Big Data and the 4 Major V’s!

Anything from professional sports to ads and investment management and nearly everything in between. Every day, big data drives thousands of decisions that affect us both in big and small ways. So what exactly is big data, but also how or why does it affect initiatives in the area of health & welfare?

Let's begin with a description of big data. Big data is a concept used to characterize vast volumes of data that have emerged in the last decade or so. I know it's dull. It was originally used to characterize data sets that were so massive that they exceeded the reach and capability of conventional database and analytics tools. When Moore's law progressed, science caught up, but the data was still stored.

Big data is now more clearly characterized by a series of properties, than merely being a large amount of data. The four Vs – Volume, Velocity, Variety, and Veracity – are widely used to describe these characteristics.

Well, what specifically are these Vs, and how do they affect the universe of EHS? Let's take a better look!

Volume

Data can be seen as a significant contribution to the EHS scale today! When researching the size of datasets available to the public today, the Internet is a reasonable place to begin your search!

The number of Internet users in the 21st century has become outstandingly large. Therefore consumer interaction has also become a massive generator for large volumes of data in the interwebs. But, it is not just about people who are contributing to the massive amount of data, according to several statistics found online in the U.S, most businesses generate almost 100 terabytes of business data annually.

What exactly is the information being processed? It is mainly about CRM, financial data, and ERP data. Data on the atmosphere of a workplace, employees’ wellbeing, regulatory enforcement are all important sets of organization data collected in large volumes. 

Velocity

The rate at which new data is generated is referred to as velocity. Certain usage cases, once again, seem to be massive sources of new data production. Take, for example, the everyday events that take place in financial exchanges all around the world. Any exchange and activity generate a steady flow of updates.

So it's not just about stocks and shares when it comes to data velocity. Data is produced at a rapid rate for EHS professionals as well. Not only are safety violations being reported these days. Analyses of accidents and near-misses, disciplinary measures, preparation tasks, and reports are all operations that lead to the rich pool of EHS data you already have.

Variety

There is no longer a centralized source of data. In reality, data isn't entirely generated by computers in the way we think of them. Smartphones, wearable gadgets, and even internet-connected machines are all part of the internet of things. Many of these endpoints add to the mountains of data we already have. There isn't just a lot of choice in terms of devices. Heavy-duty data used to be the domain of the military and banking, but now it's the domain of everybody.

Also, seemingly straightforward business processes from the past, such as event monitoring and reporting, are now monitored in new, purpose-built EHS databases and platforms. The EHS system is no longer limited to event info. Platforms will also capture, compile, and interpret data from accidents, quality control, preparation, and risk matrices, among other aspects.

Veracity

Perhaps the one dark truth of all the evidence we now rely on is its veracity. In either case, how reliable is all of this information? Data accuracy is also a major concern. According to a study, the cost of bad data and the mistakes it can cause, cost the US economy more than $3 trillion dollars last year.

What steps will you take to ensure that your EHS data is of good quality? Use software and technology to ensure that all of the data is entered correctly and on schedule, whether it's event forms, investigations, or imports from foreign suppliers. Some software will also assist in ensuring the accuracy of your data by including external sources such as images and videos. Moving away from paper forms and manual processes in favor of a web-based framework is, of course, the most important step in ensuring the accuracy of your EHS results.

With this whole info, the biggest challenge is finding out how to derive the kinds of insights that will help you make real improvements, not only to your EHS systems but to your whole enterprise. That is, no matter how large your haystack is, you'll need assistance to locate the needles of wisdom that might be hidden within.

Valuing Time

EHS monitoring and research software can provide easy-to-use data exploration resources to you, the consumer. You can save time and money by using apps that allow intuitive reporting and move dashboards. You should be able to spend more time finding and visualizing insights and patterns in your EHS documents by using tools that help you to spend less time studying how to use them.

EHS Data Communication

Strictly speaking, EHS data exploration tools can make it possible for you to communicate in that language. Any EHS administrator or manager should be able to convey data, patterns, and problems to management and colleagues in other departments in a simple and succinct manner using a variety of charts and modern graphing software.

Decentralization of Analytics 

Nothing is more frustrating than seeing a department becoming a barrier in your workflow. The big data techniques of the past is developed with data scientists in mind. Most of the use of those early techniques has been refined and updated to make them more available to the rest of us. 

Search for EHS applications that have monitoring and light market analytics capability, allowing EHS administrators and program owners to easily analyze their EHS data in real time without the need for a corporate business analyst to serve as a middleman. This helps you to take care of your EHS data and access the knowledge you need when you need it.

For more insight, contact us today!

From Toxic to Healthy Work Culture In A Few Steps

When it comes to toxic work culture, what are we really talking about?

In short, it is a work environment where workers do not feel valued, secure, or with the possibility of improving professionally. It is also where the office is in an environment full of discussions, with communication problems between workers and also when there is a high employee turnover.

If by chance you think that this would not bring any direct repercussions to the operation of the company, I can tell you that you could not be more wrong.

3 Signs of Toxic Culture

Attitude of workers

Every time you arrive at a place full of people smiling and in harmony, unconsciously your state of mind is infected with those feelings. When it comes to an office, this environment contributes to the productivity of workers, because it is easy for everyone to work in a pleasant environment.

Unfortunately, the same happens when we are in a place with negative vibes. In a toxic environment that leads to dissatisfaction and unhappiness in workers. These feelings are also contagious and in the end, affect the efficiency of the office operation.

Communication problems

When information does not move through the correct channels it is synonymous with problems. Employees must feel confident to express their opinions and ask their questions in order to communicate directly with managers. If the information flow is not correct, the fulfillment of the tasks may be affected due to the repetition of work and therefore loss of time.

High employee turnover

High employee turnover rates are one of the most common representations of a toxic work environment. It is difficult to create a sense of belonging or commitment in a job in which you feel frustrated and stressed. It is logical that there is always someone who wants to look for better job opportunities, but this turns out to be a problem when it becomes a recurring situation.

5 Steps to Create a Healthy Work Culture

For some years now, the human factor has begun to make the difference between the success and failure of companies. Thus, creating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture is of vital importance to guarantee the growth of the organization.

1.Honesty and debate

Once the customs that led to a toxic organizational environment are ingrained, backtracking is difficult but never impossible. The first thing is that you must realize that messages on posters will not change the behavior of your workers, much less will make them happier. If you want the world to change, you have to change yourself, this means that the actions must come from the highest levels, giving examples to follow, of honesty and trust.

2. Increase employee engagement

Getting employees to be psychologically and emotionally connected to the company is vital to consolidate positive relationships between managers and workers. For this, you must establish achievable goals. Employees must know and understand the objectives that they must meet as part of the company in order to feel the motivation of commitment.

3. Employee retention

Employee turnover is an aspect that has always been a concern for employers and therefore demands attention. To face this reality, you could establish policies of regular and fair salary increases, in addition to providing opportunities for promotion that make them feel that there is the possibility of professional improvement.

4. Storytelling

Telling stories is practically part of the DNA of humans, for centuries we have chosen stories to tell positive and negative events. In this case, you should take advantage of this ability and focus it on telling the stories about the behaviors you want to promote in your company.

5. Role models

Everyone likes to be recognized when they do a very good job. Therefore, the rewards, promotions, and recognition must be to reward healthy and productive behaviors in the company, so that each time toxic habits are left behind.

It is true that the responsibility for establishing and managing the culture of the company rests with the management. However, employees must have active participation in the process, providing their comments and recommendations. In the end, between all of them, a healthy organizational culture is consolidated.

If you need any advice to improve the organizational culture of your company, or you are interested in learning more about this topic, feel free to contact us.

Benefits of Netsuite Cloud ERP

What is an ERP system and what are the benefits?

An ERP framework is meant to streamline the job process within an industry by enabling all divisions to work in tandem. NetSuite Cloud ERP can allow businesses to monitor and exchange order-related data such as production and sales orders with both internal and external parties such as retailers, contractors, and suppliers. Work systems such as inventory management, product demand, supply chain management, and sales will all be consolidated into a centralized structure that can be accessed by any employee, no matter where they are, since ERP software adheres to the highest usability requirements.

Since the advantages of NetSuite Cloud ERP greatly outweigh the costs of deployment, it is common for any manufacturing organization to adopt an ERP ecosystem.

Let’s look into some benefits of the ERP system!

Order Fulfilment for Netsuite ERP 

1.  When certain information is readily accessible, the company will run smoothly without having to think about risks such as a shortage of inventory to satisfy high demands.

2.  An ERP system's key role is to streamline business processes. Providing details such as retail demand, supply chain, and suppliers means that the order fulfillment process runs seamlessly from beginning to end.

Automating Work Processes for Netsuite ERP

1. Since an ERP framework has the most customization choices, each company can select which activities they want to automate.
   

2. ERP Buddies Inc. performs an in-depth study of your business to make the right advice for the enterprise to minimize payroll costs and maximize efficiency. 

3. Many ERP programs can simplify a range of business processes such as billing inquiries, product requirements, and vendor management. Businesses save money and effort by automating most operations, allowing them to devote more time to the services that demand the most focus.

Tracking Order/Product and Shipping Data

1. This level of accountability reduces the possibility of human error, potentially saving the company time and resources.

2. Manufacturing companies must comply with order placing, distribution, and warehouse management. As a result, monitoring such information always entails keeping the vendors and receivers informed. Any ERP device can be programmed to monitor the inventory from the moment it exits your factory until it is approved by the vendor and then until it reaches its destination.

Gaining Complete visibility

1. As previously mentioned, any ERP framework will allow divisions to operate in tandem with one another, removing the need for guesswork. A steady flow of knowledge will assist divisions such as Sales and Marketing in forecasting potential needs and fine-tuning current marketing activities, thus aiding in the company's growth. 

Customer Service For NetSuite ERP

1. For a well-established ERP scheme, the details would be up to date, allowing for smooth prediction of potential developments and demands.

2. When the customer support staff has access to order information such as packaging, inventory refunds, and so on, they can further assist consumers with their inquiries. The team would be able to supply critical information such as an estimated arrival time, and any anticipated conditions.

For more information about Netsuite ERP, contact us!