Lessons Learned While Choosing a Safety Data Management System

With the advent of the internet, many industry revolutions got started. Among the most significant was the notion of web-based applications to generate and manage data entirely “in the cloud”. A throwback to the client-server model of the large mainframe computers of the ’60s and ’70s, with a fabulous twist: now you can use the applications wirelessly from almost anywhere.

For over eight years, much of my time at work was spent developing, testing and tweaking an integrated Safety Data Management (SDM) intranet system that helped over 10,000 employees optimize their safety culture. This was a handcrafted labor of love, one with just the right features, designed exactly as needed and deployed just-in-time as requested. But it had a fatal flaw: it became entirely dependent on a single resource, hence limited in its sustainability. To mitigate this risk, the logical approach was to select one of the many off-the-shelf SDM solutions in the market.

Such a monumental task cannot be undertaken lightly. Off the bat, the sheer number of options is overwhelming. In alphabetical order, I’m aware of these 20 SDM software options: CR360, Dakota, EHS Insight, EHS-Dashboard by Cappacio, Enablon, Gensuite, Huco Inc’s Sharepoint Tool, Intelex, INX, Locus Tech, Medgate, Perillon, ProcessMAP, SAI Global, SAP EHSM, Site Docs, Sphera, VelocityEHS, WA-HSEQ free app and X Over Time. Phew!

Where do you begin? Read on to find out about my favorite lessons learned through the selection and implementation of various data management applications over the years.

If your company already has an established enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, such as Oracle or SAP, they’ll need a seat at the table when the demo process begins. Along with them, my recommendation is to evaluate no fewer than three and no more than five additional options. Yes, you can demo all 20 I mentioned, but you’ll soon discover the 14-16 out of those that are just too divergent from your goals.

During the initial stages with vendors, you can limit the “spam” by assigning one or, at most, two people to reach out for demos. In my experience, SDM sales teams are as persistent as you’d expect, and tend to offer a more personalized approach. This makes it hard sometimes to say “no”. Keep the tone friendly but be clear when you no longer see a path forward. It helps everyone move along to the next challenge.

During the initial virtual demo, make note of whether the system can address your most significant pain points without losing focus on the basics. Ask yourself: do I like the way the screen looks? Is it clear where I am in the process and where I want to go next? How would an average user approach the system? It pays off to bring a cross-functional team together at this early stage to flag any significant issues that can impact adoption of the system down the line. Accept all feedback, it will be useful as you move forward to narrow down the options.

Next come the on-site demos, which usually last an entire day. Don’t settle for less time, since it can leave you with more questions. My recommendation for your cross-functional team to participate in these demos: 1-3 safety staff, 1-3 operators who will be end users, 1-3 supervisors who will be accountable in the system and 1-2 from your IT team. Also, make sure you know how many representatives are coming from the vendor’s side. My recommendation is to curtail that at three, otherwise it’s easy to be overwhelmed if the vendor has more people in the room than you do.

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During the on-site demos, ask a lot of tough questions. In fact, I’d recommend asking only tough questions. Bring your pain points to full focus and don’t let go until you’re sure you know how the SDM will handle them. If you can, find a way to place your presenters in a bind and watch their reaction. Are they thirsty for the challenge or look put off by it? This will teach you a lot about the company and how they prepare their teams.

This is a critical time in the selection process, where you’ll be tempted to choose based on circumstances. Try your best to separate what’s transitory from what’s permanent. Keep in mind that the return on investment will not be monetary, but it can still be measured if the right proactive safety metrics are implemented.

At this point, you’ll want to engage a resource with extensive application selection experience to guide you through the final selection process. If your company is smart, they will have one or more professionals who are certified in project management and can help you put things in perspective. The primary aim is to lend a structure to the thought process and render it as objective as possible.

No project expert available? You might consider hiring an outside consultant for this critical task. There will be a lot of information to process and it will not always be obvious what technique(s) to use to organize it and arrive at the optimal solution. At least one of the SDM vendors I listed will engage a consulting firm in parallel with the project and bring them along to the on-site demo.

During the final selection process, keep an open mind at all times, and consider all feedback as valuable. In cycles, the feedback that is most useful will surface and become the key factors to make the final decision. Use the many years of experience to inform the process, but also find people who can look at it with fresh eyes. The contrast of feedback will streamline the thought process.

Overall, you should plan to allow two or three months to the selection process. You want to give your team a chance to digest all new information and allow inspiration the room it needs to properly emerge. A rushed selection process will result in big headaches during implementation and further project delays.

The day you arrive at the final decision, you and your team should feel 100% comfortable with it, with no significant objections pending to be resolved. You will live with this choice for years to come, so make it a good one!