If you fail to plan
June 1st 2004

Selecting management software for health and safety applications. By Karen Baxter, managing director of Sypol

The application of innovative software solutions for the world of health and safety has taken off in a big way recently. With the choice now so wide ranging, it is certainly a case of buyer beware. Over the years I have had many a conversation with health and safety colleagues who lament their chosen software solution. Many reasons are cited but most boil down to one key issue lack of planning. Too often, people find themselves with programs that are inappropriate for their needs because they didn't spend enough time making an informed pre-purchase decision. The latest and greatest may not be the most appropriate; it may just be more complicated and expensive. Taking time to assess needs and pick software that suits can save money and ensures you dont end up with something that just doesn't work for your organisation.

Functionality what we need the software for

The trick to defining needs is to describe what you want to do with the health and safety software, rather than what you think you need to buy. Looking at the issue in this way may even result in a decision that new software is not needed at all. Perhaps you already have the answer in house; you are just not using it! Quite often customers describe new solutions they are considering not knowing that an existing system can fulfil the need.

If you are sure that there is a need for new software then the next step is to define exactly what you want the system to do to meet your requirements. Do you need the system to streamline existing operations, releasing resource that could be better spent elsewhere? Is the system necessary to allow you to take on additional responsibility? Is the key driver the need for better communication of health and safety information to staff at risk? Is there a need for secure data storage? Is there a need to make the software work invasively rather than just react to user input? When Sypol introduced its Personal Safety Advisor system it was to meet just such a need by automatically drip feeding health and safety information to users desktop computers rather than waiting for them to ask for it. Applications like this avoid putting the onus on users to take action and can make for a more successful solution.

Once you have defined the need, and ideally this will involve talking to the people who will actually be using the software, you will be able to document it in the form of a statement of requirements. This becomes your specification and will be invaluable when evaluating the health and safety solutions on the market, allowing you to see through the gizmos, gadgets and go-faster stripes unless they are going to add real value.

Who will be using it?

The computer literacy of the end users must be taken into account. If the software is too complicated, they are likely to shy from using it. Relevant training will address this issue but, if this is a chargeable service, may have to be considered as part of the purchase price.

Where the end users work is also a key consideration. Sypols COSHH management system CMS was enhanced to offer a web enabled solution precisely to address the issue of people needing COSHH assessments and other data away from the office. Any software is only as useful as the information it can provide to people who need it - at the right time and in the right place. So determining where they are and what they need is essential.

Compatibility will it work for us?

So having decided on the functionality the next step is to consider is compatibility. Most organisations these days have an array of computers and operating systems working happily side by side. While ensuring that your old steam driven desktop works well with the executive director's state of the art laptop may not be a key consideration when selecting health and safety software, making sure that the solution is compatible with existing systems will be an important consideration. Again the starting point is your needs. Some of the questions may include:

What sort of hardware and software will we need? Selecting software that means you must upgrade your entire ICT infrastructure is not likely to fill the hearts of your IT department with joy, never mind your Finance Director!

Will the system work with existing packages?

Making sure that your wonderful new risk assessment system does not crash word processing software or corrupt your PowerPoint presentations is just one of the issues. There are other questions that are best addressed before you buy.

Does the system need to talk to other packages already in use? For example accident reporting software, HR software, training databases etc.

Is the system scalable, if we grow, will the system grow with us, if we shrink will we be lumbered with an unnecessary overhead?

Stability has it been used in anger?

Most of us have experienced the signs of an unstable application. Blue warning screens, frozen keyboards, and strange behaviour are all common when working with buggy software. Using new software does not necessarily have to be a show stopper, indeed it can be a benefit. Offering to beta test a new application can often mean that you can drive the overall look and feel towards your own needs. However, you need to know up front that you are trying out the software on this basis and work closely with the vendor regarding deployment. As a rule of thumb if you think that the software has been tested to death, test it again just to make sure! Deploying software that does not work can leave lots of egg on the face and no matter how good the final version is, users wont trust it.

If you are buying established software, there are two things you should always do:

1. Ask for and use a trial version of the software

2. Talk to three other users at least one of whom you have selected yourself.

Total cost of ownership what exactly are we buying?

Software does not need to cost the earth, indeed there is health and safety software available that works well without needing a super-fast processor, bucket fulls of memory and an enormous hard drive to function. In our industry, software costs vary from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pounds. When considering cost vs. benefit, dont forget to ask questions about the hidden costs:

Any additional hardware and

software?

What about training?

What about support?

What about upgrades?

What about bug fixing?

What about bespoking?

What about adding more

users?

What about reducing users?

Buying health and safety software is like anything else you get what you pay for so remember...

1. Plan your purchase considering functionality, compatibility and stability

2. Dont pay extra for functionality you dont need

3. Dont compromise on key functionality. The money you save will be meaningless if the software doesnt meet your needs

4. Make sure you understand the full costs of ownership

5. Make sure you speak to existing customers of your choice

6. Try before you buy.

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