Currents.

The War of Currents was a series of events surrounding the introduction of competing electric power transmission systems in the late 1880s and early 1890s that pitted companies against one another and involved a debate over cost and convenience of electricity generation and distribution systems, electrical safety, and a media/propaganda campaign, with the main players being the direct current (DC) based on the Thomas Edison Electric Light Company and the supporters of alternating current (AC) based on Nikola Tesla’s inventions backed by Westinghouse.

With electricity supplies in their infancy, much depended on choosing the right technology to power homes and businesses across the country.  The Edison-led group argued for DC current that required a power generating station every few city blocks (single-tenant model), whereas the AC group advocated for a centralized generation with transmission lines that could move electricity great distances with minimal loss (multi-tenant model).

The lower cost of AC power distribution and fewer generating stations eventually prevailed.  Multi-tenancy is equivalent of AC when it comes to cost, convenience, and network effect.  You can read more about how this analogy relates to SaaS in the book by Nicholas Carr, “Big Switch,” a Wall Street Journal bestseller. It’s “the best read so far about the significance of the shift to cloud computing,” said Financial Times.  The EHS software industry has been a laggard in adopting multi-tenancy.

Given these fundamental differences between different modes of delivering software as a service, it is clear that the future lies with the multi-tenant model.

Whether all customer data is put onto one database or onto multiple databases is of no consequence to the customer.  For those arguing against it, it is like an assertion that companies “do not want to put all their money into the same bank account as their competitors,” when what those companies are doing is putting their money into different accounts at the same bank.

When customers of a financial institution share what does not need to be partitioned—for example, the transactional logic and the database maintenance tools, security, and physical infrastructure and insurance offered by a major financial institution—then they enjoy advantages of security, capacity, consistency, and reliability that would not be affordably deliverable in isolated parallel systems.

In enterprise cloud applications and cloud application platforms, multi-tenancy yields a compelling the combination of efficiency and capability without sacrificing flexibility or governance.

When a software provider seeks to blur the distinctions between one technology and another, there’s usually just one reason: because they are unable to offer the superior technology to their customers, and hope to persuade their customers that real differences are not relevant to their needs.  Multi-tenant platforms for enterprise on-demand applications represent genuine opportunities for customer advantage.  The reality of multi-tenant differentiation is acknowledged by authoritative industry analysts such as Gartner, whose March 2007 announcement1 of its Outsourcing Summit that month included this definition of Software as a Service:

“Hosted software based on a single set of common code and data definitions that are consumed in a one-to-many model.”

In other words, hosting models that do not offer the leverage of multi-tenancy don’t belong in the same discussion as the value proposition implied by the term, “SaaS”.  Multi-tenancy is a difference that makes a difference.

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References

1Gartner Inc., “SaaS will have significant impact on IT services and outsourcing providers,” Tekrati, 7 March 2007

Different is good—How to find your unique strengths for success in R&D

Periodically, our CEO Blog will host blog contributions from Locus employees, who will be blogging about environmental data, compliance, sustainability, or other topics of interest to our customers and partners. We hope you will enjoy these different perspectives, and we invite you to join in the conversation, either in the comments field below, or on our social media channels:

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Finding a differentiator for R&D success in cloud SaaS applications

Finding a differentiator for your organization is the key to success in a competitive marketplace.

Anyone in the tech industry will tell you that building software can be a costly endeavor.

On top of the overhead expenses, selling enterprise software means long sales cycles and competing in a crowded field of vendors.

To succeed in this cutthroat environment, you need a differentiator—somewhere your company excels compared to the other players in the field.  This differentiator will be your main focus in every aspect of the business.  It allows you to effectively prioritize and execute your tasks, maintaining an edge on the competition.

Working at Locus, a question I often hear is, “How do you hire and retain top engineering talent, when you’re competing with the big tech titans in Silicon Valley?”

My answer is simple and straightforward: our environmental focus.  Ever since Locus started as a company, our vision has been to deliver technologies that optimize the management of environmental data for our customers.  Our goal is to be the best technology partner for helping our customers manage their environmental footprint.

Locus environmental engineers collaborating with software designers

At Locus, environmental engineers with high domain expertise work closely with software engineers to build solutions that very effectively fulfill our customers’ needs.

To work on Locus’ product development team, you must either be exceptional in cloud/SaaS technologies or in environmental engineering.  Our ability to integrate these two specialties is our differentiator.  Other vendors may have capability in one area, but very few can claim both.

At Locus, these two types of engineers work side by side, collaborating to deliver new software.  This dynamic creates incredible opportunities for engineers to learn new things and experience the satisfaction of being challenged at work.  At the same time, it creates an ideal team to deliver the best products to address the environmental health & safety market.

Recently, our engineering team was working on our vapor intrusion and indoor air management application, built for our customers for compliance and regulatory reporting.  Environmental engineers were best suited for this project because they thoroughly understand the regulatory compliance process.  Having environmental engineers collaborating directly with software designers on the team, rather than relying on consultants, allowed us to quickly design a reliable system for automating GHG tracking.  This is just one example of how we integrate a unique set of skills and expertise in our company.

Projects such as this one help reaffirm my belief that finding a unique differentiator is the key to success.  Find what makes you stand out in the market, and pride yourself on that quality.

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Still looking for the right EHS software to revolutionize your environmental and compliance initiatives?  Book a demo with us today!

 

Sandeep Khabiya - Director of Software Engineering

About guest blogger— Sandeep Khabiya, Locus Technologies

Sandeep Khabiya is responsible for driving software development at Locus Technologies in alignment with the company objectives. In his role, he directs the work of a broad range of technical personnel and is a coach and mentor for team members across multiple and diverse projects.

Before joining Locus as the Director of Software Engineering, he spent over 14 year with HP Software leading development of products like IT Governance, Project Management and Cloud Service Automation while working with teams across the globe in US, Czech Republic, India, and China.

The six characteristics of the “perfect” EHS application

 

Build your own EHS apps with Locus Platform

A configurable application-building platform lets you easily build and reconfigure apps that perfectly fit your business needs.

In the EHS&S industry, companies and organizations demand a unique set of needs from their software applications.

There are many software tools and applications available out there aimed to assist with any aspect of your company. Many buyers get stuck on the question of how to find the perfect app solution for their business needs, especially considering that these needs grow and evolve over time. They spend money and time researching the perfect app that fits their unique situation.

An unexpected solution to this dilemma lies in a configurable software platform— designed specifically to allow you to easily build and reconfigure apps that perfectly fit your business needs.

Developing custom applications on a cloud-based application development platform has a number of advantages that you should consider before deciding to buy an off-the-shelf application that happens to tick all the boxes on your features list. This solution delivers easily configurable, scalable, and well-integrated applications that will help you drive your productivity and success in the future.

 

Currency cost icon  Lower long-term costs

Custom app development on a platform means you can create a custom application that is specifically tailored to your company’s needs, as well as being focused on scalability and efficiency.

Off-the-shelf software may initially seem like the faster and cheaper option, but the lack of customization for day-to-day operations is ultimately inefficient (and often leads users to invent their own manual processes outside the software to compensate for the software’s inefficiencies).  As the application is used more often, even the smallest issues can grow exponentially, leading to costs that will far outweigh your initial savings on the off-the-shelf software.

 

Configure customize icon  Better productivity = higher ROI

Configurable custom applications that are specifically designed with your needs in mind will help your team work faster and smarter.  Well-integrated apps on a unified platform can yield major efficiency gains, since all the data is in one place and users do not have to switch between different applications or websites as part of their workflow.

Another added benefit comes from the interoperability of apps coexisting on the same platform, which can drastically reduce input requirements, as well as the need for multiple QA/QC processes.  Input once, use many times.

 

Speed fast icon  Save time, adapt faster

The ability of an organization to quickly shift technology strategies can mean the difference between dominance and obsolescence in many industries.  A configurable platform enables you to rapidly customize and deploy your application, with a fraction of the time and resources that would be required for an off-the-shelf application.

 

User Interface UI icon  Common UI, data and security model

Platform applications share the same user interface, security, and configuration-data model amongst all apps.  There is no need to manage data integration or sync issues.

Additionally, new software upgrades are easily deployed to a large number of users, so users will remain in a familiar interface across all apps.  These benefits support faster and easier deployment, as well as rapid user adoption— both of which are critical to success and a high ROI for any solution.

 

Integration icon  Built-in support for integration with other platforms

Advanced APIs (to support integration of third-party, enterprise, Internet of Things, or legacy applications not on the platform) are interoperable and will help maximize your team’s productivity.

Off-the-shelf software may not be compatible with other programs.  You may need one software product to read IoT data from sensors, another to launch an incident management workflow, and yet another to file a new SAP purchase order.  If the programs do not communicate effectively, they will hinder your work process.

A custom platform app can integrate with a wider set of APIs from different software and data partners, providing a seamless flow of information.

 

Mobile icon  Mobile capability

Mobile applications have become a significant extension of any web-based application.  A configurable app platform inherently supports an easy transition from a web app to a mobile app, without any extra development efforts.  This saves time, money, and resources needed to maintain the mobile app.  It also resolves any data integration or usability issues that integrating a third-party, custom mobile app could cause with your application.
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Still looking for the right EHS software to revolutionize your environmental and compliance initiatives?  Book a demo with us today!

 

Rehan Shah - Senior Software Engineer

About guest blogger— Rehan Shah, Locus Technologies

An avid programmer, Rehan Shah is passionate about programming and making the world a better place.  At Locus, Rehan gets the opportunity to combine both his passions, making his job much more fun and intriguing.

After graduating from Purdue with a degree in computer engineering, he spent the next 10 years working for industry leaders including HP, Oracle, and ServiceNow.  Now at Locus, he’s a senior software engineer in the Locus Platform dev team, an agile dev team lead and a self-proclaimed Chief Hackathon Officer.

How to choose the right EHS vendor (or, turning a minefield into a playground)

 

In today’s Internet-driven age, consumers are overwhelmed by an abundance of choices and information on every conceivable product on the marketplace.  The same is true for businesses looking to buy software solutions. Selecting an enterprise-wide EHS&S software solution can be a feat for any organization.

Whether you have been tasked to research vendors from the EHS shop window, or you are driving the data evolution in your business to move from spreadsheets (or worse – paper) to a 21st century-ready alternative— the task at hand can seem daunting and fraught with challenge.

Establishing a timeline and setting milestones along the way will help you break down your mission into manageable, bite-size chunks. Here are some helpful tips to find the right EHS vendor for you — and remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint!

 

Cartoon of EHS stakeholders considering a cloud EHS software solution

Different departments and stakeholders will have different goals– don’t forget to consider how the EHS software solution will help them, too.

Who are the stakeholders?

As the individual spearheading this project, you are not the only one with skin in the game, nor is this likely confined to your team. Multiple business units, divisions, and departments are not only going to have to use a new EHS software solution – they need to like doing so.

The different stakeholders also come with their own individual business goals, and they will be looking to the new EHS software solution to assist them.  Can you carefully engage different areas of your business to find the key drivers?

Even better – assign project leaders within business units to join your selection process, attending demos and providing critical feedback along the way. After all, more heads are better than one.

 

The nice-to-have’s vs. the need-to-have’s

Many of us in the EHS&S industry share similar passions, such as the desire to help reduce climate change and help businesses move to more environmentally-friendly ways of operating.

Sadly, this isn’t at the top of every company’s list of priorities.  But we can all agree that the most important and critical areas are compliance-driven.

Think about which local, state, and federal regulations you are bound by and must adhere to at all costs. It’s all well and good, having a software that can calculate CO2 emissions saved from a new “green” initiative.  But shouldn’t it also be smart enough to alert you when a permit is up for renewal?

Take time to compile a list of all areas you need to keep on top of.  The right software should be able to keep you one step ahead, not left scrambling around, collecting data from all of your sites to meet a certain deadline.

 

Who to engage? 

EHS conference attendees networking

Conferences such as those hosted by NAEM are a great place to network with other EHS professionals and ask your peers about their experience with specific software vendors.

Trying to select a shortlist of vendors to demo with is no easy feat, especially when an Internet search throws up 20 pages of results.  Fortunately, there are plenty of independent sources and conferences that exist specifically to help you in this endeavor.  The National Association of Environmental Managers (NAEM) is one example.  Networking with other EHS professionals can lead to recommendations and “been there, done that” advice on who the key players are.

It’s also important to remember that EHS vendors are not necessarily built for every terrain, and some specialize in different areas (i.e., health and safety, air emissions, waste management, etc.).  I have yet to come across two businesses with the exact same EHS needs and requirements, so remember to regard your own company as the unique entity that it is.

Once you have a feel for the vendors that are most suitable for your needs, you should start engaging sales professionals in initial 20-30 minute conversations on what you are trying to achieve, as well as finding out more from vendors on their potential suitability for your project.

 

EHS software demos are the easiest way to find out if the EHS software will meet your requirements

Before a demo, give the vendor as much detail about your unique requirements, business processes, and ultimate goals as you’re willing to share– this will help the vendor focus on the most relevant functionality for your needs.

Evaluating the market

Once you have a shortlist of worthy candidates, the next logical step is to schedule some demos.  I recommend a 60-90 minute demo to begin with – anything shorter is not worthwhile to get a full grasp on the software capabilities.

There seems to be two schools of thought regarding demos and how much information to provide to the vendor, prior to the big day.  Some companies like to keep their cards close to their chest and ask to see the “out-of-the-box” functionality.  Others choose to provide the vendor upfront with their detailed requirements, existing reports, and sample data, in order for the demo to focus specifically on what the customer is looking to solve.

I favor the latter approach, as it gives the vendor the opportunity to tailor the demo to the needs that are of most importance to the customer.  This helps both sides to focus the conversation on exactly how the software functionality will make the customer’s job easier.  Tell them what you want to achieve or what you’re struggling with, and let them do the work of showing you how their product will solve all your problems.  And quite frankly, if you are looking to catch out a vendor who doesn’t have everything you need, then the relationship is already off to a pretty bad start!

Longer sessions and “focus groups” can be arranged as a follow-up.  Second and third demos are par for the course in most selection processes.  These additional demos will give you a chance to whittle down the competition, plus give you the opportunity to reflect and to go back to the vendors with any additional questions, requirements, and clarifications.

 

Going steady

As you continue through the purchasing process, you will find yourself building bonds with the best vendors.  This working relationship is key to a lasting experience that assists your business in getting the “mission-critical” EHS work done.

EHS vendors collaborate with their customers

As your relationship with a vendor grows, you should start to see evidence of a cross-departmental team that is committed to your satisfaction and your business’s compliance success.

The best EHS vendors will have a healthy mix of subject matter experts, project managers, developers, and sales professionals – all dedicated to keeping your business compliant and happy enough to renew your subscription, year after year.

Pricing is obviously a concern for any customer, and it’s important that you fully understand what the vendor is going to charge you.  The last thing you want is to agree on a project and implementation process, only to be hit with a hefty bill once the software has been deployed – for what you felt was a minor change.

Useful questions to ask:

  • Is the software configurable?
  • How much support is available to me?
  • What happens when you upgrade to a new version?
  • How much data can I store on your platform?

Once you have settled on a vendor and are ready to embark on the implementation, the real fun begins.  Now you can start to reap the benefits of your carefully planned and executed selection process.

Good luck out there!

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Still looking for the right EHS software to revolutionize your environmental and compliance initiatives?  Book a demo with us today!

 

Remy Leaf - Sales Engineer at Locus Technologies

About guest blogger— Remy Leaf, Locus Technologies

Remy Leaf has worked in the EHS industry for 6 years, since graduating from the University of the West of England with a BSc in Environmental Management & Sustainability. His current role with Locus is Sales Engineer, working with new and prospective customers to identify their EHS targets.