How a Multi-Division Distributor Found a PSM Provider It Could Rely On
Overview
A food and beverage distributor inherited a hard-to-navigate PSM program backed by an under-resourced provider that left much to be desired. Seeking a better alternative, its Corporate Facilities Manager searched broadly for a solution and ultimately chose Innovative Refrigeration Systems. His team adopted ePSM, which organizes OSHA’s 14 PSM elements into a consistent structure he now uses daily to monitor compliance across the company’s divisions. Innovative’s PSM team responds quickly and proactively flags issues, earning praise from stakeholders company-wide.
The Inherited Program
The company's Corporate Facilities Manager didn't choose the PSM program he inherited. It was already in place when he stepped into the role, and it quickly became clear that it wasn't serving the organization well.
The problems started with usability. The program's layout was difficult to navigate, turning routine PSM management into more work than it needed to be. For facility managers already balancing operations, maintenance, and compliance, a program that's hard to use is one that's easy to fall behind on.
The bigger issue was support. The old provider relied on a very small team with limited capacity and limited expertise. When questions came up, help was hard to come by. That’s a red flag for any service that is supposed to prioritize safety above all else. PSM compliance depends on the people responsible for each facility being able to get clear answers when they need them.
Seeing the severity of the issues with the company’s PSM status quo, the new Corporate Facilities Manager set a priority: find a partner that could offer a strong PSM program with the communication and depth of knowledge that every facility should demand.
Choosing a New PSM Provider
Rather than simply replacing one program with another, the Corporate Facilities Manager took a methodical approach to finding the right fit. He ran a broad comparison of PSM providers, contacting companies, reviewing their offerings, and researching each option in depth. Throughout that process, Innovative consistently stood out, and the company ultimately awarded Innovative the contract.
Innovative’s ePSM is a leading online service and maintenance application for process safety information, compliance audits, incident investigation, management of change, employee training, emergency planning, and more. With over 4,000 users to date and more than 3.4 million inspections generated, ePSM is the cold chain industry’s gold standard.
Facility managers value ePSM’s low cost, frequent upgrades, and responsive customer success team. For this multi-division distributor, it was a big step up from the previous provider.
For facilities, ePSM offers a number of benefits, including:
- Automated paperless inspections
- Trackable action items with task elaboration
- API integration
- Management of change and line break tracking
- Language translations
- User training management
- Administrative reports
- PHA reports
- And much, much more
See why cold chain distributors choose ePSM for turnkey process safety management software.
Adopting ePSM
Like any new system, ePSM came with a brief adjustment period. But once the team learned how the program flows, where to look for specific information, and which menus to use, they embraced the system’s ease of use.
That learning curve reflects the scope of what a PSM program has to manage. OSHA's Process Safety Management standard spans 14 elements, from process safety information and hazard analyses to mechanical integrity, management of change, and compliance audits. A program that organizes those elements into a consistent structure asks users to learn that structure once. After that, finding a record, checking a deadline, or reviewing documentation follows the same logic every time.
Today, ePSM is part of the Corporate Facility Manager’s daily routine. He's in the system nearly every day, reviewing program status and staying on top of compliance across the company's divisions.
Results: Responsive PSM Support Across Every Facility
The real test of a PSM partner comes in everyday situations. Sometimes, the facility manager comes across something that doesn't look right. Other times, he's walking through a facility during a site inspection and comes across an issue he isn't sure how to properly document. He reaches out to Innovative's PSM team, explains what he's seeing, and asks for help.
The response from Innovative’s customer success team comes quickly, offering support he never had with the previous provider. As the Corporate Facilities Manager put it: "It's literally thirty minutes to an hour and I hear back from them."
Many PSM programs are reactive in nature. Innovative's customer success team takes a different approach, keeping a close eye on the program itself, proactively flagging anything that needs attention so issues can be addressed before they become hazards or compliance problems.
The Corporate Facilities Manager isn't the only one who has noticed. At a recent multi-day summit, he brought together facility managers from across the company's divisions and asked for their feedback in person. Everyone agreed that working with a responsive, knowledgeable PSM provider was a welcome breath of fresh air.
Looking ahead, he encourages his team to make greater use of Innovative's services, and he would like to see Innovative take on the company's inspections as well.
Key Takeaway
Choosing a PSM provider is about more than the program itself: usability, fast responsiveness, and proactive support are what keep facilities safe and compliant. If your current PSM setup is hard to use or slow to answer questions, Innovative’s ePSM and PSM program can give your whole portfolio the support it needs.
Contact our team to start the conversation.
