Step-by-Step Guide to Shift from Legacy to a Next-Gen EHS

One of Western Canada’s largest construction and environmental service providers to the oil and gas industry was looking to shift from a manual, paper-based safety management system to a mobile-ready next-gen EHS. The company, which is publicly traded and employs over 4,000 people, was gearing up for a company-wide digital transformation effort. Specifically, the company wanted to inculcate a culture of safety and environmental sustainability across all its locations in Canada.

The catalyst to this transformation effort came from the top. The CEO of the company had joined a couple of years back, and he brought with him the experience of leading a similar transformation very successfully at his previous company. He had seen, first-hand, the benefits of digital transformation for safety and environmental management.

The company was deeply committed to a wide range of safety improvement initiatives, and it wanted to start with the digitization of its safety inspection system. After evaluating several EHS solutions in the market, the company decided to go with ComplianceQuest for the following reasons:

1. It was easy for the company to integrate with its CRM, which was on Salesforce.
2. Mobile capabilities of the ComplianceQuest solution were a game-changer. Safety auditors could quickly enter data from anytime and anywhere, even if they were stuck in remote locations, where site audits had to be conducted without internet connectivity. Safety auditors and inspectors just had to “sync the data” once they got connectivity back.
3. ComplianceQuest was well suited to conduct data analytics on safety and quality data. It also streamlined the process of reporting data from site audits using dashboards and reports.
4. Most importantly, ComplianceQuest’s HSE was highly scalable and flexible. The company could initially start with automating inspections and audits. But, over time, they could add other functionality.

Overall, ComplianceQuest was well-suited for both the short-term and long-term goals of the company. While automation of site safety management and vehicle inspection workflows were immediate needs, the end goal was an end-to-end transformation of all safety processes.

In this blog, we share a quick step-by-step guide to move from a legacy or manual safety management system to a next-gen EHS.

Step #1: Document the digital transformation effort, including the near-term roadmap
This will include the entire roadmap from start to finish and then continuous improvement initiatives. Pick specific processes that demand immediate attention and automation. Start with those and add automation layers over time. In the case of the aforementioned customer, the starting point revolved around site safety inspections and audits.

Step #2: Establish a Test Environment or Sandbox Environment
A common issue faced by customers is that they pull the plug on the legacy system too early before testing out the new solution end-to-end. We strongly recommend that customers deploy the system in a sandbox environment, customize and test the solution with real data, and make the switch once they are ready.

Step #3: Customize the workflow as per your requirements
In some cases, the off-the-shelf EHS product will work. However, most companies require a customized solution that fits into the specific workflow of the company. Make sure to choose an EHS Solution that is flexible and customizable.

Step #4: Ensure all regulatory requirements and related processes are automated
One of the biggest advantages of moving to a next-gen solution is that regulatory filings and submissions become easier. Make sure your EHS implementation takes this into account.

Step #5: It is a never-ending process. Think Continuous Improvement (CI); be proactive
Work closely with your EHS implementation partner to design a solution that is future-proof. You may be digitizing only your site safety audit process today. But down the line, you’ll want to automate CAPA, complaint management and change. Keep that in mind from day one.

In the case of the Western Canada-based oil and gas service provider, the immediate need was to digitize site audit forms – so safety data could be collected into the ComplianceQuest EHS. The legacy solution was to capture it in Microsoft Excel and share it with others through SharePoint. This made the whole process slow, cumbersome and non-collaborative.

“ComplianceQuest created a completely customized program for us. They designed digital worksite inspection forms which could be easily accessed via mobile from virtually anywhere. The user-friendly forms automatically feed safety data into Salesforce, which can be accessed real-time.”
– Competency Advisor, Clearstream

With the ComplianceQuest EHS solution, all stakeholders had a finger on the pulse of real-time safety data from all site inspections. It was easy to analyze and take swift action when needed. But that was only the beginning. Over time, the safety data residing in the EHS was used to mitigate key risks during the pandemic. Needless to add, this wouldn’t have been possible if the data were still residing in Microsoft Excel.

For more information on ComplianceQuest EHS or to request for a demo, visit:
https://www.compliancequest.com/online-demo