New IT solution for your HSEQ Management System?

It is no easy task to choose the right IT solution for your HSEQ Management System. The solution must not only meet internal wishes and requirements, it must also meet external requirements from authorities, customers, suppliers and other interested parties.

Don't despair. To make the task easier for you, we have produced an exhaustive guide in four parts. In the third part, we discuss how to prepare for a successful system project. In order to do this successfully, you need to draw up a basis for the decision and a cost and investment calculation. You can read how to do that in this post.

What should the basis for the decision include?

The scope and contents of the basis for the decision depend to some extent on the structure of your business and what factors you usually include in a cost and investment calculation. However, for most businesses, a basis including the following elements is usually sufficient:

• An estimated total cost for designing a specification of requirements
• Internal and external costs (such as consultant costs) for development and implementation
• A project plan including process and role descriptions as well as an estimate of the internal consumption of resources
• Soft factors such as brand impact/goodwill
• Case studies and references from similar systems implementation projects
• Potential risks and pitfalls associated with the development and implementation of new system solution.

What should a cost and investment calculation include?

Some investment costs are the same for a proprietary system as for a standard system, but there are some important differences that should be taken into consideration. In Decision-Maker's Guide no. 3, "Preparation for a successful system project", we have listed the elements that are the same and those that are different. Below are some examples of what a simple cost and investment calculation could include.

• Pilot study and specification of requirements for procurement
• Development costs (for a proprietary system)
• License costs (for a standard system)
• Ongoing annual maintenance, management and development
• Process changes and internal communication
• Training

If you want to know what the full basis for the decision and the cost and investment calculations include, download Decision-Makers Guide no. 3 "Preparation for a successful system project" free of charge.