10 Effective Ways to Choose Health & Safety Software Systems

More than three-fourths of American companies use learning management systems (LMS). Why? Because this training format is successful in training and developing employees. One great way to use an LMS is to manage your company’s health and safety training program.

How can you effectively choose the right health and safety software system for your company? Let these questions guide you through the process!

1. What do you and your employees need to meet your health and safety goals?

Figure out exactly what your organization needs from a learning system, especially when it comes to your health and safety program. Be specific, write the needs down, and use your notes as you read the features of software options.

Some things to consider:

• Do you need software that can be accessed from multiple sites or locations?
• How many people need to access the software?
• Will you need the training to be in multiple languages?
2. Does the health and safety software work with your existing systems?

Some companies provide health and safety software along with other solutions, such as equipment management or auditing. The benefits to one vendor include having compatible programs and technology that is familiar to your employees. Check with your main software provider to see if it has a health and safety software product.

As you research companies, keep compatibility in mind.

3. Is software a good fit for your workforce?

Although a majority of Canadians use technology on a daily basis, not every workforce is tech-savvy. Evaluate the capability of your employees to figure out the best health and safety training system for them.

Example considerations:

• Do they prefer to consume content on their phones or do they still primarily use a desktop computer to access the internet?
• Do they need live, in-person training a majority of the time or can they handle training modules on a device?
• How many employees do you have?
4. Will it stay relevant?

If your company usually builds its own software systems in-house, one downside is that it can be time-consuming and expensive.

Instead, more and more companies choose to subscribe to cloud-based products. With technology and regulations constantly updating, cloud-based software is the most agile and often has the most cost-effective delivery.

5. Does it make fiscal sense?

Health and safety software systems come in varying payment structures, including pay per company versus pay per user, and monthly fees versus yearly contracts. Set your company’s budget and then find a good solution that fits within it.

6. What do the reviews from other customers say?

Although each company is unique, the experience of others can help you eliminate bad options and bring viable ones to the forefront.

For example, do the reviews say that the software keeps up with changing demands and technological advances? Choose a company that has a reputation for being a good long-term investment.

7. Ask for referrals from others in your industry.

Leverage the knowledge of your peers.

• Which systems do they use?
• What works and what doesn’t?
• What do they wish they had known when they were shopping around for health and safety software systems?
8. Ask for a demo to test out the software.

Most software companies offer demonstrations or trials, enabling you to test different systems before committing to one. Obviously, there are learning curves with every new piece of technology; however, trying out a new system tells you more about the software than any sales page can.

This can be a time-consuming step, so limit your demos to 1-3 of your favorite software options so far.

9. Which company has the best customer service?

The time spent contacting, interacting with, and trying demos from different software companies is perfect when evaluating how well each company can support you. It is important that you have a great technical team by your side, so move the companies with great customer service to the top of your list.

10. Choose the best fit.

After researching, vetting, and testing different health and safety software systems, you should be ready to choose the one that fits with your company best!

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