Why More EHSQ Managers Across Europe Are Moving Away from Off-the-Shelf Tools!
As an EHSQ Manager, you're under constant pressure to deliver results like fewer incidents, stronger compliance, better reporting, and full workforce engagement. Despite the pressure, the overall resulting statistics are encouraging. The long-term trend across Europe over circa the past decade shows the fatality rate per 100,000 workers has declined from 2.87 in 2010 to 2.21 in the last couple of years. This is despite a growth in the number of hours worked in the corresponding period. There are many factors that have played a role in these results including improved vigilance, proactive campaigns / measures, greater awareness, increased legislation and of course the rise in adoption of Digital Compliance Management Software, to allow better and faster Data Based Decision Making (DDDM).
Many of the tools you’re expected to use as an EHSQ Manager can fall into three main categories:
1. Off-the-Shelf EHSQ Tools
This is typically software that was never specifically designed for the health and safety function. These off-the-shelf tools include software such as fillable pdfs, excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint and many more. They are all fantastic tools in their own right, have been relied upon for years, and are relatively cheap and quick fixes. In practice, they do a perfectly fine job up to a point, but in reality, are simply not fit for purpose for the modern needs of a larger more sophisticated health and safety department. Still very popular in smaller organisations mainly due to familiarity and cost, but as your department's needs grow and become more sophisticated, the reality is that these solutions are holding you and the business back. In the old "time, cost, quality” debate, anyone that says you can achieve all three is lying to you.
Of course life is always a balancing act, but it is widely accepted that you can only achieve two of the three elements. When it comes to Off-the-Shelf EHSQ Tools, you achieve time and cost, but you certainly lose on quality.
2. Global EHSQ Tools Provided by Investment Houses
On the flip side of that argument, many of the Compliance Management Software Systems that were first built many years ago, are now also becoming somewhat obsolete for the SME, but for different reasons. There is a lot of consolidation in the EHSQ Software industry, as the driver of investment houses is to increase revenue through acquisition. Cash rich and looking successful (although typically loss making), these systems may promise advanced features such as automated workflows and quick fixes, but in practice, because of the legacy software languages used, and the “joining” of multiple different companies to provide one solution, automating to your company specific workflows, is a challenge for them. This means that this software vendor's view of “automation” means that the client has to change workflows that already exist. Workflows that are working perfectly fine by the way!
When you start to consider that this market is dominated by investment houses seeking a return on investment, this software is typically very expensive, meaning that SME customers typically don’t go down this road. Even the larger business are now moving in droves to custom-built systems from organisations such as dulann. Don’t be fooled by promises of “no code” software that is implemented in 6 days either. Every client is different, which means some level of coding and configuration is always required to align client specific processes with a EHSQ Software Application.
3. Custom Built EHSQ Tools
Certainly custom built software is not without its complexities and frustrations, but the end results are significantly greater, and that’s why more safety professionals across Europe are turning to custom built EHSQ systems from organisations such as dulann.
Custom Built EHSQ Tools often take longer to implement, by the very nature of the fact that they are providing circa 20% of the solution via “custom” software - software designed specifically for how you work, not how a software vendor thinks you should. The clue is in the title really, and the old adage of the 80/20 rule could never be more accurate. When it comes to this type of implementation, “time” is never your friend. The longer it takes to customise to a client's specific workflows, the more frustrated a client will become, as the fear is that you lose the team’s enthusiasm during this process. In addition, custom EHSQ development clearly has a greater requirement to bug test and trial, after all, customising to a client's very specific needs has not been road-tested by thousands of others. The end results however are always worth it, as the business gets exactly what it wants.
Custom EHSQ software is always better value for money, and typically at a significantly lower cost than Global EHSQ Tools by Investment Houses. As a small business with 16 people, dulann alone has provided in excess of €120M in efficiency gains to its European client base.
Here’s why this shift is happening, and what it could mean for you.
The Problem with Off-the-Shelf & Investment House EHSQ Software
Off-the-shelf systems are attractive on the surface: fast setup, bundled features, and a seemingly endless list of clients. But many EHSQ Managers quickly discover that these platforms come with serious limitations:
You’re Forced to Fit the EHSQ System, Not the Other Way Around
Most off-the-shelf tools impose rigid workflows. If your processes don’t align perfectly, you’re left improvising or compromising. That’s not sustainable when your compliance depends on consistency and accuracy.
dulann predominantly use a technology called REACT which means the end user has more flexibility, faster load times, a smoother user experience and easier scalability. React (also known as React.js or ReactJS) has been around since May 2013. It was developed by Jordan Walke, a Software Engineer at Facebook (now Meta). For any EHSQ tools developed prior to that period, the challenges to “customise” software to what a specific client wants is almost impossible, and the user experience is predominantly both slower and less user friendly.
Frontline Engagement is Poor
If your team struggles to log a hazard or complete a report in the field, they simply won’t. These legacy and off-the-shelf systems are often too complex for real-world use, leading to low adoption rates and unreliable data.
dulann offer an App that is available on both Android and Apple, which is also available for offline use. The dulann App deploys “the 3-click rule”, a web design guideline originally popularised by Jeffrey Zeldman as far back in 2001, suggesting that users should be able to find important information within three clicks or less from the homepage. The dulann App deploys these design principals and even have a “1-click” rule for certain tasks. This significantly increases user experience, which in turn increases compliance rates.
You Waste Time on Workarounds
Tasks like exporting reports, double-entering data into other systems, or pulling together audit evidence can turn into hours of admin. Whilst sophisticated systems like dulann take some time to configure and implement, the reality is that our focus is not on handing someone an IT job, just after we have taken away the paperwork job. It defeats the purpose!
The dulann solution enables customisable KPI's, graphs, and reports through the unique Report Builder, Template Builder and Form Builder technology, allowing the client to tailor the end output to their specific needs (within reason of course!). This includes the ability to omit some questions from printed reports, or to have multiple report templates for different target audiences. Any question, and any answer, from any form, can be reported upon by the client. This leads to a significant increase in the ability of EHSQ Managers to manage by exception and save significant time.
You’re Left Behind When Things Change
Whether it’s a new EU directive or evolving internal policy, most Global EHSQ Tools by Investment Houses can’t adapt quickly if at all, and pretty much all Off-the-Shelf EHSQ Tools platforms can’t adopt at all.
If Global EHSQ Tools by Investment Houses can adapt, it typically means that clients have to be willing to pay for costly development work (and wait months for results). Most clients are not willing to pay the extra, so the EHSQ system becomes obsolete as time progresses. The more obsolete it becomes, the less its used, the less its used, the less compliance is achieved. This process is particularly relevant when clients want to scale their EHSQ system.
Global EHSQ Tools by Investment Houses can look very shiny at the start due to huge marketing budgets, but very quickly becomes problematic to scale and therefore the client ends up with multiple systems, often joined together with open APIs, and therefore no one source of truth. The client then has to report to more admin and common dashboards through tools such as Power BI.
dulann are the only company in the world that has developed all 5 applications (EHS, ESG, LMS, QMS & MMS) and 36 modules inhouse. The long term benefits of selecting dulann are significant in terms of cost, compliance and quality. The old adage of "short term pain, for long term gain", rings true.
Why Safety Managers Across Europe Are Switching to dulann
At dulann, we build custom EHSQ Software Systems that are tailored to your organisation, your risks, and your people. We’ve helped Safety Managers across a range of European industries replace outdated, ineffective platforms with solutions that actually work.
Here’s what sets a dulann system apart:
✅ Custom Workflows Built Around Your Needs
Whether you’re managing permits or contractor compliance, regulatory training or vehicle management, LOTO or ESG, our systems reflect your exact procedures, not a generic template.
✅ Field-Friendly, User-First Design
We prioritise usability so your team can log, inspect, or report in just a few taps, on desktop or mobile, online or offline. The result? Higher engagement, better data, and more proactive safety behaviour.
✅ Real-Time Insights That Drive Action
Get dashboards that show the KPIs that matter, incident rates, overdue training, inspection scores, not just generic charts that tick a box. You can even create these graphs yourself, without ever having to come back to #teamdulann to do it for you.
✅ Integration with Your Existing Systems
dulann connects seamlessly with your HR tools, training systems, asset databases, and more, eliminating double entry and improving data accuracy. There is no commercial or technical impediment to using the dulann Open API.
✅ Scalable and Future-Proof
As your business grows or European regulations change, your dulann system grows with you. You’re never locked into rigid templates or long development cycles.
✅ Compliance Hardwired In
Whether you need to align with ISO 45001, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, dulann are certified to international standards in all three codes. dulann systems are built to support audits, inspections, and accountability, not scramble for documentation at the last minute.
The ROI of Going with a Custom EHSQ Software System
Yes, custom systems require longer implementation times, they require more thought upfront, and they can at times lead to greater frustrations during the trial period, but the payoff is immediate and long-term:
- Fewer incidents due to better reporting and engagement.
- Reduced admin time for your team.
- Stronger audit performance and reduced compliance risks.
- Systems that scale and flex with your organisation.
- A visible, measurable improvement in your safety culture.
Final Word
If your current EHSQ system feels like it’s working against you, or not working at all, it’s time to explore a better way.
At dulann, we don’t just build software, we build systems that make safety easier, smarter, and more effective for European businesses.
Ready to explore a custom solution that works the way you do?
Contact dulann today to find out how we can help you build a smarter, more responsive Safety System.
