Skip the paper and move straight to digital EHS for increased benefits. How to digitize EHS? Employers are increasingly considering a transition from traditional manual systems of environmental, health and safety management. But simply going electronic isn’t enough – it’s imperative that companies also integrate new software into their workflow in order to reap all potential rewards.
You can not digitise your way out of a paper-based management system. While the environmental, health and safety (EHS) software market is growing at a healthy rate, many companies are still relying on traditional manual systems to manage their EHS data. This is despite the fact that most large corporations in developed economies use automated tools for their EHS management.
The reason is simple – companies are transitioning to digital instruments but not changing the manufacturing process. They are digitising paper forms with an electronic fill function. However, they remain bound by the same limitations of their paper predecessors; lengthy manual data entry, lack of immediacy and no connection with business processes. For this reason, companies are missing out on the opportunity to use digital EHS management systems to their full potential.
The benefits of automation are becoming increasingly apparent in the industry at large. Manufacturing organisations are finding that implementing new technologies allows them to streamline business processes and get better control over operations, leading to higher levels of safety, reduced operating costs and improved customer service.
Typical benefits of digital EHS tools include:
The biggest challenge to EHS digitisation is getting management buy-in. Most companies are more than happy for their employees to use mobile devices that enable them to be better connected to the business or increase efficiency, but they draw the line at mobile phones being used for work.
EHS tools are still seen as a distraction from the job at hand, and this is keeping many corporate decision-makers from implementing them across the board.
The solution lies in finding a new balance between traditional paper-based forms and digital management systems. By using an approach that involves the combination of both electronic data entry and paper forms, companies can continue to take advantage of the benefits of digital EHS tools while mitigating the risks associated with lost data.
Alternatively, for those companies that are ready to go all-in on digitisation and reap the full rewards, outsourcing dedicated EHS software management solutions is a more appropriate option than using an in-house cloud platform. Here, all your data is stored on secure servers that are managed by specialist EHS software companies, enabling you to concentrate on the important elements of your business.
The right solutions offer a hybrid approach – paper forms connected to backend processes. Many companies now realise the benefits of this combined approach, helping them unlock efficiencies and improve their EHS management across the board.
Capptions is an EHS software company specialising in delivering outsourced EHS solutions to large organisations in the UK and across Europe, with support from their network of subsidiaries in Australia, Hong Kong and Canada. By combining the latest technology with local expertise, Capptions strives to make EHS management as easy as possible for its customers.
