Optimizing EHS/ESG Information Management and Reporting Systems by Leveraging Innovative Digital Technology Solutions
Optimizing EHS/ESG Information Management and Reporting Systems by Leveraging Innovative Digital Technology Solutions
Authors: Chris Mickle and Kent Kading | août 10, 2022
Corporate Environmental Compliance Managers and Corporate Health & Safety Directors are faced with changing regulatory requirements and increased attention regarding ESG goals, objectives and performance. Regulatory changes create a challenge to the organization to keep all regulatory permits and plans updated and keeping staff up to date on the work process changes. These changes need to be incorporated into the EHS/ESG information management and reporting systems to maintain compliance and conformance with the applicable requirements and standards.
The recently proposed rules to enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures for investors have corporations scrambling to accurately and efficiently collect, manage and report this information across their organization for applicable reports. These immediate challenges, along with an ever-developing technology market, have many Corporate Environmental Managers, Health & Safety Directors and Sustainability Managers wanting to re-assess their EHS/ESG management systems and the information management systems (IMS) that support them to improve and optimize their capabilities and performance.
Organizations who have not designed, developed and implemented an information management system platform for their EHS/ESG needs should consider the process of establishing such a system. This is an opportunity to consider a single integrated enterprise wide EHS/ESG information management system.
What level of effort is currently required to compile EHS/ESG data and information for tracking performance and reporting compliance and/or conformance status across our entire organization?
Are there inefficient manual processes that could be eliminated by implementing a streamlined and more robust system that works across all applicable devices?
Have we implemented a system that is updated with applicable regulatory changes, automates notifications and alerts the appropriate team members regarding applicable regulatory changes and provides notification to leadership regarding EHS incidents of non-compliance?
How easy is it to access information and present visualizations that present key EHS/ESG performance indicators to provide an overall picture of the organization’s compliance and/or conformance status?
What is our organization’s technology adoption plan? Do we have a strategic plan for adopting new innovative technologies such as robotic process automation, wearables, remote sensors, etc. mentioned in the previous TRC blog Key Considerations When Designing and Implementing Digital Technology Solutions to Support an Integrated EHS/ESG Management System? Do we have the systems, equipment and resources connected and trained to successfully implement this plan?
Are our current EHS/ESG management system processes and the corresponding IMS supporting our organization’s overall EHS/ESG standards and requirements? (e.g., ISO 14001 and/or ISO 45001)
Significantly Improve Performance With Integrated Enterprise Wide EHS/ESG IMS
A single, integrated enterprise wide EHS/ESG IMS can significantly improve performance and communicate progress towards organizational EHS/ESG requirements and goals. There can be many benefits to improving and optimizing your current EHS/ESG IMS including making it easier to use, a better central location for all EHS/ESG information and allowing quicker access to data analytics and performance indicators. When considering to optimize and improve your current EHS/ESG management system processes, and the corresponding IMS, conduct an analysis and include the following components into future design considerations:
TRC’s team of EHS/ESG Digital Technology Solutions experts assist our clients with systems to meet their needs. We work with our clients planning, designing, developing, testing and implementing systems to meet the ISO or client standards and EHS/ESG IMS requirements. We also partner with leading EHS/ESG software vendors to find the best match for our clients, selecting systems with scalability and offering many applicable EHS/ESG IMS modules.
Having a master data management plan and data governance procedures regarding how an organization implements EHS/ESG software creates a roadmap for how the system will maintain consistency with other organizational system platforms and data sets. Consider the following examples of plan content and procedures:
Integrating your organization’s facility list, current employee roster and approved vendor and contractor roster information from Human Resources and Accounting Procurement Systems
Make sure to incorporate your Corporate IT policies
Include Corporate IT representatives on your EHS/ESG Software Implementation Team to stay in alignment with your company’s IT roadmap
Allow for long-term internal IT system support
Make sure your master data management plan includes system documentation and steps for how employees will receive training (initial and refresher) and instructions on system use and administration
System documentation is required to govern the overall data policies, procedures and use of the system in a consistent way to ensure data quality (reliable, accurate and complete)
valuate existing processes and procedures regarding data capture, data visualization and data reporting to document the current “As-Is” data management workflow process. Use this exercise to identify any manual processes that can be optimized through system automation. Improve your EHS/ESG data management workflow processes to meet your organization’s goals and requirements for supporting the EHS/ESG IMS. When developing your preferred optimal EHS/ESG data management workflow process, consider areas where this workflow is not compliant with your organization’s EHS/ESG IMS. Consider data governance plans and documentation that can provide an EHS/ESG IMS that better aligns with and supports your organization’s EHS/ESG Management System (e.g., ISO14001 and/or ISO45001) using the ISO Plan, Do, Check and Act (PDCA) approach.
Corporate Environmental Managers, Health & Safety Directors and Corporate ESG & Sustainability Directors need quick, easy to interpret, data visualizations on dashboards to highlight trends and the current status of regulatory compliance at their operating facilities. This ongoing monitoring and alerts of non-compliance situations allows for more responsive corrective actions and improvements to eliminate recurrence. Many EHS/ESG IMS come with configurable dashboards such as Microsoft® Power BI, Tableau®, etc. and offer a robust environment for displaying information and data to better manage EHS/ESG standards and requirements.
Confirming Corporate Leadership supports the EHS/ESG IMS improvement project and dedicates the appropriate resources is critical to a successful implementation. It is recommended to implement a pilot program for how the system will be implemented across a sample of your organization’s facilities in order to incorporate feedback from system users for all aspects of design functionality, documentation and training content.
Develop a strategy for how your organization adopts new EHS/ESG innovative technologies. Determine if your organization has resources to be early adopters of new technology that includes a process for piloting each technology and determining its applicability and benefits to an organization’s data management workflow process. Knowing your organization’s approach and strategy to new technology adoption can save time in evaluating each technology.
Consider any issues you have with your current EHS/ESG IMS and the associated work processes. Also, consider the strengths and weaknesses of the existing system and how the existing system could be improved or replaced. If replacing the system, consider risks with the options of building the system in house, using and maintaining custom source code and having the hardware and network infrastructure to host the system. Determine the true cost of system design, development and ongoing maintenance, and then decide if that is feasible for the organization as compared to working with existing COTS systems, their subscription or licensing costs and ability to expand the system’s use with additional EHS/ESG software modules and interfaces. Develop a scorecard of the features and functionality of the existing EHS/ESG software system you have implemented, and those you would like in your new system. This approach allows you to evaluate each system independently, as well as through a blended approach.
Learn More About Our Integrated Approach
This insights post is a follow up to our recent white paper Managing EHS & ESG Risks Through Integrated Systems. TRC offers integrated EHS services that help organizations better manage EHS and ESG associated risks and improve performance at the corporate and plant levels.
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Kent Kading leads TRC’s Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Services across the organization. He is responsible for the planning, operations, execution and delivery of EHS Services performed by TRC EHS engineers, scientists and specialists to our clients. He has over 30 years of experience leading EHS permitting, compliance and management system services for clients world-wide. Kent has significant experience developing, implementing and evaluating multi-media EHS compliance programs and management systems for various industrial clients. He has conducted comprehensive compliance audits, environmental/health risk assessments, process safety management/risk management plan development and support and air and water permitting projects at a variety of industrial facilities. He also has provided industrial clients across the United States with a variety of EHS Services including: air quality permitting and compliance; wastewater permitting and compliance; stormwater permitting and compliance; hazardous waste management; EPCRA reporting and compliance; OSHA/state programs health & safety compliance with program standards, including confined space, lockout tagout, hazard communication, walking-working surfaces, electrical safety, hot work and other industrial safety programs. Contact Kent at KKading@trccompanies.com.
Chris Mickle
Chris Mickle is TRC’s National Service Leader for EHS Digital Technology Services located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Chris is a Senior Project and Client Manager responsible for the successful execution of several Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Management Information System (EMIS) projects which include Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) metrics. Mr. Mickle has over 25 years of experience providing innovative IT solutions for business, government and industry stakeholders as a leader of environmental information management systems and data quality best practices. He has extensive operations management experience that includes project portfolio management, project quality management, data governance, environmental management system (EMS) development, business strategy and financial management that incorporates knowledge of federal, state and local agencies environmental regulations providing services to both public and private sector clients. Chris is a leader of information management systems and platform/application design and system integration. Chris can be reached at CMickle@trccompanies.com.