Building a business case for occupational safety software: how to convince management
You know software would take work off your plate – now management has to agree. How to calculate the business case, involve everyone affected and answer typical objections.
Last updated on 8 min readAMS Go editorial team
Key points at a glance
- Management decides on budget, risk and effort – convince them with figures from your own company rather than feature lists.
- First record how much time administration, records and deadlines cost today, and compare this with the cost of the software over at least two to three years.
- Involve IT, data protection, the works council and purchasing early – each has their own questions that you can answer in advance.
- Propose a manageable start, such as one site or department with measurable goals. This lowers the hurdle for the decision.
Why you need a business case
As an occupational safety specialist, safety representative or responsible manager, you know the daily routine: typing up inspection reports, tracking deadlines in spreadsheets, hunting for instruction records. To you, it is obvious that software would help. Management, however, looks at different questions: what does it cost, what does it deliver, and what risk do we take – with and without software?
A business case answers exactly these questions. It translates the benefit into time and money, makes costs transparent and shows what happens if everything stays as it is.
Who has a say – and what each of them wants to know
Decisions are rarely made by one person alone. If you know the stakeholders' questions and answer them in advance, the decision gets much faster:
Management
What they want to knowcosts, benefits, liability
Your argumentstime saved in euros, records at the push of a button, overview of all sites
Purchasing and controlling
What they want to knowtotal cost, contract term, licence model
Your argumentscosts over two to three years compared with today's effort
IT
What they want to knowsecurity, operation, interfaces
Your argumentshosting, single sign-on, API, no installation for web software
Data protection
What they want to knowGDPR, data processing
Your argumentsdata processing agreement (Art. 28 GDPR), technical and organisational measures, server location
Works council
What they want to knowmonitoring, co-determination
Your argumentsdefine purpose and reports clearly, involve them early
Local managers
What they want to knoweffort in day-to-day work
Your argumentsmobile capture, less paper, clear responsibilities
Step 1: record today's effort
The strongest foundation for your business case is figures from your own company. For two to four weeks, note how much time typical administrative tasks take – for you and for everyone who contributes:
- following up on inspections: typing up notes and photos, sending reports
- tracking measures: asking for status, writing reminders, maintaining lists
- keeping an eye on deadlines: inspections, safety instructions, health checks
- organising safety instructions and collecting signatures
- keeping the hazardous substances register and safety data sheets up to date
- gathering records for audits, authorities or the employers' liability insurance association
Multiply the hours per month by an internal hourly rate – an average figure from controlling or HR is often enough. This turns “a lot of effort” into a number management can work with.
Time calculator: savings for your companyUse your own figures to calculate how much time and money AMS Go saves – including licence costs. You can save the result as a PDF for management.Step 2: compare costs and benefits
Compare today's effort with all the costs of the software – over at least two to three years, so that implementation and running costs are spread fairly:
Effort today
How to determine itrecorded hours per month × internal hourly rate
Expected savings
How to determine itbetter to estimate cautiously and work with a range, for example 30 to 50 per cent of administrative time
Licence costs
How to determine itdepending on the model per user, employee or site – calculate with your actual structure
Implementation
How to determine itask the provider about set-up, migration of existing documents and onboarding
Internal effort
How to determine ittime for selection, pilot phase and training of those involved
With our time calculator, you can run this calculation with your own figures, offset the licence costs and save the result as a PDF for management.
Benefits that are hard to express in euros
Not every advantage can be expressed in hours. For management, these points are often just as important:
- Records are complete and quick to find – for audits, visits by authorities or after an accident.
- Management can see at any time where measures are open or deadlines are due, even across several sites.
- Knowledge no longer depends on one person: if someone is absent, status and history remain traceable.
- Standard templates ensure the same quality in all areas.
- More time for prevention on site instead of administration in the office.
What it costs to change nothing
An honest business case also looks at the status quo. Argue factually and without scaremongering – the facts speak for themselves:
- Violations of occupational safety ordinances can be fined up to €5,000. If the employer disregards an enforceable order from the authority, fines of up to €30,000 are possible (Section 25 ArbSchG).
- Anyone who persistently repeats such violations or intentionally endangers the life or health of employees commits a criminal offence (Section 26 ArbSchG).
- If a workplace accident is caused intentionally or through gross negligence, the social insurance institutions can reclaim their expenses (Section 110 SGB VII).
- Accidents and absences cost productivity – regardless of whether a fine is imposed.
- Scattered Excel lists and folders make the company dependent on individual people.
How to present the business case
Management has little time. One page or a few slides are enough if they follow this order:
- 1
Starting point
In one sentence: where are the problems today, and which duties are affected?
- 2
Effort today
Hours per month and what they cost – from your own figures.
- 3
Solution and costs
Which software, what scope, what costs over two to three years.
- 4
Benefits
The savings in euros plus the most important advantages that are hard to quantify.
- 5
Risk without change
Factual, with the legal basis – without a threatening backdrop.
- 6
Proposal
A manageable start, such as one site or department, with measurable goals and a date for the review.
- 7
Decision
Ask a specific question, for example: “May we start the pilot next quarter?”
Typical objections – and how you can respond
“Excel is good enough.”
Possible responseAs long as one person keeps track, yes. With many deadlines, several versions and sites, however, tasks get lost – and records have to be searched for first.
“We have no budget for this.”
Possible responseToday's effort already costs money, it is just invisible. Set the two against each other and propose a small start.
“The implementation is too much work.”
Possible responseAsk the provider whether they migrate existing documents, and start step by step with one area.
“Our data doesn't belong in the cloud.”
Possible responseHave the server location, data processing agreement and technical measures reviewed – or ask about alternatives such as self-hosting.
“Nobody will use it in practice.”
Possible responseLook for ease of use and a mobile app. A pilot quickly shows whether the software is accepted.
“What if we want to switch?”
Possible responseClarify data export and notice periods before signing the contract.
Checklist: business case for occupational safety software
- Today's effort for administration, records and deadlines recorded
- Internal hourly rate agreed with controlling or HR
- Software costs calculated over two to three years
- Implementation costs and data migration clarified with the provider
- Benefits in euros and qualitative advantages compiled
- Risks of the status quo named factually with the legal basis
- IT, data protection and works council involved early
- Pilot with measurable goals and review date proposed
- Specific decision question for management formulated
Frequently asked questions
Is occupational safety software required by law in Germany?
No. The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires risk assessments, safety instructions and inspections to be carried out and documented, and the employer to ensure a suitable organisation (Section 3 ArbSchG). The form this takes is up to the employer.
How do I calculate the time spent on occupational safety?
For two to four weeks, note how much time administrative tasks such as reports, deadlines, records and hazardous substances take, and extrapolate to one month. Multiplied by an internal hourly rate, this gives today's effort in euros.
Who should be involved in the decision?
Besides management, typically purchasing or controlling, IT, data protection and – if there is one – the works council. Managers who will use the software in their daily work should also have a say early on.
Does the works council have to agree to the introduction?
If the software is suitable for monitoring employees' behaviour or performance, the works council has a right of co-determination (Section 87 (1) No. 6 BetrVG). It is best to involve them early and agree together which data is used for what.
Does occupational safety pay off economically?
A study by ISSA, DGUV and BG ETEM found a “return on prevention” of 2.2 – according to the companies surveyed, every euro invested yields €2.20. For your own decision, however, the figures from your company count most.
Terms from the glossary
This guide gives a general overview of German occupational safety law and does not replace legal advice. The regulations in force and the rules of the statutory accident insurance institutions are authoritative.
Organise occupational safety digitally
With the occupational safety software AMS Go you handle risk assessments, safety instructions, inspections and more in one system – mobile and with AI support.
