Control Of Work Functionalities Will Bridge Gaps Between The EHS, Operational Risk And Asset Management Archipelago

Control Of Work Functionalities Will Bridge Gaps Between The EHS, Operational Risk And Asset Management Archipelago

Traditionally, control of work solutions have stood out as a separate entity, filling the void between EHS and Operational focused software platforms. Comprised of permit-to-work, job hazard analysis and lock-out-tag-out workflows, control of work solutions aim to instil safety best practices amongst workers when performing high-risk tasks. As with all digital safety tools, control of work vendors have undergone a period of strong product development to integrate the power of modern IoT and computer analytics within their solutions outlined in our 2021 Buyers Guide. Over the last 4 years, EHS, asset management and operational risk software providers have engaged in a land grabbing M&A exercise within the control of work market, with Enablon’s parent company Wolters Kluwer acquiring eVision and Hexagon’s acquisition of J5 to name a few. So, what motivating factors has led software vendors, that address three separate markets to pinpoint control-of-work solutions as a priority for investments?

The first factor is that the top EHS software solutions, typically backed by private equity, are involved in an arms race to differentiate their functionalities. In addition to ESG, a primary focus of EHS software vendor investment has been bridging into operational risk management (ORM). This move has been spearheaded by a few key players, namely Enablon, Sphera and VelocityEHS. Control of work processes offer great synergies between occupational safety, ORM and contractor safety management, providing EHS vendors with an ideal link to cross sell and upsell their products within a single, integrated system. Take VelocityEHS, which integrated its strong safety performance monitoring capabilities alongside acquired firm OneLook Systems’ permit to work functionality to greatly bolster its operational risk and contractor management solution.

Asset management vendors have also been quick to acquire control of work solutions, take Yokagowa’s acquisition of RAP in 2019. This suggests a growing appetite for solutions that consider human factors within a once very equipment-focused industry. Using technology to manage risks that arise from the interface between workers and assets has been of prime product development focus for many vendors seen as a major trend in Verdantix’s best practice report on dynamic risk management and recent PSM GQ. Control of work allows asset managers to ensure efficient and safety conscious operation across their employee base and contractor workforce.

The final factor influencing investment within the control of work sector is the vast potential it brings to enable real time operational risk mitigation actions using IoT devices. Sphera’s ORM digital twin solution is a prime example of this, using maintenance schedules alongside IoT data feeds to provide an overarching digital visualisation of both asset, workers with an overlay of all permit to work tasks set to be carried out. With automated permit clash analysis, this digital view allows stakeholders from separate business units to efficiently assess operational risks in real time and take effective actions to mitigate it.

If you would like to learn more about the impact control of work is having in EHS and Operational Excellence please consider reading the following Verdantix reports, Green Quadrant: Process Safety Management Software 2021, Best Practices: Moving EHS To Dynamic Risk Management or Buyer’s Guide: Control of Work Software Applications