How to Find the Best Permitting Software for Your Business

Contents

Introduction
Key Takeaways
What is ePTW Software
Benefits
Key Features
Choosing the Right ePTW Software
Prometheus ePAS
Prometheus ePAS Resources

In high-risk industries, a robust Permit to Work (PTW) system isn't just best practice; it's essential for keeping your team safe and operations running smoothly.

Traditional paper-based permitting processes often create bottlenecks, increase the risk of human error, and make compliance tracking a nightmare. Manual signoffs get lost, approvals stall, and a lack of real-time visibility leaves safety managers in the dark.

This is where Electronic Permit to Work (ePTW) software steps in. By digitizing and automating your control-of-work processes, the best ePTW software can transform your organization's safety culture, enhance efficiency, and ensure you're always audit-ready.

This post will walk you through everything you need to know to choose the best electronic permitting software for your operational needs, including essential features to look for. We'll also cover the key benefits of making the switch.

Key Takeaways

Explore Key Benefits: Discover how ePTW software enhances safety culture, streamlines processes, and ensures audit-readiness while improving operational efficiency.
Understand Essential Features: Learn about the critical features to look for in electronic permitting software, including compliance tools, mobile accessibility, and integration capabilities.
Evaluate Solutions Effectively: Gain insights on how to assess various solutions to identify the best fit for your organization's unique EHS and compliance requirements.
Future-Proof Your Operations: Understand how implementing an advanced ePTW system prepares your organization for evolving regulatory requirements and operational challenges.

Understanding Electronic Permit to Work (ePTW) Software

Electronic Permit to Work software, or ePTW, is a digital solution that manages and streamlines the entire permit-to-work lifecycle. It replaces cumbersome paper-based systems with a centralized, automated platform for creating, reviewing, approving, issuing, and closing out work permits.

The best electronic permitting software acts as a comprehensive control-of-work tool. It offers real-time visibility into all active permits across a site, ensuring that maintenance, operations, and safety teams are always aligned. With configurable templates and workflows, you can standardize your safety procedures, from Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) to Lockout-Tagout (LOTO), across your entire organization.

By moving to an electronic system, you create a complete, easily accessible audit trail for every permit. This not only simplifies compliance but also provides valuable data to identify safety trends and continuously improve your processes.

Why Your Business Needs the Best ePTW Software

Manual, paper-based processes are prone to delays, inconsistencies, and a lack of visibility—all of which increase risk and reduce uptime. Switching from paper to the best electronic PTW software is a significant step, but the benefits have a profound impact on safety, compliance, and overall productivity.

Improve Safety & Reduce Incidents

A manual permitting process can lead to inconsistencies and errors, increasing the risk of safety incidents. The Kuraray chemical manufacturing facility experienced this firsthand. Before implementing Prometheus ePAS, they found that even experienced managers wrote different permits for the same job. By standardizing their process with an electronic system, they enforced consistent safety protocols and improved hazard identification.

The best ePTW software integrates risk assessments directly into the workflow, ensuring all potential hazards are identified and controlled before work begins. This structured approach significantly reduces the chance of human error and helps foster a proactive safety culture.

Enhance Compliance & Stay Audit-Ready

Compliance with industry regulations like OSHA is non-negotiable. Paper-based records are notoriously difficult to manage, track, and retrieve, making audits a stressful and time-consuming process. Misplaced documents or incomplete permits can lead to failed audits and costly penalties.

Electronic permitting software creates a permanent, digital audit trail for every permit. All actions, from initial request to final sign-off, are time-stamped and recorded, providing a reliable history for compliance verification. This ensures you are always prepared for an audit, with all necessary documentation just a few clicks away.

Maximize Operational Efficiency

The inefficiencies of paper-based systems—waiting for physical signatures, manually tracking permit statuses, and searching for lost paperwork—all contribute to significant delays. At Kuraray, the morning rush for permits took so long it created a backlog. Just three days after implementing Prometheus ePAS, they finished the permit issuance process 1.5 hours faster.

The best electronic permitting software automates workflows, sending real-time notifications for reviews and approvals. This eliminates bottlenecks and ensures maintenance work can begin on schedule. With features like intelligent templating for recurring jobs, you can reduce redundant administrative work and free up your team to focus on more critical tasks.

Key Features to Look for in Permitting Software

When evaluating different ePTW solutions, it's important to focus on the features that will deliver the most value to your organization. The best permit software is more than just a digital form; it's a dynamic tool that enhances safety and efficiency.

Here are the essential features to look for:

Configurable Workflows & Templates: Every organization has unique safety processes. Your ePTW software should allow you to create custom workflows and standardized templates for different types of permits (e.g., Hot Work, Confined Space). This ensures consistency and enforces your specific safety protocols.
Integrated Isolation Management (LOTO): Safety is compromised when isolations are managed separately from permits. The best ePTW software integrates Lockout-Tagout management directly into the permit workflow, providing a visual and auditable link between the permit and the required isolations.
Mobile Capability (Online & Offline): Maintenance work doesn't stop where the Wi-Fi does. A robust mobile application is crucial for field personnel. Look for a solution that functions in both online and offline modes, allowing users to issue permits, perform sign-offs, and complete work in remote areas of your facility.
Real-Time Dashboards & Reporting: To effectively manage safety, you need visibility. The software should provide real-time dashboards that show the status of all active permits. Advanced reporting and analytics help you track KPIs, identify safety trends, and make data-driven decisions to improve your processes.
Seamless EAM/CMMS Integration: Your permitting system shouldn't operate in a silo. The best ePTW software integrates with your existing Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) or CMMS systems, such as SAP, Oracle, or IBM Maximo. This creates a single source of truth and enhances communication between maintenance and operations.

How to Choose the Right ePTW Software for Your Business

Selecting the best electronic permitting software requires a thoughtful evaluation of your organization's needs and the capabilities of potential solutions.

1. Define Your Requirements

Start by outlining the specific challenges you want to solve. Are you focused on reducing permit issuance delays, improving compliance tracking, or standardizing procedures across multiple sites? Involve key stakeholders including safety managers, operations personnel, and maintenance staff to gather input and ensure buy-in.

2. Evaluate Software Vendors

Look for vendors with a proven track record in your industry. Ask for case studies and customer testimonials that demonstrate their success. A vendor with deep expertise will understand the unique challenges of asset-intensive environments and can offer solutions that are pre-configured with industry best practices.

3. Request a Demonstration

A live demo is the best way to see the software in action. Prepare a list of specific scenarios you want to see, such as creating a permit for a complex job or managing a LOTO procedure. This will help you assess whether the software is intuitive and can handle your real-world requirements. Pay attention to the user interface and note if it is easy to navigate for both office and field personnel.

4. Consider Implementation & Support

Ask about the implementation process. A phased rollout, like the one Kuraray used, can help ensure smooth adoption when transitioning from paper to digital. Also, inquire about the level of training and ongoing support the vendor provides. A strong partnership with your software provider is key to long-term success.

Empower Your Team with Prometheus ePAS

For safety and operations managers in asset-intensive industries, Prometheus ePAS is the strongest ePTW software option for digitizing control of work and driving operational excellence. Industry leaders like Chevron Phillips Chemical and Kuraray trust Prometheus ePAS to keep their workforce safe and their operations running at peak performance.

Our web-based solution is more than just an electronic permitting system; it’s an Integrated Safe System of Work (ISSOW) that includes powerful isolation management, risk assessment, and mobile capabilities.

Prometheus ePAS is designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing EAM system, providing a single, unified platform that can improve safety, maximize compliance, and enhance efficiency. With configurable templates, you can standardize your safety processes and enforce best practices across all sites.

Ready to see how you can transform your permitting process? Request a demo of Prometheus ePAS today.