The buyer's journey to choosing HSEQ Safety Software 

So, you have taken the first step and started your journey of looking into a new HSEQ software solution for your business. Now comes the fun part. Picking the right provider.

According to Capterra, over 460 HSEQ (EHS) solutions are available in the market.

So, how do you know which one to choose?

This guide contains a high-level overview of the areas you should consider before choosing a HSEQ product and a supplier.

What is HSEQ Safety Software?

A HSEQ (Health, Safety, Environmental and Quality) Management system is a software solution designed for businesses explicitly to streamline the management of Workplace Health, Safety, Environmental, Quality, Risk and Compliance processes.

HSEQ software goes beyond your traditional standalone safety systems as it covers all areas of your workplace health and safety in one solution. It is utilised by businesses to digitise and manage their workplace health, safety, compliance and risk processes.

Why do you need it?

Traditionally, most businesses have viewed managing health and safety processes as more of a burden and something that a business has to do rather than something a business wants to do.

This is partly due to ever-changing compliance standards and regulations governing bodies enforce. Budget or resource constraints (people and time) to invest in new HSEQ software restrictions can also be a roadblock for many businesses.

As a result, most HSEQ managers and employees are forced to utilise pen and paper, Excel or legacy solutions rather than proactively investing in a proper solution. 

However, when considering all the factors, it becomes clear HSEQ software is an asset rather than just a cost to the business. Numerous studies indicate that a safer workplace is a more productive environment as employees feel safer carrying out the work required, and safety managers have the data to make more informed decisions. As a result, some reports have found that for every $1 invested into proactive Injury prevention (HSEQ software), $2-6 is returned.

Related: The real ROI of HSEQ software guide

What are the benefits of HSEQ safety software?

Using HSEQ software substantially benefits the top and bottom lines of businesses.

In summary, here are some of the outcomes you can gain by implementing HSEQ Software:

Does my company need HSEQ Safety software or a standalone system?

Now that you understand the importance of investing in HSEQ software and how it can be a valuable asset to your organisation, it's time to determine how you will actually select the right solution. 

To keep it simple, let's work off two ways of digitisation. You can go down the path of standalone safety systems or selecting an end-to-end integrated HSEQ solution.

A standalone system is a software product that solves one or two problems. For example, it might be a dedicated incident management solution, a risk register or even a Learning Management System. Whereas an integrated HSEQ solution is an end-to-end solution that solves all of your HSEQ problems in one piece of software.

There are pros and cons to both, but the reality is that it depends on your individual requirements.

Standalone systems vs HSEQ systems breakdown

What should I look for in an HSEQ safety software solution?

Product/Functionality:

The first and most important step to selecting your HSEQ solution is ensuring the product has the features/functionality needed to solve your problems. Questions to ask:

• Product - does it solve all of my HSEQ problems, or will I still be reliant on manual data processing, integrations, spreadsheets and other software?
• Off the shelf vs configurable - can I tailor certain features to align with my how my business operates?
• Longevity - how long has the solution been around and will it be around for a while?
• Scalability - can this product scale with our business as it grows?
• Cloud-based vs on-prem - does it offer cloud-hosting, or is it on-prem only?
• Mobile accessibility - can it be accessed by smart devices and is it available via an app or mobile desktop site?
• Compliance - does it help me manage my compliance obligations?
• Usability - is it easy enough to use and be adopted by end users?
• Accessibility - Does it have accessibility for remote/on-the-ground workers and does it offer features like offline capabilities?

Security:

• Data storage - where is the data stored?
• ISO-certified data protection - does the software comply with standards of data security?
• Data backups and retention - does the software offer data backups and how long for?
• Security of product - how do I know how secure the software is?

Support:

• Support - where is the support and help desk located? What hours are they available?
• Implementation - what implementation assistance is provided?
• Ongoing use - what assistance is there for ongoing support and customer service?

How do I choose a supplier?

Choosing a piece of software is only half the battle.

As investing in a HSEQ solution is a long-term decision, it's important to also evaluate the supplier or implementation partner behind the scenes of the software. 

Here's some areas that you can evaluate:

How do I get started?

1. Define what you are trying to achieve
2. Define your organisation's goals
3. Define the problems/ pain points you are trying to resolve
4. Determine if the solution is a good fit
5. Read reviews/request success stories
6. Make sure the provider has a proven track record
7. Create an action plan
8. GROW