How to Select an Enterprise EHS and Sustainability Software Solution

I recently had a discussion with the Environmental Business Journal (EBJ) on challenges companies face when selecting EHS and Sustainability management software. Environmental managers have to consider many things at this time of rapid technological change. The solution that was considered an industry standard or good fit just two years ago may not be the right answer any longer. With rapid penetration of multi-tenant SaaS, always connected mobile devices, and the Internet of Things, enterprise software selection just got much simpler (and less expensive).

The reality is that if a software vendor is offering you a latest on premise version of its software, or any version, you should not invest into it. Why? The new version, that comes out in two years from now, will most likely have unexpected changes that will cause pain for users, installers and/or managers of the solution.  But that pain can be avoided by moving to a SaaS-based solution.  SaaS not only improves cost efficiencies and offers better  integration with mobile deployments, but provides the ability to gleam more intelligent insight in the collected data.  Even Microsoft with its pending Windows 10 release, which is expected to be the last of the traditional big bang launches, is likely to complete Microsoft’s transition from a software licensing model to a cloud computing one.

Your next EHS solution must be built around continual upgrades and stable releases on a schedule or what is in SaaS industry called a rolling upgrade program. Due to market dynamics, your enterprise EHS software platform will evolve over time. This strategy will allow you to consume innovation easier and have success stories along the way.

I share my views and opinions in a 10 question and answer interview, entitled “Locus Technologies’ Duplan Advised on Navigation of Rapidly Changing World of EHS/Sustainability Information Management“, which appeared in the December 2014 issue of the Environmental Business Journal newsletter.

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Internet of Things and the Climate Change

The future of climate change management lies in the ability to use a holistic approach to environmental data and monitoring information. This merging of technological advances, such as real-time sensors, big data technologies, and Internet of Things (IoT), gives industries and governments the ability to effectively predict and manage climate change.

In any industry, when all incoming data is connected and centrally accessible through a SaaS application, the flow of information is much more efficient and effective. For example, instead of having a separate file and procedure for energy management, waste management, environmental compliance and incident management, a company can have all emissions-related records environmental and H&S compliance data in one system. From this single system, they would have the ability to manage compliance activity, data monitoring, and resource management at the same time. Adopting such a structure offers any entity the ability to converge all incoming sources of information to create a much more integrated enterprise platform for EH&S+S management.

At the crux of this method of centralized information is the Internet of Things. The IoT is the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing internet infrastructure. The proliferation of IoT is expected to usher in an age of automation in the environmental field, while enabling advanced applications like a smart grid or real time water quality measurement and management. IoT is able to offer connectivity beyond machine-to-machine communications and cover a variety of protocols, domains and applications.

In relation to environmental management, a “Thing” in the IoT could refer to flow monitoring sensors, a groundwater monitoring well, emission monitoring stations, Gas Chromatography (GC) instruments  used in analytical chemistry for  testing the purity of a particular substance, or separating the different components of a mixture or  identifying a compound. Ultimately, any natural or man-made object that can be assigned an IP address and provided with the ability to transfer data over a network can become a thing in the IoT. The expanded use of this system is expected to create a plethora of new areas of application for internet connected automation. And, in turn, the IoT is also expected to generate a large amount of data from a huge variety of environmental monitoring devices, thereby increasing the need for better indexing, processing, and storing of incoming data.

The IoT is considered one of the fastest growing trends in technology. When applied to the environmental monitoring industry, there will be an overwhelming influx of information that will have to be dealt with. Many companies are concerned that the sheer volume of data will render the information useless. Environmental companies must invest in smart software and intelligent databases to deal with this new trend, hopefully changing the face of the environmental monitoring industry.

Locus Technologies Introduces Locus Mobile for Data Access and Input On the Go

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) leverages new mobile app for its environmental data collection processes

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 27 October 2014 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the leader in cloud-based environmental compliance and information management software, has announced the launch of a new mobile application Locus Mobile, designed for easy and accurate data collection on the go.

Locus Mobile works both online and offline to ensure continuous access and interaction, and takes advantage of the most advanced technology to provide a variety of options for ad hoc sampling, additional field data checks, dynamic forms, and effective mapping tools. Locus Mobile users can easily configure business-specific data collection needs, enter data offline and upload on-demand, and synchronize data back to Locus’ systems for final review, storing, managing, and reporting.

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has awarded a contract to Locus for the new Locus Mobile app, through which users can upload data directly from the field to their data management and compliance system, EIM. By taking advantage of configurable planned sampling and monitoring events, real-time data validation in the field, GPS mapping capabilities, and a complete audit trail of who, what, when and where, LANL expects that it will operate with a significantly higher degree of confidence that its environmental reporting and decision making are based off of the most accurate information possible in real time.

“We are seeing growing customer interest in adding mobility to our full-line of environmental and sustainability information management applications to more efficiently centralize remotely collected information for executive decision-support reporting. The next step is to push information the other way so that remote personnel are empowered with the information and instructions they need to take appropriate preventative and remedial action on the ground, perform real-time data validation, and spot exceedances,” said Locus CEO, Neno Duplan. “As a result of this more frictionless two-way data flow, mobile has the potential to completely transform the way enterprises address their environmental and sustainability challenges and achieve positive outcomes for the environment, brand protection, and their shareholders and customers.”

Locus Mobile is offered as a downloadable app from the Apple App Store to work with Locus’ cloud software systems.

Locus’ Intellus Site Creates Big Data Transparency in the Cloud; Millions of Environmental Data Records are Now Publicly Available

Through the Locus EIM platform public facing website, Intellus, the general public can now access remediation and environmental data records associated with the Office of Environmental Management’s (EM’s) legacy nuclear cleanup program.

Containing more than 14 million records, Locus’ Intellus has consolidated Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL’s) information that was previously handled in multiple independent databases. The centralized, cloud-based solution directly attributed to an estimated $15 million in cost savings for LANL through 2015.

The public facing site also ensures users have real-time access to the most recent data. The same data that scientists and analysts use to base important environmental stewardship decisions off of. Through tools and capabilities such as automated electronic data validation, interactive maps, and the ability to include data from other third-party providers and environmental programs, Intellus provides the ultimate platform to view LANL’s environmental data without compromising the core EIM system that LANL scientists use on a daily basis.

Locus has always advocated for the power of data transparency via the cloud. When you apply the most extensive security protocols to a cloud-based system, it can be a winning combination for data management and public trust.

Locus’ Intellus Promotes Big Data Transparency: More Than 14 Million Environmental Sampling Records from National Laboratory Are Now Available Online

Previously contained in a dozen independent databases, the integrated records of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) — are now stored in one location, the publicly-accessible website Intellus.

Through the Locus EIM platform public facing website, Intellus, the general public can now access remediation and environmental data records associated with the Office of Environmental Management’s (EM’s) legacy nuclear cleanup program.

Containing more than 14 million records, Locus’ Intellus has consolidated Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL’s) information that was previously handled in multiple independent databases. The centralized, cloud-based solution directly attributed to an estimated $15 million in cost savings for LANL through 2015.

The public facing site also ensures users have real-time access to the most recent data. The same data that scientists and analysts use to base important environmental stewardship decisions off of. Through tools and capabilities such as automated electronic data validation, interactive maps, and the ability to include data from other third-party providers and environmental programs, Intellus provides the ultimate platform to view LANL’s environmental data without compromising the core EIM system that LANL scientists use on a daily basis.

Locus has always advocated for the power of data transparency via the cloud. When you apply the most extensive security protocols to a cloud-based system, it can be a winning combination for data management and public trust.

Keeping the Pulse of the Planet: Using Big Data to Monitor Our Environment

Big data has become a major buzzword in tech these days; the ability to gather, store and aggregate information about individuals has exploded in the last few years.

Predicting the Big Data Boom: Hazardous Data Explosion

In 1989, 25 years before the technologically advanced world we currently live in, Locus’ founding members were busy publishing an article about the challenges of managing massive amounts of data produced from testing and long-term monitoring at hazardous waste sites.

The article, “Hazardous Data Explosion“, published in the December 1989 issue of the ASCE Civil Engineering Magazine was among the first of its kind to discuss these issues within the environmental space, and placed Locus securely at the forefront of the big data craze.  This article was followed by a sequel article, titled “Taming Environmental Data“, published in 1992 in the same magazine.

Today, the term ‘big data’ has become a staple across various industries to describe the enormity and complexity of data sets that need to be captured, stored, analyzed, visualized and reported. Although the concept may have gained public popularity fairly recently, big data has been a formidable opponent for decades.

“It seems unavoidable that new or improved automated data processing techniques will be needed as the hazardous waste industry evolves. Automation can provide tools that help shorten the time it takes to obtain specific test results, extract the most significant finds, produce reports and display information graphically,” Buckle and Duplan stated.

They also claimed that “expert systems” and artificial intelligence (AI) could be a possible solution—technology that has been a long time coming but still has a promising future when dealing with big data.  “Currently used in other technical fields, expert systems employ methods of artificial intelligence for interpreting and processing large bodies of information,” the authors explained.

For more information on AI, see the CBS 60 Minutes episode titled “Artificial Intelligence, Real-Life Applications” from 9 October 2016.

Almost 30 years later, cloud technologies combined with other advancements in big data processing are rising to the challenge of successfully processing and analyzing big environmental and sustainability data.

Access the entire 1989 article “Hazardous Data Explosion” here.

Locus’ Software Functionality Addresses City-Specific Reporting

Locus Technologies has expanded its environmental information management (EIM) software to automate the generation of self-monitoring report forms (SMRFs).

Locus’ EIM Software Automates the Generation of SMRFs for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)

Originally Posted on Environmental Leader

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – In response to industry and customer requirements, Locus Technologies (Locus), the leader in cloud-based environmental compliance and information management software, has expanded its award-winning Environmental Information Management (EIM) software to automate the generation of Self-Monitoring Report Forms (SMRFs).

Locus EIM solves the problem of expensive, labor-intensive manual SMRF generation by completely automating the process. SMRFs are required by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and are meant to meet the monitoring and reporting requirements as set forth by each facility’s Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) or Reuse Permit. An example form may include data such as sample date, analysis date, lab ID, reported concentration or method, and can incorporate other extremely specific information.

Thanks to Locus’ new functionality, once arranged in EIM, companies can generate SMRFs within minutes in the approved formats, using validated data. Companies can set up EIM for all permitted facilities and realize immediate cost and time savings during each reporting period. Relevant data are directly uploaded to the system, reviewed and validated, then reported in the proper regulatory required formats. These new output formats can be easily modified to generate the exact format needed by other cities that are required to submit similar self-monitoring report forms.

“Incorporating the automatic generation of SMRFs within our EIM software is a testament to the true flexibility of Locus’ software platforms,” said Neno Duplan, President & CEO of Locus Technologies. “It is our goal here at Locus to automate reporting by providing as many off-the-shelf standard reports as possible. SMRF reports are just one of many examples. By automating reporting  our customers streamline their management processes, so that they increase operational efficiencies and lower reporting costs.”

Locus Recognized as a Top SaaS Provider in Green Quadrant EH&S Software Report by Independent Analyst Firm Verdantix

Locus’ software recognized for its configurable architecture, flexible implementation, and water and waste water management capabilities

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 17 April 2014 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the leader in cloud-based environmental compliance and information management software, has been recognized as one of the top 13 global environmental health and safety (EH&S) management software suppliers in the report “Green Quadrant® EH&S Software, April 2014.” This report by Verdantix, an independent analyst firm who provide data, analysis and advice in the areas of energy, environment and sustainability, reveals that Locus offers a lower cost, user-configurable Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that meets the needs of multiple industries by allowing for the incorporation of firm-specific functionality.

“The new platform, recently released by Locus Technologies, is designed to put power in the hands of users,” said Jordan Nadian, Verdantix Analyst. “This reflects broader trends in software development, where non-technical business analysts get to design small-scale apps. It also reflects a product strategy designed to side-step the significant costs and risks of developing detailed feature sets for industry-specific processes.”

The Verdantix report also acknowledges Locus for its strengths in data capture, data security, hazardous waste management and water and waste water quality management. Locus’ software reflects its more than 17 years of experience in the market and incorporated feedback from its impressive customer list. A major differentiator for Locus is that the company is a passionate advocate of single instance, multi-tenant architecture. “The supplier has developed an architecture which successfully separates the technology platform (workflow tools, master data management, integration, etc.) from specific EH&S business processes such as air emissions management or chemical inventories,” said Nadian.

The report recognizes a widespread movement toward offering integrated EH&S solutions as hosted software services. It acknowledges significant challenges with the implementation and maintenance of older and disconnected software applications installed on customers’ infrastructures. While there was no separation between true SaaS and traditional on-premises software providers in the report, Locus was identified as one of the top three leading SaaS vendors.

“With new regulations, risks, and business improvement opportunities arising so frequently today, companies’ EH&S management and reporting requirements are constantly expanding,” said Neno Duplan, President & CEO of Locus. “At Locus, we strive to offer our customers a cost-effective, integrated software platform that can mold to fit their business-specific processes now, and evolve along with their changing needs in the future.”

EH&S domain content in the Locus SaaS platform is configurable by business analysts or domain experts with no underlying code change and is not hard-coded for any specific solution. The separation of domain from software framework makes it easy for Locus customers to enjoy the rolling upgrade program without incurring costly upgrades associated with traditional on-premises software installations. Locus’ framework is coded to render and process configuration at runtime, and supports any domain and customer-specific content. The platform is fully wizard-driven via a graphical configuration workbench.

ABOUT VERDANTIX

Verdantix is an independent analyst firm, providing authoritative data, analysis and advice to help clients resolve their energy, environment and sustainability challenges. Through global primary research and deep domain expertise, they provide clients with strategic advice, revenue generating services, best practice frameworks, industry connections and competitive advantage.

For further information, please visit www.verdantix.com.

Enterprise EHS Information Management

Despite impressive growth of environmental and sustainability management industry, some troubling trends persist within the industry.

Most notably is the industry’s failure to embrace the information management cloud revolution.

Not adopting the latest technologies for storing, distributing, and managing information increases costs and delays the implementation of cost-saving resource management initiatives and management of climate change information, which are necessary to better understand the causes of climate change phenomena.

The way companies with environmental liabilities manage and store their environmental information and data stands in marked contrast to the model they have adopted for all their other key data.

Historically, companies have used narrowly focused applications built on spreadsheets and client/server databases to serve the complex software requirements of this market.  Today’s landscape of available technology options has consolidated; new and better options exist.

While planned IT spending on environmental software is rising, organizations are still struggling to identify software that can scale.  They are also looking for service providers that can support environmental information management in the manner to which they’ve become accustomed with other enterprise initiatives and enterprise software, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and supply chain management (SCM).

Why is this the case?