FEATURE CAPTURING COMPLIANCE
Colin Yates, Chief Support Officer at WorkMobile, explores why digital transformation could hold the key to getting rid of paper-based data collection processes.
More and more businesses are embracing digital transformation, helping them to drive efficiency and improve productivity across a range of business functions and activities.
Health and safety is no exception, with new technologies such as wearable devices, drones, AR and VR changing the way businesses approach their health and safety management.
Another technology worth consideration for many organisations, particularly when it comes to improving compliance, is digital data capture. Digital data capture solutions, such as apps, allow health and safety data to be collected and stored remotely via digital versions of forms and reports, instead of relying on outdated paper-based systems.
These solutions improve not only the quantity, but the quality and timeliness of the data provided, and help to overcome many of the challenges that are commonly presented by outdated analogue, paper-based data collection processes.
IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY There are typically many different
quickly, allowing rapid remedial action to further improve safety.
GREATER ACCURACY Inaccurate data can have serious health and safety
implications. In most cases, the primary cause of inaccurate data is human error, which is often exacerbated by a reliance on paper-based processes.
When transferring data from a paper document to a digital database, it can be difficult to read other people’s handwriting, and forms can easily get damaged in transit, making it hard to decipher the data and ensure it is correct.
“Digital data capture solutions ensure all information is
easily and instantly accessible from anywhere.”
sources of data that must be taken into account when it comes to managing health and safety effectively and efficiently. With paper-based data collection, it can be very difficult for health and safety managers to collate all of the relevant information.
Often, vital paper documents are simply filed away (or worse, misplaced), with the result that the data never gets uploaded to any digital database or the documents shared with the appropriate teams. For businesses with multiple locations, or a lot of workers based out in the field, this can be particularly problematic, as it can be almost impossible for health and safety managers to gain access to these documents.
This can result in silos of data, preventing businesses from seeing the whole picture and putting staff and possibly the general public at risk. Digital data capture solutions on the other hand ensure that all information is easily and instantly accessible from anywhere, by automatically saving all completed documents to a central cloud-based system.
It is also possible to integrate these digital systems with business intelligence software, giving businesses the power to analyse large amounts of data incredibly
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Additionally, the data must be recorded twice: first by hand out in the field, and then again when inputting it digitally. The more times a set of data needs to be recorded, the greater the likelihood of mistakes being made.
When using digital data capture solutions, all data only needs to be entered once, at the source. This not only saves businesses significant amounts of time, but also reduces the probability of incorrect information being collected. The digital forms can also be constructed in such a way that prevents the form being submitted before vital information has been captured.
Some digital solutions also make it possible to attach photos and signatures to documents, which are then automatically saved correctly together, further limiting the scope for human error.
CONSISTENCY AND RELIABILITY Health and safety managers are largely reliant on other members of staff submitting data and reports in a timely manner in order to be able to carry out their own job effectively.
Paper-based systems place an unnecessary administrative burden on staff, which can lead to delays. For example, during busy periods, staff may find themselves unable to transfer data from a paper document to a digital database until days or even weeks after the original document was completed.
Late or absent data can result in missed health and safety reporting deadlines, and the inability to make informed decisions about how to improve safety management. This can lead to failed audits and inspections, and potentially even fines or serious legal consequences.
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