The last month has seen a flurry of new partnerships between EHS software vendors and implementation services providers. VelocityEHS has announced two partnerships, firstly with Canadian headquartered, Frostbyte, a digital EHS and ESG services specialist and secondly with Trinity Consultants, an EHS digital consulting firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas.  Additionally, IsoMetrix announced a partnership with digital EHS services provider HUCO consulting. These embryonic partnerships join an expansive and well-established network of implementation delivery partnerships within the EHS software landscape.

The typical implementation services firms that EHS software vendors have a broad array of backgrounds, but can be categorized into four groups, EHS and sustainability consulting specialists, such as ERM and WSP, digital services specialists including Accenture and Capgemini, engineering and infrastructure firms namely AECOM, Arcadis and Jacobs, and professional services firms such as EY. The market has witnessed strong growth in line with wide increases in corporate process digitization but is set to explode over the next two years as corporates define and execute digital ESG and sustainability strategies.

For implementation services vendors, there is pressure to continually differentiate and innovate within their service offerings. As customers become more technology mature, expectations grow for more complex, connected and insightful digital EHS implementation projects. This pressure is compounded by a number of new entrants to the market. The likes of PwC, KPMG and Deloitte, have turned their attention to the growing ESG markets, and as a result, EHS software, which will play a vital role in enabling corporate sustainability reporting endeavours. Vendors have made their digital proficiency a key aspect of their development strategy, take ERM’s board of directors, that have signed off on US$51million of internal investment into a series of digital services.

For EHS software vendors, forming implementation partners is often necessary for healthy business growth. Service firms often complete software selections for clients prior to implementation projects, opening new business avenues for software vendor partners. Implementation partners are often required to complete projects of large complexity and scale, which have the potential to become unsustainable for software firms to take on internally. This is especially relevant for large enterprises, with implementations often consisting of large data migrations, processes configuration and customisation, and a series of integrations with existing software infrastructures. Partners also offer vendors several new avenues of market entry, affording them opportunities with clients in geographies and industries that previously were not accessible Consulting partners can also provide a number of ‘wrap around’ services for software clientele, ranging from change management and digital strategy consulting to software augmentation and maintenance. These services look to minimise friction involved with transitioning to new EHS software and encourage a prosperous relationship with clients.