The Role of IT in Successful EHSQ Software Deployments

4 minute read

Over the past seven years at Intelex, I’ve been part of hundreds of EHSQ software deployments. I’ve noticed that among the many factors contributing to successful deployments, one that consistently stands out is when the IT and EHS teams are in lockstep.

Too often, organizations underestimate IT’s role in software rollouts, involving them only after vendor selection or during technical setup. This is a mistake. 

In reality, IT plays a central ongoing role in ensuring your new software is secure and well-integrated with existing systems.

With this in mind, let’s look at the three critical stages where IT involvement is essential for a successful EHSQ software deployment.

Key phases of IT involvement for a successful EHSQ software deployment

IT should be involved in the analysis/acquisition, implementation, and production/steady state phases. We’ll cover what’s included in each phase below.

1. Analysis/acquisition phase

IT should be involved before you start making a shortlist. Early collaboration enables you to co-develop vendor requirements that define EHS functionality, as well as the technical, security, and architectural requirements for successful deployment and user adoption.

Depending on your organization, their role in this phase may vary. In some cases, they provide a requirements checklist. In others, they lead procurement while EHS serves as the internal stakeholder.

Key areas IT can help define:

• Compatibility with existing access/data policies (e.g., single sign-on)
• Data privacy considerations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)
• Cloud architecture standards
• Integration needs with third-party systems (like HRIS, ERP, Operational Data)

Collaboration avoids surprises and delays, such as reaching contract talks only to discover your IT team has requirements necessary for the master service agreement.

2. Implementation phase

Once a solution is chosen, EHS leads the vision and process design, and IT should be seen as a partner to support the technical execution. 

For a smooth rollout, IT should: 

• Attend project meetings and provide technical expertise/ownership of IT-centric deliverables reviews. 
• Contribute to technical decision-making. 
• Consult on user access, data structures, and integration touchpoints (e.g., APIs). 

Their involvement reduces rework and prevents friction. For example, I was part of a deployment where a simple user data file took multiple weeks to produce because IT was backlogged. In an already complex integration period, delays can have cascading impacts, significantly impacting launch timelines and internal stakeholder sentiment. 

And finally, this phase is crucial for IT to learn the system and admin processes, because once the platform is live, they can serve as an effective internal partner for change control and be your first line of support.  

3. Production/steady state phase

After launch, IT’s role becomes more consultative and advisory.   

Consider scheduling quarterly check-ins to maintain communication and catch problems early: 

• Security reviews: IT can guide business owners on impacts of evolving regulations and policies, and emerging threats.
• System compatibility: Adapting integrations when the company changes platforms (e.g., new HR systems or identity providers).
• Business changes: Supporting new initiatives or expansions (e.g., sustainability reporting or chemical inventory integrations).

One common risk I’ve seen is relying on a single IT resource to manage the platform. 

Roles change. People leave. When knowledge walks out the door, so does your ability to evolve the system. 

You can work with your IT department to track and update the system and integration setup, and build a comprehensive IT support documentation for long-term sustainable success. 

Why EHS & IT teams choose Intelex 

EHS and IT teams choose Intelex because it balances technical rigor and flexibility, providing IT with a secure, scalable, integrated platform and EHS with tools for adoption, engagement, and impact. 

Intelex meets both business and technical needs, easing IT’s burden while providing control, visibility, and security for successful, scalable deployments. 

What our customers say

“We really liked that Intelex was happy to encourage us to become system administrators and to have ownership and control of the configuration.” Mark G. Director of HSEQ Read more 

“Intelex is more flexible than systems we’ve had before. It’s more adaptive and helps us achieve better improvement in our HSE maturity. We can evolve and make the system better year after year.” Maxime D., HSE Management Coordinator Read more 

“The other thing we particularly like about Intelex is the fact it integrates into our systems. It can explore HR systems and it’s on a single sign-on and users actually get used to their processes that we have there.” James P., Group HES Director Read more 

See Intelex in action

Now that you’re prepared to have an amazing EHSQ software deployment, watch our nine-minute demo that highlights the core EHS software applications and functionality. And send it to your IT team too!