What does QHSE software cost? Pricing models, extra costs and comparing quotations

Which pricing models exist for a QHSE platform?

What a QHSE platform is, is covered in the article on what a QHSE platform is and what to look for when choosing one. Here the focus is cost. Suppliers charge in a few ways, and some combine them, for example a base price plus an amount per module or per site. These are the models that occur:

• Per user: you pay per account per month. That is predictable for a small team, but costs rise as soon as the shop floor needs access too
• Per module: you pay per component, such as incidents, audits or document management. That suits starting small, provided modules also work independently
• Per site or organisation: a fixed amount per location or for the whole company. Useful with many users, but an extra site can mean an extra price
• Fixed licence: a one-off purchase, often with yearly fees for maintenance and updates. Always count those ongoing costs
• Subscription: a monthly or yearly amount, usually including updates and hosting. The entry cost is lower, but it is a continuing expense, often with a minimum term

Which pricing model suits your organisation?

Which model fits depends on who will use the system. If you have few users who need many modules, a price per user is straightforward. If many shop-floor employees must also be able to report or read documents, a price per user holds back usage and a price per module or per organisation often fits better.

If you have several sites, check whether an extra location gets a separate price. If you want to start small, choose a model in which you can add modules later without renegotiating. If you want certainty about the budget, ask for a fixed price and term for a pilot and record what an expansion costs.

Which costs come on top of the licence?

The licence or monthly price is usually not the whole amount. Ask explicitly with every quotation what is included and what is charged separately. These are mainly the items below, which differ per supplier and are sometimes included in the licence. Also ask per item whether it is a one-off or a recurring amount:

• Implementation and set-up: roles, locations, templates and permissions
• Migration of Excel lists and documents into the system
• Training for the office and the shop floor
• Integrations with existing systems, such as HR administration, ERP or single sign-on
• Support and service level, sometimes in separate packages
• Extra storage, users or sites above a limit in the contract
• Custom work, such as your own forms, reports or branding
• Price indexation: a yearly increase in a multi-year contract

How much internal time does introducing a QHSE system take?

Internal time rarely appears on a quotation, but it is part of the total cost. Someone is needed to manage the system, one or two key users who set up templates and permissions, and colleagues who clean up existing lists before they are transferred. Testing, explaining to the team and adjusting after the start also take time.

Make a simple estimate: note per task how many hours it takes, multiply by the internal hourly rate and add that to the quotation. Ask the supplier how many hours your team should plan according to his experience, and what he does himself. A supplier who cannot estimate this leaves you with an uncertain plan.

Worked example: three quotations over three years (illustrative)

This worked example is illustrative. The amounts are invented and say nothing about what any supplier charges. It only shows how a low monthly price and a low total price can diverge. Take an organisation with 60 employees that wants to calculate over three years (36 months):

• Quotation A, per user: 60 users × €12 per month × 36 months = €25,920, plus €9,000 implementation, €3,000 training and €2,000 migration. Total €39,920
• Quotation B, per module with unlimited users: €950 per month × 36 months = €34,200, implementation and training included, plus €1,000 migration. Total €35,200
• Quotation C, fixed licence: €30,000 one-off, €6,000 per year maintenance (€18,000 over three years), €6,000 implementation and €2,000 training. Total €56,000

How do you compare quotations for QHSE software?

In the worked example above, quotation A has the lowest monthly price at €720, but quotation B is cheaper over three years. Quotation C looks like a one-off purchase, but the yearly maintenance makes it the most expensive. Add the internal hours to each total and only then do you see what each choice really costs.

Compare on total cost over three years and not on the monthly price. First make the quotations equal: the same modules, the same number of users and sites, the same items for implementation, training and support. Without that equal basis you compare apples with oranges, and the quotation in which the most is missing can win.

Then look at what happens when you grow. What does an extra user, site or module cost in two years? Also check the term, the notice period, the indexation and what data you receive when you cancel. A low entry price with high expansion costs is less favourable than a slightly higher price that grows predictably with you.

Questions for suppliers about the cost of a QHSE system

Ask these questions in writing and place the answers side by side. A good supplier answers them concretely and directly, and also names what is not in the price. Have the answers reflected in the quotation or the contract, because a verbal promise does not help you if the agreement is disputed later.

• What exactly is in the price and what is charged separately?
• Do I pay for employees who only report or read documents?
• What does an extra user, site or module cost?
• Are implementation, set-up and training included, and how many hours is that?
• How do you handle transferring my Excel lists and documents?
• What do integrations cost and is there an open integration?
• What are the term, the notice period and the yearly indexation?
• What support do I get, within what response time, and what costs extra?
• Can I start with one module and expand later without setting up again?
• How do I get my data out if I stop, and in which format?

How do you judge what QHSE software delivers?

The return lies mainly in time. Look at what now goes into searching, chasing and reporting: a day of looking for evidence before each audit, hours per month updating and checking lists, phoning around for actions that have no owner. Measure this now, before you start, in hours. Do not invent an expected saving: a good yardstick is your own baseline.

After three months measure the same points again: hours per audit for evidence, hours per month for lists, the number of actions that are late and how long a report stays open. Multiply the difference by the internal hourly rate and compare it with the yearly cost. Not everything can be expressed in money, such as fewer repeated incidents or better preparation for a certification audit, but do note it.

If you doubt whether to leave Excel behind, also read the article on QHSE software or Excel: when to switch. It describes the signs by which you recognise that moment, such as searching for evidence before an audit, actions that are handled too late and several people editing the same lists. Those signs are also the points you can measure in your baseline.

Common mistakes when comparing QHSE software prices

Most disappointments can be avoided by calculating three years ahead and placing all items side by side. A quotation is a snapshot, while you use a system for years. These are mistakes that occur when choosing a QHSE system:

• Choosing on the lowest monthly price, without counting one-off and ongoing costs
• Counting only office users, while the shop floor must also be able to report and read
• Not allowing for growth in users, locations or modules
• Signing a multi-year contract without knowing what leaving costs
• Not counting the internal time for introducing and managing
• Buying many modules that are then not used
• Not comparing the new costs with the current costs of Excel and manual work

How BrydgeOne supports this

BrydgeOne is modular and starts from €49 per month. You begin with one module, for example Incidents & reports, Document management or Audits, and expand with more building blocks when you need them. You only pay for the building blocks you activate, and according to the website it becomes more favourable the more you activate. What your combination costs, BrydgeOne works out with you in a demo.

According to the website, the monthly price includes implementation and set-up, unlimited licences for platform and app, all AI functions and white label. Actions, agenda and push notifications are always included and no one-off costs are added. A pilot is possible with one department and a few modules at a fixed price and term, after which you scale up per building block and per FTE. If you switch from another package, BrydgeOne takes your existing data along.

Place these points next to the list of questions above, also when you compare other suppliers. That way you can see per point whether it is in the price and what it costs in the longer run. In any case, ask for a written quotation that states the scope, the term and the prices for expansion.