Switching EHS software vendors is no easy task, but with this guide, businesses can ensure its next switch is the last.
There are dozens of reasons why organizations look to change their EHS & ESG software provider, but it typically boils down to the current provider’s inability to scale to meet an organization’s needs. This scalability can come in dozens of forms: required functionality, price, availability in new geographies, and so much more.
Changing providers is one way to meet those needs. However, when change is painful, it’s human nature to try and avoid it. This is particularly prevalent for organizations currently burdened by required upgrades to their on-premise instances of software. Cority has spoken about the ways in which on-premise solutions can hamper organizations, but the truth is the inability to scale can impact organizations at any stage of their EHS process management journey.
So, whether an organization is moving away from paper-based systems for the first time, or looking to move between enterprise systems due to growth requirements – here are some things businesses should look out for to ensure an easy switch between EHS software vendors.
What’s the difference between On-Premise, Cloud-Hosted, and True SaaS?
Before digging too deep into why one solution might be better than another, it’s important to define what these titles actually mean. Enterprise-level software solutions generally align into one of three groups:
On-Premise:
- Software that is hosted by the user, with customers providing all required infrastructure and network access for an installed instance.
Cloud Hosted:
- Software is installed and hosted by the software provider, with customers remaining responsible for updates, upgrades, and more.
True SaaS:
- Software that is managed and maintained by the software provider, ensuring all users are on the latest version of their software (unless specifically stated by unique customer agreements).
EHS Software Upgrades
When it comes to upgrading technological hardware – organizations don’t have much say in how difficult the process will be. It’s down to internal teams to organize and roll out changes. Meanwhile, the technology provider is a major factor in determining the difficulty of upgrading software.
On-Premise & Cloud Hosted:
- When the software is hosted and maintained by the user’s organization – there’s no one to fall back on for help with upgrades and updates. On-Premise software upgrades can be lengthy, poorly timed, and hugely disruptive for users. Not only this – but engaging the workforce to ensure the latest version of their software is being used could be a colossal undertaking for already under-resourced EHS teams.
True SaaS:
- Perhaps the single biggest advantage to partnering with a True SaaS provider is the ease with which upgrades are handled. True SaaS providers maintain all version upgrades and ensure that users log into the latest version of the software anytime, anywhere. This frees up organizations to focus on their day-to-day work without having to factor in complex rollouts and engaging employees to download the latest version.
Adding & Subtracting EHS Functionality
Upgrades are whole-scale changes that impact the entire user community of software – and they’re primarily instigated by the software provider. This means that change is ultimately unavoidable. But what about changes that are instigated by the user, like the addition or subtraction of functionality? No company ever intends to stand still – so the ability to scale which functionality is accessible is an important consideration when deciding which software provider to select.
On-Premise & Cloud Hosted:
- This is essentially the same situation as system upgrades. If an organization wants to make changes to the version of the software being used – they’re on their own. It can feel like organizations are punished for successfully implementing software and growing their user base to include new functions, further burdening their IT team and costing the business significant time and resources (including the financial aspect of adding new functionality!).
True SaaS:
- Just like upgrades, spinning up new functionality (be it modules or entire systems), True SaaS providers are able to quickly scale to the needs of the organization. While there will always be considerations required for ensuring the systems are correctly configured to the needs of each organization’s users – the time and effort required to do so is significantly reduced.
Customization vs. Configuration
A lot of people think configuration and customization are synonyms – but they are not. Configuration allows administrators to tweak their systems through internal tools (building a workflow, a new form, etc.). Customization refers to changing the code that makes the software work. Code can be dangerous territory for a lot of people – it’s essentially a different language, and making changes without the required knowledge can bring the whole machine down.
On-Premise & Cloud Hosted:
- While it’s not a guarantee, many of the same EHS software providers that prefer on-premise or cloud hosted instances of their software also go for a ‘customization’ approach to their tools. In this case, customizable systems can be incredibly frustrating – and can often be the final straw that sends organizations looking for a better approach. Not only are users required to pay their provider to make the changes required in their instance, said provider will need to add additional work to ensure any previously customized programming doesn’t interfere with changes seen in the new versions of the software they release. Not only is this inconvenient, but it can cost organizations considerable time, effort, and resources.
True SaaS:
- True SaaS providers typically rely primarily on configuration, which is a different approach. When changes are made through the configuration of front-end assets, users aren’t making changes to the code. The best EHS software providers will provide users with extensive training so that administrators know how to make changes to their systems, giving them a level of independence.
Adding New Users and Locations
The growth of an organization should be cause for celebration – but when it comes to opening up new locations, either domestic or abroad in international territories, software provision can cause significant headaches. There are multiple issues that can arise for On-Premise and Cloud Hosted users that do not apply to SaaS users.
On-Premise & Cloud Hosted:
- Picture the scene; a hard-working organization is close to launching an expansion into a new region. The excitement is palpable as the countless hours of hard work are about to pay off. Now imagine how disappointed it would be for that organization to hear that their existing EHS software provider cannot operate in this new location due to hosting restrictions. Suddenly, there are two options; either purchase a brand new piece of software specifically for use in that region and undertake infrastructure changes to ensure data flows between this new system and the existing one (i.e. substantial effort, investment, and headaches) – or move to an entirely new provider globally. This is a large-scale change, but even the addition of new users in a single office can be a significant undertaking for on-premise and cloud hosted users. IT teams are burdened with ensuring devices can support the latest version, getting these users set up, and providing any additional infrastructure required.
True SaaS:
- The process of ensuring that any existing services are available to new geographies is as simple as spinning up a new server. If it’s integral that data captured within this geography stays where it was created (i.e. hosted on servers in that region), this is far easier to set up than on-premise. The vast majority of enterprise SaaS providers work with enterprise service hosting, enabling organizations to host in a region of their choosing (something that is often a requirement for enterprise organizations or governing bodies).
Final Thoughts
A huge driver behind investing in software in any space, but especially EHS & ESG, is futureproofing and ensuring a positive return on investment. However, choosing on-premise or cloud hosted versions of that software can significantly stunt that investment. While there’s effort involved no matter which route an organization chooses to go down, the assistance afforded to those that choose True SaaS providers like Cority ensures that these organizations are switching EHS software vendors for the last time, not just the time being.
