Finally, An Environmental Software Suite that Works Together
When looking for a GHG reporting program, there is one element that is typically overlooked. This short video gives us more insight.
Tag Archive for: Locus Platform
Retire Your Environmental Paper Forms & Go Digital
I am constantly reminded by the number of calls we receive, that no matter how robust a SCADA and HMI system is, there is always a requirement for in-field O&M verifications and documentation. It’s almost universal and spans a myriad of industries, large and small, the need to monitor and record thousands of periodic (daily/per shift/weekly, etc.) routine readings/recordings at a prescribed frequency often recorded on pen to paper field forms. The same processes sometimes use “template” spreadsheets for data collection that are then emailed/placed on shared file servers or otherwise sent to some central location for review and post-processing. These processes are antiquated and subject to data quality and record-keeping challenges.
It’s time for an upgrade!
Electronic forms are great for collecting data and almost every business entity has built such forms in spreadsheets, word processing, or simple databases to collect the information. In addition, there is a software category of form builders, and they can certainly build forms. The question becomes is it a good fit to solve your business process issues?
Most customers have more sophisticated needs than simply collecting information on one or more custom forms – they want to do something with all the information collected far beyond what simple form builder tools can provide. Even customers with sophisticated spreadsheet forms, can’t manage them as they multiply exponentially or their Excel gurus retire.
Here are some examples of where you may require software tools beyond a simple form builder:
- Collecting equipment readings on each shift at multiple locations and reporting the data to centralized management, who review the data, and look for trends/issues.
- Verifying and validating data at the point of data entry to eliminate data entry errors.
- Automatically visualizing (charts or tables) information in near real-time to make operations decisions.
- Sharing the information with others.
- Scheduling activities related to periodic or infrequent data collection events.
- Receiving notifications when actions are due.
- Automatically creating regulatory reports in prescribed formats.
- Creating complex workflows and audited approval processes.
- Creating intelligent forms with calculations based on past data or other criteria.
Locus Platform is a configurable platform with standard applications that are easy to configure to customers’ unique requirements. One of its many strengths is its powerful form builder capable of creating simple or complex forms with simple or sophisticated logic. So, for customers looking to move from paper and spreadsheet templates, it’s an excellent option to consider, especially if you require more than a simple “fill in the blank” form for transmittal using mobile devices. Best of all, the data are securely stored in a database structure for reporting and alternative business uses and analyses, compared to the almost impossible management of hundreds of spreadsheets or paper forms.
Here are some examples where sophisticated forms are integrated with a flexible database:
- Water Utilities – Tracking chlorination and aerobic digestion processes with daily inputs/outputs with a monthly summary and chart and tracking well production across well fields.
- Water Utilities – Tracking periodic sewer discharges and water samples for permit compliance.
- Agriculture – Monitoring food processing equipment for compliance with optimum equipment opeating parameters for air permits.
- Pharmaceutical/Chemical Manufacturing Facilities – Tracking EHS daily, weekly, monthly, etc. investigations and in-house audits.
- Universities – tracking chemical inventories.
- Facility Engineering – Documenting O&M activities for groundwater treatment systems.
- Electric Utilities – Monitoring water/energy/gas usage from old-style meters for sustainability reporting with data entry validation.
- Refineries and Terminals – Collecting O&M, usage, and wastewater data.
If you still rely on paper forms and template spreadsheets and are ready to streamline your process and enhance the value of your data, give us a call and we can show you a range of options that will retire the paper forms for good!
LCFS Pathways for Alternative Fuel
Locus Technologies, Nancy-Jeanne LeFevre walks through the process of identifying a project pathway boundary in this short video.
Compliance Minute – Waste Container Status Vlog
Chris De Cree, an EHS Implementation Manager from Locus Technologies walks us through our container tracking tool.
EIM Search Tool – Vlog
Locus Technologies’ customizable software makes scheduling and collecting routine water samples is made easy by using Locus Mobile and EIM.
Finding the Best Environmental Sampling Tool
There is a need for most water entities to centralize data, and more easily load, share, analyze, and report data. Locus Technologies’ customizable software makes scheduling and collecting routine water samples is made easy by using Locus Mobile and EIM. Below is a list of frequent challenges that customers have encountered during their water sampling process and how they can be solved using the right tools from Locus. or better communications.
Challenge 1: Finding a flexible sampling planning tool
Planning tools need to allow flexibility in terms of different sampling intervals and date ranges, different field and analytical parameters, and account for location grouping. Using a well-designed application can pull together all of this detailed information and can provide a summary view of the individual samples. A manager can easily view sample status, and whether the sample is complete, in process, or planned. A well-designed application can also generate the chain of custody (COC), and lab and sample shipping date information and labels per sample, which is a huge time saver. This type of sample tracking detail seemed to be very useful to many conference attendees to help ensure they are in regulatory compliance with required sampling frequencies. A key feature to look for is an application that is flexible enough that it can allow one-time, unplanned sample events such as water main breaks, customer complaints and schedule changes, and can handle complex multi-year routine sampling with ease. As a plus, it’s easy for you or your manager to know where you stand at any time.
Challenge 2: Eliminating data entry errors caused by hand data entry
Data entry errors and fixing bad data when it was transcribed from field notes to Excel or other programs is a persistent problem with the old way of doing things. Your company needs a better way to streamline the error prone data collection process. Many clients are interested in an alternative to the pencil/paper/clipboard method and had goals to move to tablet or smartphone for data collection. The universal wish list for mobile field applications included:
- Easy to use and set up
- Built in data validation to catch data entry errors at the source
- Direct upload to a data system so the end of the day all the daily samples were in the system with the push of a button
- Prepopulating locations especially for large water systems
- Complete field instructions for samplers on what to collect and where to collect it to eliminate missed samples
- Smart tracking to know on a daily/weekly basis, what samples were collected and what samples were still outstanding
- Integrated with sample planning tools (See challenge 1) to automate the sampling instructions and track the data collection activities vs plan
Challenge 3: Getting the most out of their software, especially regarding updates
Everyone is aware that software updates all the time. Sometimes its security enhancements and sometime feature enhancements or bug fixes. A source of frustration is getting a software update and not knowing what was updated or how best to incorporate a new feature/enhancement into their established process. There was also concern for impact to an established routine with field crews that were used to the existing way of doing things. Even if a functionality improved the workflow, enhancements are only valuable to a user if they understand how to use them and how to incorporate them into their existing process.
Some suggestions from the attendees included:
- Concurrent documentation updates with software updates
- “Quick start” guides for new functionality
- Online training on the new functionality with recording for later viewing
- Heads up on what is coming in the next several months so they can do strategic planning (sharing the roadmap)
- Sandbox environment to test the enhancements before going in production so they can plan how to incorporate the features into their process and train field crews
Mobile applications, which appear very simple to the users, are in reality complex software and require careful integration with the receiving database for a range of complex use cases. This makes rolling out new mobile features challenging for both the developers and the users. Enhanced customer/developer communication along with a sandbox environment can go a long way towards solving some of the inherent issues with rapid innovations and updates associated with cloud and mobile software.
Software tools are available and can solve a lot of the common data management challenges, but know what you want, know the problem you are trying to solve and know it will take some time and effort, but the end result will significantly improve your business processes. Though these challenges are present when choosing a software, Locus Technologies has the experts to help you hurdle the challenges to find the solution that is best for your business.
Simplify Your Water Tracking with Locus Platform
Tracking your data is made easy within our software as a service (SaaS), Locus Platform (LP). Your company can take advantage of LP’s mobile-aware browser functions, giving you the capability to do all your fieldwork with your existing phones or tablets. When cellular connections are unavailable or unreliable, Locus also has a Mobile app which supports the offline capabilities you need to keep your workflow going.
Regardless of your mobile approach, each mobile form can be easily configured to capture the data you require in the field such as photos and the sampling results.
Along with easy mobile data collection, Locus Platform can help you to:
- Track and report your daily results, such as chlorine, nitrite and temperature to water treatment operators, for real time adjustments.
- Monitor lab results from routine sampling.
- Flag out of range data in real time for notifications or data entry corrections.
- Analyze data geospatially to understand situations impacting water quality.
- Report average monthly chlorine results.
- Track water quality complaints and illicit discharges overtime.
- Generate Nitrification Reports.
- Prepare Monthly Flushing reports.
Of course, those are not the limits of Locus Platform. Our software can also help you to:
- Track and manage all types of tasks and regulatory commitments.
- Track any type of permit and associated requirements.
- Generate notifications for defined events, such as data entered above limits.
- Produce PDF and Excel reports for regulators and customers.
- Keep all your information in an easy-to-use secure system and basically future proof your program.
Whether in the office, or out in the field, Locus Technologies is with you every step of the way during the tracking process. Contact us to find your solution.
A More Robust EHS Software Solution
One of the most frequent conversations we have is with EHS professionals who approach us with struggles concerning their current software solution. They often seek out Locus out of frustration, because their current software provider focuses almost exclusively on the safety side of EHS. While there’s nothing innately wrong with focusing on one aspect of EHS, most professionals need a more robust software to meet their needs. They need a solution that can handle the environmental side of EHS.
When we ask what they’re missing, it ranges depending on their current software, and most commonly these professionals don’t have the ability to automate environmental data collection, management, and reporting. They are, for the most part, entering everything by hand and reporting to local, state, and federal agencies manually. The lack of a proper solution from their current provider means that they’re doing more work and potentially misreporting due to repeat entry errors.
EHS professionals Must focus on a wide range of issues, and a lack of versatility in their software solution means that they have to work harder to fill in the gap in their existing process and software solutions. When Locus is approached, most of the time it’s by professionals seeking relief, and they find us because we offer a tool that both meets their needs and makes their work less stressful.
The environmental side of EHS is vast, and professionals are expected handle anything from air and GHG emissions to water, waste and beyond. And while other providers offer anything from a bare bones solution to enough to get by, Locus knows that a robust solution can reduce the burden, time, and potential inaccuracies that EHS professionals face. We know because we’ve been there. Locus software is developed by and for EHS professionals. Our domain experts have had to deal with the struggles of subpar software, so that’s why we make a solution to fit the needs of our peers. That’s why our EHS software features a full suite of solutions, and a robust calculation engine.