I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it.”
~Michael J. Fox as “Marty McFly” in “Back To The Future”
When you believe strongly in the benefits of an emerging technology, it can be challenging, even frustrating, to convince your colleagues.
At best people may not understand the technology or its benefits, at worst they may dismiss the technology as some futuristic gizmo that they’re not ready for.
With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the growing use of machine data, EHS analytics is no longer something to look forward to in the future. It’s real and it’s ready!
EHS professionals already benefit from descriptive analytics (“What happened”) and diagnostic analytics (“Why it happened”).
For example, through sophisticated EHS software, leading organizations can analyze incident reports to determine the type of events occurring the most frequently, and identify the recurring root causes.
Predictive analytics (“What will happen”) and prescriptive analytics (“What should be done”) are in a league of their own. Some may be tempted to dismiss these as unrealistic or too futuristic.
Since EHS analytics includes all four categories of analytics, it’s easy to dismiss it as “not ready for prime time”. But the evidence points the other way!
A new report by Verdantix, “Smart Innovators: EHS Analytics In The IoT Age”, argues strongly that many factors are making it easier to make the business case for, and implement, EHS analytics.
Here are five reasons why the right time for EHS analytics is now.
1) Mobile Devices and IoT Sensors Everywhere
EHS mobile apps are deployed more now than ever before. This is improving the quantity and quality of data entered by workers in real-time. Also, there is an onslaught of machine data from a greater use of sensors, beacons, drones and connected assets, all linked through the IoT.
Data powers the engine of EHS analytics. Mobile devices and IoT sensors are making large quantities of data available at different levels, even very granular ones. With so much data available, EHS analytics can be used to its full potential.
2) Automated Data Quality Validation
Not having enough data is bad. Having inaccurate, incomplete or outdated data is even worse. Imagine if the output from EHS analytics is incorrect because of bad data, and it leads you to draw the wrong conclusions and make the wrong decisions.
The good news is that EHS software providers today offer features that perform data quality checks to ensure that the data used by EHS analytics is timely, relevant, accurate, complete and consistent. Data quality can now be validated without time-consuming manual processes.
3) Out-of-the-Box Functionality
EHS analytics functionality is available today out-of-box in many EHS software platforms. There is no costly customization required.
Advanced analytics is available through native features and access to external data sources via standard third-party integrations. Configuration options are also available to adapt features to match your processes.
If you’re evaluating EHS software, this gives you an opportunity to see directly the type of use cases that can be enabled through EHS analytics. It’s no longer about some future vision. It’s about functionality available today!
4) Greater Acceptance of SaaS and Open APIs
The Verdantix report says that “broader acceptance of SaaS, the cloud and open Application Programming Interface (API)” are also helping with the adoption of EHS analytics.
Today, companies are more comfortable with SaaS deployments and open APIs. This makes it easier for them to receive software updates and to exchange data with external systems. In essence, there is less resistance to technological models that facilitate the deployment and use of EHS analytics.
5) Integrated Platforms Are Eliminating Silos
Organizations have always recognized the need to eliminate operational and data silos. But in the last few years, leading organizations have gone further and walked the walk, not just talked the talk.
Companies are deploying integrated EHS platforms that bring all sites, processes and data together. But it goes further. EHS platforms are also integrating with other non-EHS applications (Logistics, Operations, Risk Management, ERP, HR, Finance, etc.)
Firms are able to generate enterprise-wide insights through advanced analytics, which is why the conditions are ripe for EHS analytics to thrive.
This is only a sample of the useful information provided by Verdantix. Be sure to download your free copy of the Verdantix report (a value of £1775/US$2280/€2070) to learn more about:
- The challenges and trends in the market for EHS analytics
- EHS software vendors and their innovations in EHS analytics
- The benefits of EHS analytics in your day-to-day work
