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13 · 3 · 2024

Put ‘P’ for ‘Prevention’ at the Top of the Alphabet with Mechanical Integrity

Mechanical Integrity (MI) is based on managing equipment and assets within your business, from installation through their entire lifecycle and eventual obsolescence. MI is a vital, if not the biggest, part of incident and injury prevention, and critical to Process Safety Management. The safety and well-being of employees depend on the quality and reliability of the equipment they work with, so it is vital that everything, even the smallest maintenance task, gets tracked.…

7 · 3 · 2024

Drowning in Paperwork? Here’s Why Digital Document Control Has the Answer

When it comes to compliance, document control is not just best practice—it’s a necessity. Without a digital system, you’ll waste hours pushing paperwork around departments and searching high and low for scattered documents. Visibility will be limited, if not non-existent. Audits will be a headache and non-compliance issues will begin to stack up.

That’s where Document Control software comes in. With a centralized repository and automated workflows, this software transforms the way documents circulate within your organization.…

29 · 2 · 2024

How Unified EHS Software Supports Safety Performance at Unilin

As we gear up for SafetyWorX 2024, let’s take a moment to relive the highlights from last year’s edition, when Unilin’s Safety Expert Geoffrey Breyne shared how TenForce supports Unilin’s zero-harm policy, offering insights into his experience and unveiling a practical three-step roadmap for success. 

Introducing a zero-harm policy at Unilin 

Unilin, a leading player in the manufacturing industry with 105 global locations and 8600 employees, offers a broad range of products, including laminate flooring, engineered wood, vinyl floors, and carpeting.   …

23 · 2 · 2024

Preparing for the CSRD: Don’t Delay, Begin Today

If you’re operating in Europe, you’ve probably heard about the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). You may have even heard about a delay. But what does this mean for your preparations?  

Well, it isn’t a reason to let the ball drop! 

The directive is sprawling and complex, whilst the delay is small and specific. Preparing for it is a time-consuming process. But more than that, it is a valuable opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to sustainability to investors and the public – why wait? …

14 · 2 · 2024

9 Common Lockout/Tagout Mistakes (+ Practical Tips to Prevent Them)

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures – they’re essential for protecting your workers from hazardous energy sources. By isolating energy sources and attaching a LOTO device to indicate that the equipment should not be used, you prevent accidental startup or the release of stored energy during maintenance.

What happens when procedures aren’t followed?

Here’s an example – the maintenance of a complex hydraulic press. In a rush to minimize downtime, the maintenance team bypasses key steps in the LOTO procedure.…

7 · 2 · 2024

Harmonizing Global Operations: Pro Tips, Pitfalls, and How EHSQ Software Can Help

At a prominent European waste management company, a familiar scenario unfolded. Even though they implemented EHSQ software across their sites, they still found themselves running into bottlenecks and missed data. Why? Each site had its own unique way of using the software.  

It’s a common challenge for multinationals — one site starts with a single module and gradually expands software processes, extending to more sites along the way.  

So, what’s to be done about it?…

29 · 1 · 2024

TenForce Recognized as a Key Innovator by the European Commission

AI-PROFICIENT Connected Worker Solution on the Innovation Radar

The European Commission’s Innovation Radar has named TenForce a Key Innovator for its role in the AI-PROFICIENT project. This recognition showcases TenForce’s commitment to transforming industrial landscapes through its innovative connected worker solution. 

The AI-PROFICIENT project, part of Horizon 2020, unites research institutions and technology providers in a collaborative effort to enhance EU manufacturing productivity. Targeting a 10% increase in Overall Production Efficiency (OPE) and a 50% reduction in low-quality product output, the project integrates human expertise with AI (Artificial Intelligence), IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things), and AR (Augmented Reality). …

25 · 1 · 2024

Bridging the Gap: How EHSQ Software De-escalates Tension Between Maintenance and Safety

When it comes to workplace friction, tensions between maintenance and safety can run high. Ask any maintenance worker for their top workplace complaint and it’s likely to involve the pressure of meeting strict deadlines; a problem often made worse by interruptions from the SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environmental, and Quality) manager about how to complete procedures safely.  

Of course, failing to correctly follow maintenance procedures can lead to serious consequences. So, it’s no surprise that SHEQ managers monitor maintenance activities so closely.…

17 · 1 · 2024

PDC Corp, a TenForce Company, Is Now a Certified B Corporation, Standing Tall Among the 6,000+ Recognized Businesses Worldwide

PDC Corp sets the bar high with an exceptional 92.9 Impact Score, outperforming global averages to demonstrate high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability

ARLINGTON, TX (US), LEUVEN (BE) Jan. 17, 2024 – PDC Corp, a TenForce Company, today announced that it is now a Certified B Corporation™ (“B Corp”), solidifying its decades-long commitment to social and environmental responsibility. The rigorous 16-month certification process, conducted by the non-profit B Lab company (see: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/)…

11 · 1 · 2024

EHSQ Leadership 101: Traits for Success

“One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.” Nowhere does Arnold H. Glasow’s statement hold truer than in EHSQ (Environment, Health, Safety, and Quality), particularly for high-risk industries where small hazards or non-conformities can quickly snowball into large-scale incidents.  

Building a strong safety culture is crucial, and success hinges on effective leadership. But what defines an effective safety leader? Let’s kick off our safety leadership series by going back to basics. …

8 · 12 · 2023

Behind the Scenes at Inovyn Lillo

In March, our Commercial team had a transatlantic rendezvous at the Leuven Headquarters for an action-packed week of team building and strategic planning. The real highlight, though, was our trip to the INOVYN Lillo facility—right at the center of the Antwerp chemical cluster.  

INEOS Inovyn is a major player in Europe’s chemical landscape, supplying products that touch nearly every aspect of modern life. With a longstanding partnership, INOVYN relies on TenForce software to streamline their EHSQ processes across global sites.  …

28 · 11 · 2023

TenForce Named a Leader for Process Safety Management Software in 2023 Green Quadrant Report

Independent Research Firm Recognizes TenForce’s Commitment to Innovation 

EHSQ (Environment, Health, Safety, and Quality) software provider TenForce has been named a leader in the 2023 Green Quadrant: Process Safety Management (PSM) Software Report.  

Conducted by independent research firm, Verdantix, the report evaluated the 15 most prominent software vendors specializing in PSM platforms, with TenForce standing out as one of the ten leading providers thanks to their comprehensive PSM software capabilities.  

TenForce earned distinction for its robust offerings in PSM, with specific recognition for its control of work, contractor management and incident management capabilities, user-friendly interface, and strong mobile platform. …

3 · 11 · 2023

Skills Matrices: The Secret to EHSQ Success

Operational success thrives on the certainty that your team is equipped with the essential skills. Whether it’s upholding safety standards, preserving top-quality standards, or streamlining operational efficiency, the skills and qualifications of your workforce are key to a successful EHSQ program.

That’s where skills matrices come in. They’re instrumental in assessing your team’s competencies and individual skills, allowing you to spot any skill gaps and implement targeted training programs.

Keep reading for a detailed step-by-step guide on how to establish them, along with an essential introduction to the indispensable tool you’ll need for the job.…

27 · 10 · 2023

5 Best Practices for Data Hygiene in EHSQ Management (+ 1 Essential Tool)

Data-driven decisions are taken every minute of the day in manufacturing facilities. It’s little wonder then, that organizations are collecting more data than ever before.

Clean data is the foundation upon which EHSQ software can effectively drive safety, environmental responsibility, and quality within an organization. It supports accurate reporting, regulatory compliance, risk management, operational efficiency, and incident management.

When the information is faulty, the consequences can be catastrophic. Inaccurate data can lead to operational incidents, workplace accidents, environmental breaches, and quality control issues.…

17 · 10 · 2023

Competence Management – Why Doing It Right Matters

59% of companies are still struggling to organize and complete training, even when it is required by law.1 More worrying still — companies without a proper training program are experiencing a 24% higher rate of workplace incidents than those with such programs.2  

Putting the human cost of workplace incidents aside, there’s a pretty hefty price tag attached too. 15% of OSHA’s most frequently issued citations are related to employers failing to provide required training.…

13 · 10 · 2023

Your Roadmap to Operational Excellence: Lean, Digital, and Integrated

Adopting a lean mindset, digitizing EHSQ processes, and integrating them into a unified software solution – these are three key steps to achieving operational excellence in process safety management. All well and good, but how can you put them into practice?

Using permit-to-work (PtW) and shift handover as examples, we’ll show you how.

Streamlining Processes for Operational Excellence

At TenForce, we’re all about “the lean way” to manage EHSQ processes. That’s because lean methodology is grounded in waste elimination, process optimization, and the pursuit of operational excellence.…

5 · 10 · 2023

Saving Lives Everyday with Permit to Work

Think about all the high-risk jobs that you’ve assessed: complete risk elimination is impossible. That’s why permit-to-work (PtW) exists. These formal, written procedures are designed to prevent workplace accidents and incidents by ensuring that high-risk tasks, such as hot work, confined space entry, and work at height, are carried out safely and efficiently.

They function as a communication tool between site management, supervisors, and those who carry out the work, outlining the exact nature of the work, its location, the methodology, and the precautions necessary to carry it out safely.…

28 · 9 · 2021

The Biggest Problem With Contractor Management and How You Can Fix It

Managing all the contractors who enter your facility can be a painstaking business. Third-party operators often account for over two-thirds of operational workers in the manufacturing, construction, oil and gas, and utilities sectors. In fact, a large network of contractors is crucial for cutting costs, tapping into external expertise, and meeting fluctuating resource demands.

But it can also generate a lot of work. Especially if you’re still relying on old-fashioned tools and paper-based processes.…

21 · 9 · 2021

8 Do’s and Don’ts for Successful Risk Management (+ our Pro Tip!)

Risk – it’s a constant presence in our lives. But while it’s true that risks are always present, how we manage and mitigate them serves as the true measure of our operational success.

Welcome to the world of risk management. Here, the goal is clear: identify, assess, and mitigate the array of potential hazards that could occur in your operations. To help you along, we share a list of eight crucial do’s and don’ts for a finely tuned risk management process.…

13 · 9 · 2023

How to Get More Value from Your Audit Management Efforts

Audits play a crucial role in ensuring your business operates safely and stays compliant with regulations. But here’s the real question: how can you make your audit management work even harder for you? We’ll share four essential areas to focus on for optimizing your audit management. And, to top it all off, we’ll reveal how they all come together in one comprehensive digital solution.

#1: Centralizing Your Audit Data

Few things are more frustrating than searching for vital information in an endless maze of documents, emails, and legacy systems.…

8 · 9 · 2023

Continuous Improvement: Your Unstoppable Path to Operational Excellence

Continuous improvement isn’t just a buzzword – it’s your lifeline. In the manufacturing and process industry, where safety, compliance, and quality are top priorities, embracing continuous improvement isn’t just smart; it’s a strategic imperative. So, let’s dive in and explore how you can make it happen – digitally.

Continuous Improvement: An Imperative

Picture this: a culture of excellence, minimized risks, and the long-term success of your operations. That’s what continuous improvement is all about.…

31 · 8 · 2023

5 Undeniable Facts About Environmental Reporting

When we say ‘Environmental Reporting’, what do you think of? Maybe something along the lines of:

Collecting data on energy consumption, resource usage, emissions, waste generation, and other relevant factors, then compiling and presenting it in the form of reports, to stakeholders, regulators, investors, and the public.

Well, environmental reporting has evolved beyond data collection. Today, it plays a pivotal role in driving informed decision-making and fostering responsible practices within the manufacturing industry.…

24 · 8 · 2023

AI Revolution Driving Operational Excellence in Manufacturing

In the ever-evolving landscape of manufacturing, increasingly complex processes can breed inefficiency. The result? A nosedive in productivity. Not to mention an alarming rise in potential hazards. 

Enter EHSQ (Environmental, Health, Safety, and Quality) software, along with a much-talked-about game changer – Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

Together they offer the promise of higher production yields, reduced operational costs, improved product quality, and increased competitiveness in the global market.  

But how exactly? And, crucially, how can we ensure that humanity remains at the heart of it all? …

4 · 8 · 2023

It’s Time to Master Environmental Compliance with Confidence – Here’s How

As industries worldwide strive to address the climate crisis, the call for stringent environmental regulations has grown louder from governments, regulatory bodies, and consumers. Operating sustainably and complying with these evolving regulations has become a top priority for businesses. 

However, navigating the complex web of environmental compliance can be an overwhelming challenge, especially with the continuously changing landscape. Since 2019, the Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) sector has seen a substantial 35% increase in compliance demands. …

14 · 8 · 2023

5 Tried and Tested Principles to Level Up Your Incident Management

Striving for a zero-incident environment is a commendable goal, but achieving it demands more than good intentions. It requires a strategic approach to effectively anticipate, address, and learn from incidents. This is where incident management comes into play.  

In this blog post, we will share how software can streamline your incident management processes. From simplifying incident documentation to automating response workflows, we’ll explore how a digital approach can transform your organization’s safety, compliance, and efficiency. …

11 · 8 · 2023

Elisa IndustrIQ and TenForce: Working Together to Make Intelligent Manufacturing a Reality

From the era of water and steam power to the advent of Industry 4.0 – have you ever wondered about how manufacturing has evolved? Well, you’re in the right place! In this blog post, we will share how our alliance with Elisa IndustrIQ is turning intelligent manufacturing into a tangible reality. 

Together with CalcuQuote, camLine, and SedApta, TenForce sits within the parent company of Elisa IndustrIQ, an innovative division of the Finnish telecom giant, Elisa Corporation.…

27 · 7 · 2023

Sustainability in Manufacturing: Is Digitalization the Silver Bullet?

Chances are that you’ve read plenty about digitalization over the past few years, you might even have come across our recent blog post highlighting ten reasons why there’s no need to fear digitalizing your EHSQ (Environment, Health, Safety, and Quality) processes.  

It’s also likely that you’ve seen plenty of headlines about sustainability, peppered with terms such as carbon neutrality, Net Zero, and an overwhelming array of acronyms relating to various regulations, directives, and initiatives.  …

20 · 7 · 2023

CAPA Management: From Chaos to Control with EHSQ Software

Meeting environmental, health, safety, and quality (EHSQ) standards in complex industrial environments can feel overwhelming. Non-conformities have far-reaching consequences from putting safety at risk and causing environmental damage to attracting regulatory penalties and damaging your organization’s reputation…the list goes on. 

But fear not, there’s a solution that can help you tackle non-conformities head-on. It’s time to implement CAPA Management (Corrective Action and Preventive Action) software. 

In this blog post, we’ll address the common challenges faced during the CAPA process and uncover the key advantages of utilizing software to streamline your CAPA management.  …

13 · 7 · 2023

10 Reasons Not to Fear Digitalizing Your EHSQ Processes

Digitalization – it’s a familiar buzzword, a trend that just about everyone has jumped on. Perhaps you’re tired of hearing about it. Maybe you’re apprehensive about its impact on your work. Or you’re eagerly looking to embrace digitalization but uncertain about where to begin. 

Here we will put common fears to rest and explore the benefits of digitalizing your EHSQ (Environment, Health, Safety, and Quality) program. But before we get started, what exactly do we mean when we talk about digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation? …

4 · 7 · 2023

Creating a Safer Work Environment: Lessons from National Safety Month 2023

With National Safety Month behind us, it’s time to reflect on some of the valuable insights we gained in 2023. This year’s Safety Month centered around emergency preparedness, slips, trips and falls, heat-related illness, and hazard recognition.  

These themes directly resonate with the critical safety concerns faced by organizations in the manufacturing and process industries. And when it comes to addressing these challenges head-on, TenForce’s EHSQ (Environment, Health, Safety, and Quality) software is a vital ally, ready to take center stage. …

22 · 6 · 2023

Exploring the Power of AI in Manufacturing: Highlights from the Future is WOW 2023

After three long years, our Future is WOW event made its highly awaited return, bringing together TenForce users, clients, and partners to share valuable insights and advancements in the field of EHSQ.  

AI-PROFICIENT, the groundbreaking R&D initiative aimed at revolutionizing plant productivity in the European manufacturing and process industry, proved to be the highlight. But that wasn’t all! With a wide range of engaging sessions and opportunities to network throughout the day, The Future is WOW 2023 left participants ready to explore the boundless possibilities of AI.   …

16 · 6 · 2023

How To Master Shift Management: Strategies for Success

Did you know that a staggering 40% of plant incidents occur during critical periods like start-up, shutdown, and shift handovers [AFPM Research]? Or that miscommunication during shift handovers is to blame for nearly every other incident in the process industry? These alarming statistics underscore the vital importance of shift management.

Shift handovers often suffer from inadequate knowledge transfer, leaving incoming shifts with an imperfect understanding of events that unfolded in previous shifts.…

7 · 6 · 2023

Shaping the Future of Green Manufacturing: Key Takeaways from SustainWorX 2023

In the bustling city of Berlin this May, TenForce joined SustainWorX, an exclusive closed-door gathering that united senior executives, creating a genuine and insightful dialogue around the challenges and opportunities that accompany sustainable manufacturing practices. SustainWorX acted as a powerful catalyst for change, igniting the passion for a greener future and driving TenForce toward further pioneering solutions. Our very own Bastiaan Deblieck and Uroš Milošević keenly observed and identified several pivotal themes that shaped the discourse. …

2 · 6 · 2023

Zero Harm Made Possible: Building a Culture of Safety with EHSQ Software

The Zero Harm approach to workplace health and safety has been gaining momentum since the late 1990s and early 2000s, especially in industries, such as manufacturing, construction, and energy, where safety is paramount. Since then, the Zero Harm approach has continued to evolve, with organizations increasingly championing it as a fundamental goal in their safety management systems.

What Is Zero Harm?

Zero Harm is a safety management policy that aims to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.…

16 · 5 · 2023

Enhesa and TenForce Announce Global Partnership, Providing Organizations Access to Actionable EHS Compliance Intelligence

Partnership creates one-stop-shop for EHS regulatory compliance

Brussels, Washington, Houston, May 16th, 2023 – Enhesa, the leading provider of global regulatory and sustainability intelligence, has entered into a strategic partnership with TenForce, a leader in operational risk management and environmental, health, safety and quality (EHSQ) software for the manufacturing sector. Under the agreement, Enhesa will make its global EHS regulatory intelligence available via the TenForce platform, creating a one-stop-shop for EHS compliance and reporting.…

4 · 5 · 2023

TenForce Named as a Leading EHS Software Specialist in EHS Software Green Quadrant 2023

Independent research and advisory board, Verdantix, has recognised TenForce as an EHS software frontrunner in its EHS Software: Green Quadrant for 2023. The report provides insight into the latest trends shaping the EHS software ecosystem, as well as an assessment of the 23 leading vendors, to help organizations better understand the market and assist those responsible for implementing EHS software applications.

Three Top Trends According to EHS Software: Green Quadrant 2023 1.…
24 · 2 · 2023

Dealing with the Challenges of Scaling an EHSQ System Across Your Organization

Scaling software across your organization can seem like an intimidating process. So, before you get started, it’s important to plan ahead and be prepared for what that might look like. Make sure that you structure it in a way that you’re not overwhelmed by the scope of the project. This article will help prepare you by reviewing the risks and challenges of scaling and how to overcome them. 

Data From Independent Analyst Verdantix Shows Inefficient Operations for EHS Systems 

In a recent global survey of over 300 EHS leaders, Verdantix gathered some interesting insights on the way companies are currently using EHSQ software.  …

26 · 11 · 2022

Mapping daily workplace hazards and technology to reduce risk

The National Safety Council has an ambitious target — to eliminate workplace fatalities by 2050 through the adoption of emerging technology.

As part of their “Work to Zero” initiative, they have identified the most common hazardous situations for heavy industry workers and the recommended technologies to reduce risk. Below we’ve selected some of the most common ones in the manufacturing industry:

Hot work – any activity that creates flame, heat or sparks (e.g.…

26 · 10 · 2022

Keeping workers safe: 10 EHS technologies with a quick ROI

According to the independent research and advisory firm, Verdantix, the adoption of EHS technology remains a priority, as organizations seek to maximize the productivity of a limited workforce and provide safe working environments during uncertain economic conditions.

Verdantix identifies 10 promising EHS technologies that deliver rapid financial returns by reducing compliance costs, mitigating worker accidents and improving worker productivity.

3 mature EHS technologies with widespread implementation

EHS software solutions: Software to manage EHS processes is a widely deployed and mature technology category.…
6 · 4 · 2022

TenForce and Rombit Announce Permit-to-Work Partnership to Ensure Worker Safety in Real-time

April 6, 2022 —  Leuven, Antwerp (BE), Detroit, Houston (US)

 

TenForce and Rombit announce their partnership to enhance Permit-to-Work (PtW) Management with real-time location and event data and alerts. An industry first, the two tech companies will jointly provide a real-time risk management solution, aimed to support EHS and Production managers in improving safety, quality, and visibility during service rounds.

 

No real-time view on worker safety and dangerous work

Managing Permits to Work (PtW) is time-intensive and error-prone.…

26 · 6 · 2022

AI Proficient & TenForce @ Hannover Messe 2022

Hannover Messe is a large industrial trade fair held annually in Hannover, Germany – one of the world’s leading trade fairs for industrial technology. It features exhibits and demonstrations of the latest innovations and products in various industries such as automation, energy, robotics, and more.

The fair typically attracts exhibitors and visitors from around the globe and is considered an important event for networking and business development in the industrial sector.…

9 · 11 · 2021

TenForce, European EHSQ Software Provider Acquires Process Data Control Corp. to Strengthen US Footprint and EH&S Compliance Portfolio

Leuven, Belgium, November 9th, 2021  – TenForce, a European EHSQ software company (part of Elisa IndustrIQ), announces its acquisition of Process Data Control Corp. (PDC) a U.S.-based software and professional services provider focused on business process improvement and workflow automation related to Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) Compliance. 

 

By integrating their software solutions and professional services, PDC and TenForce will accelerate their growth and develop their offering in conjunction with each other and as part of the global Elisa IndustrIQ companies. …

10 · 11 · 2021

TenForce, Europese EHSQ-softwareleverancier neemt Process Data Control Corp. over om voetafdruk in VS en EH&S Compliance-portefeuille te versterken

Leuven, België, 9 november 2021 – TenForce, een Europees EHSQ software bedrijf (onderdeel van Elisa IndustrIQ), kondigt de overname aan van Process Data Control Corp. (PDC), een in de VS gevestigde leverancier van software en professionele diensten die zich richt op verbetering van bedrijfsprocessen en automatisering van workflows met betrekking tot de naleving van milieu-, gezondheids- en veiligheidsvoorschriften (EH&S). 

 

Door PDC te integreren in de EHSQ Management softwareoplossing van TenForce, zullen de twee bedrijven hun groei versnellen en hun aanbod samen en als onderdeel van de wereldwijde Elisa IndustrIQ bedrijven ontwikkelen.…

15 · 11 · 2021

The Future Is WOW #38: With Humans and Robots It’s Not Us Vs. Them

How many of your colleagues are robots? In this month’s The Future Is WOW we look at the benefits robots will bring to the manufacturing industry. Let’s find out below how robots and humans can collaborate to create more efficient working environments.

Why we need a human versus robot mindset shift

With the coming of robots to the work floor, human employees were quick to conclude that in time they would be replaced by their robotic colleagues.…

15 · 11 · 2021

6 Challenges Leaders in Food Manufacturing Are Facing Today (& How to Tackle Them)

Being a leader in food manufacturing brings a number of challenges. Whether it’s continuous concerns like the constant scrutiny of the sector or new sustainability-inspired ones, there’s a lot to take into account. We list today’s top 6 problems food manufacturing leaders face and how to overcome them.

Challenge 1: Constant Scrutiny

The business of food manufacturing is directly related to public health. The tiniest mistake can have dire consequences. With lives on the line, it’s no surprise that regulations are tight and audits frequent.…

5 · 11 · 2021

Visit TenForce at the Berlin EHS Congress 2021, 9-10 November

On 9 & 10 November, the EHS Congress 2021 will take place in Berlin. Extremely interesting topics (such as behavioral safety and safety differently) will be discussed by EHS leaders from across Europe. TenForce will of course be present as well, and we would be thrilled to meet you there!

 

Why is the EHS Congress important to attend? Fantastic speakers – Gathering EHS Thought Leaders every year sharing the latest know-how.…
19 · 10 · 2021

The Future Is WOW #37: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Platforms on Workplace Safety

In this month’s The Future is WOW we look at how Artificial Intelligence and migrating manufacturing software to the cloud increase the safety of your workers. How? Let’s find out below.

The impact of AI on workplace safety

If you collect the right data, Artificial intelligence can play a powerful role in mitigating risks. We all know the AI assistants like Alexa or Siri. But what about an AI assistant for your business that could help you increase safety?…

19 · 10 · 2021

Automated Competence Management: The Best Way to Help Your Employees Succeed

What is the most valuable part of any organization? The employees of course. But how can you make sure that they grow in their jobs and reach their highest potential? A good place to start is managing their skills, competencies, and training in one digital platform. The ultimate benefit: you can focus less on paperwork and more on your people.

Step 1: Map your employees’ skills

Every person has his or her unique skillset.…

4 · 10 · 2021

Build or Buy – Which EHSQ Software Approach Is the Right Fit for You?

You made the decision: you’re going to use software to tackle your EHSQ challenges. But are you going to buy from a third-party vendor or build it yourself?

We asked EHSQ experts in the field to share their experience with building and buying EHSQ software. What aspects do they consider when evaluating and choosing EHSQ software? Which advantages does one solution hold over the other in their opinion? How did they solve the hurdles they came across?…

13 · 9 · 2021

The Future Is WOW #36: Digital Transformation Enables Greater Sustainability

From turning trees into batteries to digital traceability of the supply chain, companies and factories all around the globe are rethinking their way of working to reduce their impact on the environment. This month in the Future Is WOW series, we look at how the topics of the environment and climate change drive industrial innovation.

Digital transformation enables greater sustainability

The top driver of a more resilient and sustainable future is digital transformation.…

8 · 9 · 2021

Elisa and TenForce to Boost Operational Intelligence in EHSQ and Operational Risk Management

Elisa has made a strategic investment to hold a majority stake in TenForce, a Belgian provider of EHSQ and operational risk management software. While continuing as an independent company, TenForce will become part of the Elisa IndustrIQ business area. This partnership will help TenForce to accelerate its growth and development plans through access to complementary AI/ML capabilities and a global network of manufacturing industry-focused software companies.

 

TenForce provides software for process industries to help them improve their environmental, health, safety and quality (EHSQ) performance.…

8 · 9 · 2021

Elisa en TenForce maken samenwerken aan veiligheid, milieu, gezondheid en kwaliteit slimmer en risicobeheer efficiënter

Persbericht, 8 september 2021 

Elisa investeert strategisch in TenForce – een Belgische leverancier van EHSQ- en ORM-software – en krijgt een meerderheidsbelang. TenForce blijft een onafhankelijke onderneming, maar wordt onderdeel van de Elisa IndustrIQ business area. Toegang tot meer AI & ML expertise én het wereldwijd netwerk van op productie-industrie gerichte softwarebedrijven zullen de groei- en ontwikkelingsplannen van TenForce versnellen. 

De TenForce software helpt de (proces)industrie om prestaties op het gebied van milieu, gezondheid, veiligheid en kwaliteit (EHSQ) te verbeteren.…

31 · 8 · 2021

Verdantix Recognizes TenForce for Its Innovative Process Safety Management Software

TenForce is recognized as an industry innovator, approaching the leaders’ quadrant in the 2021 Verdantix Green Quadrant for Process Safety Management Software.

Independent research firm Verdantix assessed 13 Process Safety Management software providers and their ability to meet customer needs to merge functionality and technology integrations into all-inclusive solutions.

 

Verdantix’s Green Quadrant analysis finds that TenForce has:

A strong portfolio of Change Management capabilities

The TenForce application has a built-in audit trail feature that logs every action.…

20 · 8 · 2021

How Well-Delivered Feedback Creates a Safer Workspace

Did you ever stop and consider how it feels to be on the receiving end of your feedback? There’s an art to giving both positive and negative feedback. If done correctly, both kinds will lead to a safer workplace. Below, we give you some tips and tricks on how to improve your skills.

Effective feedback for a safer workplace

Through giving feedback, you can align your team’s actions and behavior in the workplace with the desired culture of your organization.…

5 · 8 · 2021

5 Reasons Why You Should Trade Lotus Notes for a Modern EHSQ Solution

Plant managers all across the world have been relying on Lotus Notes for their audits, incidents, and action management for quite some time now. But as the application is navigating its “end of support” phase, more and more manufacturing companies are looking to switch to modern EHSQ platforms.

We’ll give you 5 reasons why TenForce is your best option. Sneak peek: It’s all about going mobile, consolidated data, and access to a real-time status of all the work in your plant.…

8 · 7 · 2021

The Future Is WOW #35: Technology Leads to 50% Fewer Injuries at Work

This month in The Future is WOW we shed a light on how different kinds of technology can help improve worker safety, both for employees working from home and on-site.

Technology leads to 50% fewer injuries

Companies that use technology and software to measure and track the safety of their employees and contractors see 50% fewer injuries than companies that don’t. In other words, technology is critical in safety improvement. Read on EHSToday how prequalification technology and supplier audits improve safety over time.…

2 · 7 · 2021

Managing Change – The EHSQ Challenge

Managing change in normal times is hard enough. Add a pandemic on top and it leads to even more unexpected risks, costs, and unpleasant surprises. But there is a way to address changes in your business, even during emergencies: a Management of Change (MoC) process. Let’s have a look at the EHSQ challenge of managing change and how an MoC process is fundamental for your company’s response.

Change in your business, what’s in a name?…
28 · 6 · 2021

Verdantix Buyer’s Guide Reveals TenForce as One of the 13 Most Prominent Control of Work Software Application Providers

Independent research firm Verdantix has published its buyer’s guide for control of work software applications. In their guide, they provide an up-to-date analysis of the 13 most prominent control of work software suppliers available on the market today. Among several large and international players, TenForce is one of them.

 

Control of Work software has been in high demand for the past several years. Operations and Safety leaders all over the world are looking for better solutions that can help them increase worker safety and production efficiency.…

17 · 6 · 2021

Does your team feel safe at work?

More and more employees struggle with their mental health. This leads to more absenteeism than any other illness or injury. How can you foster a safe psychological climate for you and your team members? We give you some insights below.

Positive team climate as a driver of psychological safety

A positive team climate is one of the most important drivers of psychological safety. In a well-functioning team, people value each other’s contributions and care about the well-being of their colleagues.…

4 · 6 · 2021

The Future is WOW #34: Is your culture ready for Industry 4.0?

After a long break, we are happy to revive The Future is WOW series. In these blog posts, we dive into the latest innovations and technology applications in the manufacturing industry.

This month, we delve deeper into future-proofing your workforce. Both the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging technologies are large contributors to a changing dynamic in the working lives of people in all jobs and industries. Below, we shed a light on the role of your employees in digital transformation.…

28 · 5 · 2021

Connected Worker: Modern technology shapes the production line of the future

79% of the operations, maintenance, and engineering executives highlight Connected Worker solutions as very significant or significant to their Operational Excellence initiatives over the next 2 years (out of 250 peers polled for the Verdantix Operational Excellence Survey 2020). We are more connected than ever, and our work environments reflect it too. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Industrial Internet of Things are claiming their spot on the production line.

 

Connected Workers have the upper hand

When a plant operator becomes a so-called ‘Connected Worker’, they are more efficient and complete their tasks in a safer working environment.…

27 · 4 · 2021

World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2021: Anticipate, Prepare and Respond to Crises (ILO report)

April 28th marks the annual World Day for Health and Safety at Work. With the COVID-19 pandemic still present, it’s more important than ever to examine the ways in which OHS systems worldwide can be improved to absorb unforeseen threats and cope with new risks.

On this ocassion, the International Labour Organization (UN agency) announces their latest report – Anticipate, prepare and respond to crises – Invest now in resilient occupational safety and health systems. …

12 · 12 · 2022

How to Protect Your Distributed Workforce with Digital Shift Management

Faulty handovers between shifts are costly and lead to harmful incidents or dangerous situations. Around 60% of incidents happen in the first 30 minutes of a shift due to poor or incorrect handover information. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the complications and confusing practices.

When your workforce is distributed into different shifts or (partly) working remotely, it is crucial that the communication between supervisors, employees, and contractors is transparent and clear.…

4 · 3 · 2021

Digital Permits-to-Work: Any task you can automate is time won for the improvement of the system

Permits-to-work are notoriously difficult business procedures even without a pandemic looming over everything. The quantity, specificity, and complexity of permits some companies in high-risk industries deal with, is reflected in the time spent on creating, validating, planning, and eventually executing them.

Operational permits are considered business-critical because they help to ensure that maintenance or operational tasks are performed safely, adequately, by the right person, and at the right time. Usually, the approval process takes the permit through several departments, from operations to HSE, through departmental supervisors, until it finally arrives at whoever gives the final sign-off.…

9 · 12 · 2020

INEOS/INOVYN – TenForce Preferred Supplier of HSEQ and ORM Software, Worldwide

Leuven, December 9th, 2020 

We are proud to announce that INEOS has selected TenForce as a preferred supplier of HSEQ and ORM software, for INEOS affiliates, subsidiaries and branches worldwide. 

INEOS is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products. It comprises 34 businesses each with a major chemical company heritage. Its production network spans 183 sites in 26 countries throughout the world. By making safety, health and the environment an integral part of the INEOS business, the company encourages a culture of continuous improvement across all activities in all locations. …

4 · 11 · 2020

Protecting a Remote and Distributed Workforce with Digital Permits to Work

The limitations paper has acquired over the decades, have become impossible to ignore. The traditional, paper-based PtW systems give place to cutting-corners and bypassing processes. When under pressure, workers are exposed to hazards, and companies to unnecessary costs, losses, and reputational damage.

THE CASE FOR THE E-PTW SYSTEM TO POWER INFORMATION SHARING, INCREASE VISIBILITY, AND PROTECT YOUR TEAM. 

This is when electronic permits or e-permits become valuable. They can emulate the positive aspects of the existing PtW processes while eliminating the operational issues of paper.  …

29 · 10 · 2020

Zero-Incident Culture: Safety at the heart of operations

Injuries in the workplace are impermissible by law. If an injury occurs for a worker due to a work-related accident, with or without lost time, the company for which that person works is liable.

In line with international guidelines, a management system must be firmly in place to deal with the occurrence of an incident itself and with its aftermath. This system must, in fact, work to prevent the incident from occurring again.…

10 · 9 · 2020

Continental France, INEOS Belgium and TenForce announce multi-million R&D initiative meant to bring AI technology to the production line

Leuven, September 10th, 2020 

TenForce, a leading provider of a SHEQ software solution, is excited to announce AI-PROFICIENT, an ambitious R&D project aimed at applying AI, IIoT and AR technology to improve plant productivity across the entire EU manufacturing and process industry. 

AI-PROFICIENT will increase the positive impact of Artificial Intelligence, IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and Augmented Reality technologies on plant productivity, while keeping the human in the central position, assuming supervisory and executive roles.  …

29 · 6 · 2020

Essential Competences for Safety Management: Go Soft or Go Home

Competence management is not exactly synonymous with EHS management. The purpose of a competence management system, after all, is “to control in a logical and integrated manner a set of activities within the organisation that will assure competent performance in work” (read more here). But competences are still a central part of safety operations. ‘Competent’ in this quote can mean as much as ‘safe’, after all.

Let’s look at the following situation:

An employee is embroiled in a minor incident during welding.…

17 · 4 · 2020

Shifting Gears: How to Manage Shifts Remotely

The need for process transparency in safety and operational risk management is at the basis of every safety management system. Since managing safety and operational risk is vital in many complex manufacturing sectors, it is important to implement transparent guidelines and objectives for all employees and contractors to make sure they are an active part of the safety culture.

This year has brought some exceptional challenges for safety professionals. The novel coronavirus has forced us all to shift our safety focus from sometimes reactive to entirely preventive.…

30 · 3 · 2020

How TenForce Responds to the COVID-19 Effects on Business

Leuven, March 30, 2020

 

Mindful of the added strain on many businesses out there, we find it important to avoid treating the current situation as a marketing opportunity and focus on offering genuine help, instead.

We work with our clients on a case-by-case basis, considering the specific needs of each business and the assistance we can offer in the following areas:

Incident Management

Our team is providing all the assistance needed for organizations to set-up COVID-19 specific workflows for incident reporting, observations, risk analysis, and CAPAs.…

6 · 3 · 2020

Keeping Contractors Safe and Productive Is Hard Work. Here’s What You Can Do About It

Modern manufacturing companies rely on the expertise of contractor organizations to strengthen their in-house workforce. They gain access to varied skill-sets which can help boost their business when required.

On top of this, in high- and medium risk environments, plenty of jobs require specific and applied knowledge which likely comes at a high cost for the organization. For companies to remain profitable while protecting their reputation, it makes sense to outsource the job to a contractor who is specialized in that line of work and training for the job.…

31 · 1 · 2020

Putting Quality Management Centerfold

International Standards ISO 9000 and ISO 9001 describe the means and method of setting up a Quality Management System (QMS). What is not immediately obvious when reading these documents, is that they actually seek to help create a company culture to support the mission for better quality management, and not simply help to set up a QMS.

And it’s clear why: quality management no longer simply belongs to the quality assurance department or team.…

23 · 11 · 2021

The Ultimate Holiday Reading List

We all tell ourselves we’ll have a bit more time to read over the holidays, so let’s make it easier to fulfill that promise to ourselves by selecting books that will really grip our attention, and hold it tightly. We’ve selected some books that came out this year that we think you’ll love and learn from. Let’s prepare for a technologically filled future by taking the time to absorb interesting information slowly.…

9 · 1 · 2020

The Future is WOW: Biggest Trends (and Challenges) of 2020

It’s not just an ordinary end of a year that we celebrated, we witnessed the end of a decade. A decade in which technological innovation has shaped our experience, and has redefined the manufacturing industry. As we’re making our way through the next one, let’s see what trends are expected to grow, and which challenges the industry will be faced with.

Growing trends: connecting people to technology, and each other

Firstly, it will come as no surprise that wearables are expected to become much more common in the workplace, but will not just gather data or provide helpful information, they will also serve to create the IIoP: the Industrial Internet of People.…

12 · 12 · 2019

The Future Is WOW: Best of 2019 (with updates!)

2020 is going to be an interesting year to say the least, but let’s first look back at the previous year to see what exciting innovations made our series, and let’s see if there have been some developments in some of our favorite stories!

Exoskeletons: how they’re being used

In January we reported on exoskeletons, wearable devices that help workers lift heavy objects of maneuver in ways that would normally be difficult for people, or likely to cause injury.…

4 · 12 · 2019

The Future is WOW #33: Robots Finding Their Way to Your Doorstep

Robots aren’t currently having an easy time navigating in a non-controlled environment, that is to say, the real world. Watching how different solutions to this challenge are being developed will give us a better idea of what the future, especially in manufacturing businesses and warehouses for example, is going to look like. So let’s dive in!

Delivery Robots

MIT researchers have a new navigation system on offer which will make it easier for robots to make their way to your front door.…

27 · 3 · 2020

Food Safety: Today More Crucial Than Ever

We’re going through a health crisis, and this won’t come as a surprise to anyone at this point. COVID-19 is wreaking havoc across the globe, affecting just about every aspect of people’s public, professional, and personal lives. And it looks as though very few industries will be spared the effects.  

The food industry seems to be doing better than usual, on the other hand. While there are instances of food shortage panic due to the strain placed on the supply chain of these companies, many of them have taken the opportunity to persevere, to keep bringing sustenance to market. …

6 · 12 · 2019

When Designing Processes Assume the Worst to Achieve the Best

A finished product is only as good as the effort that was put into creating it. Every step in a process, whether it be assembly or another part of manufacturing, has to be perfected. A mistake encountered by quality control in the final stages of production should be able to identify itself: wherein the process did this mistake occur? And if the processes are continuously monitored and improved, your end result is naturally of high quality, and consistent in its quality.…

27 · 10 · 2019

Back to Food Safety Basics: HACCP Compliance

HACCP – Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point – should ring familiar in food safety professionals’ ears. An HACCP plan ensures food safety and includes risk analysis in the entire product lifecycle. The FDA demands food companies have one, but let’s get back to why it matters, and what it takes to make it effective.

The key ingredients

A good food safety plan includes hazard analyses, preventive controls, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, verification procedures, and quality documentation.…

15 · 10 · 2019

The Future Is WOW #32: What Spot can teach us about AI and robotics

This week, our eye was caught by some surprising new materials, and of course who can resist Spot, the Boston Dynamics robot that enamored so many? Let’s take a closer look at these subjects, and more along the same vein.

Material innovations that will change manufacturing

Kristin Manganello shares information about three material innovations that carry a lot of potential. Firstly, a new type of nickel: this metal is light, strong, and could be described as ‘metallic wood’ because of how porous it is, which facilitates the inclusion of other materials in the structure.…

3 · 10 · 2019

Threat vs. Trust: Which one keeps your employees safe?

Did you ever threaten an employee? Not in the “I will kill you in your sleep” way, but in the “there will be consequences” way, when certain actions must or must not be performed. It happens more quickly than you might think, even if you consider yourself kind and patient. Everyone can unwillingly be ‘threatening’ an employee by pointing out obvious or logical consequences of their actions. You have to ask yourself though: am I pointing out this consequence because it’s relevant, or am I saying this because I’m coming from a position of threat, rather than trust?…

19 · 9 · 2019

Advice that Will Make You Rethink Leadership in Food Safety

We recently came across this article in Food Safety Magazine written by Gina R. Kramer, dealing with leadership in the Food Safety field. When reading it, a few nuggets of advice really stood out, which we’d love to share with you in this post.

Experience in the field is more valuable than a degree

Working on the floor, or any place where the actual food you’re ensuring the safety of is being handled, can teach you more than you think.…

12 · 9 · 2019

The Future Is WOW #31: A Stronger Future Requires Stronger Materials

In this post, we’re looking into materials innovation from the large, namely in creating stronger metals to manufacture vehicles, to the small, namely in a new type of microprocessor. Aside from that, new developments are popping up everywhere that are interesting to take a closer look at, so let’s get to it.

Stronger metal for stronger vehicles

Bending and strengthening metal has always been a challenge because of the risk of fracture, so there are limits to what you can achieve.…

3 · 9 · 2019

Artificial Intelligence and your privacy: friends or foes?

Artificial Intelligence as a means to manage data on the one hand and privacy protection on the other seem to be diametrically opposed notions. One is used by governments and companies to gather as much information about people as possible, while the other tries to ensure only the required data are being shared and the rest is protected.

Collecting data is now easier than ever because technology is able to link everything together and form a scarily accurate picture of who we are.…

28 · 1 · 2023

Employees not daring to speak up? Have that honest conversation today.

Do you have employees who don’t dare to speak up? If they feel this way, it won’t only cause dissatisfaction in the long run, but it could lead to serious accidents. Imagine someone has a safety concern no one else expresses, and they don’t feel comfortable to do so either, a small concern could turn into a safety risk with disastrous consequences. So what can you do to create that psychological safety, to ensure that your employees come to you with their thoughts?…

23 · 8 · 2019

EHS and Quality Management: Better Together

A company’s EHS program doesn’t often include quality management. However, the two concepts naturally go well together and depend on each other within an organization. Having them in one combined system facilitates communication and collaboration, which we all know is crucial for a happy future. So why should EHS and quality management be integrated into one EHSQ system, and what would it mean for your business?

Efficient problem solving with unified data

Considering quality and EHS often deal with similar problems, having them in a unified system avoids answering the same questions or tackle the same issues multiple times.…

8 · 8 · 2019

The Future is WOW #30: Smart people walk on smart floors

There’s something satisfying about measuring, knowing, and tracking. We’re obsessed with our wearables, and smart devices in our homes. No wonder we’re drastically changing our workplaces to accommodate this curiosity and see tangible benefits. Let’s dig into this month’s evolution in smart surroundings.

Smart people walk on smart floors

Smart flooring is gaining traction in factories because of its ability to gather vital data to protect employee’s health and safety. When someone trips, for example, alerts can be sent out immediately.…

8 · 7 · 2019

The Future is WOW #29: the Inextricable Link Between New Tech and Manufacturing

When people write about of the future of manufacturing, there’s a myriad of initialisms that get thrown around: AI, IIOT, AR, VR, you get the idea. These types of advanced technologies are the way forward for manufacturing businesses, and in this post, we’re looking into the latest developments, as well as an initialism in the context of climate change: DAC.

Cognitive technologies in manufacturing

The first article we’re digging into is by Len Calderone and was published on ManufacturingTomorrow.…

7 · 11 · 2019

The Future Is WOW 2019: Here’s what you’ve missed

Conversations about the future of business, technology, and the workplace are often fuelled by empty talk. So, we get it. When you are responsible for protecting your people and the environment, managing the quality of your products and ensuring the profitability of your business, you can’t rely for too long on hype and buzzwords alone. 

This is how “The Future Is WOW” was born. Every year we try to look at what’s in store for the future through a different lens.…

6 · 6 · 2019

IoT and the Barcode, or the Hare and the Tortoise?

Today the physical world is getting smarter. Technology allows the world to collaborate in a more sophisticated way. With IoT in the limelight, the opportunity to wholly connect the office with the outside world is up for grabs. This article walks you through some of the options that give substance to the IoT promise, ranging from barcodes to a full-blown network of intelligent devices.

Though IoT is definitely part of everyone’s agenda, I witness many companies struggling to make it tangible at an enterprise level.…

14 · 6 · 2019

The Future is WOW #28: AI to close the skills gap

Empowering employees to take their safety into their own hands makes a better work environment, and what better way to do that than with technology? We’re digging into applications which do just that, and we’re also looking at solutions to improve accessibility in cities, getting rid of the skills gap in manufacturing, and staying warm in overly airconditioned offices.

IoT puts safety in employees’ hands

Modern safety is data-driven, but there’s so much data that it’s difficult to make sense of it or take action.…

3 · 6 · 2019

TenForce Announces The Launch of Its Certified Connector for Power BI

Leuven, June 3rd, 2019: TenForce is proud to announce the release of its TenForce SmartList Certified Connector for Power BI, as communicated earlier this month by Microsoft.

The launch comes as an official recognition that TenForce delivers seamless Power BI integration, high-performing, reliable data connectivity and scalable BI reporting ready to match the evolving ambitions of its clients.

The connector allows the TenForce end-users to build reports, visualize results and provide insight into their operational processes in a matter of seconds, by accessing their data directly through Microsoft PowerBI.…

17 · 6 · 2019

What Keeps Plant Managers Up at Night?

As a plant manager, your job is not the same as it was a few years ago. You’re responsible for your team who are counting on you for safety, leadership, and job security. And the pressure is on you to keep driving up productivity and remain competitive. No wonder certain aspects of your job keep you up at night. But keep reading, because we can help.

Pressure from all sides

Cut costs and increase production, those are the two demands.…

20 · 6 · 2019

Quality Managers: Do You Have Enough Say?

The quality department often gets overlooked during the production process. Yet the quality manager’s shoulder is where problems end up, and you’re the one having to chase people in order to get it fixed. Not just that, any flaw that you miss doesn’t just wreak internal havoc but may cause wide-spread illness or damage. One thing is clear: quality management should go beyond its perceived boundaries. What’s stopping you from having company-wide sway?…

14 · 6 · 2019

How to Decrease Risk by Creating a Culture of Learning

In the manufacturing industry, learning isn’t just important for employees to hone their skills and be able to deal with change. In high-risk environments, increasing knowledge literally saves lives. How can you reduce risk by grasping opportunities for learning, and eliminate blame? Let’s discuss how an emphasis on knowledge and sharing reduces risk and enhances employee performance.

Lead by example

This one sounds simple, but the effect is often underestimated. If employees see you learning, taking courses, reading (we have some book tips for you here), they’ll realize that constant development is encouraged.…

16 · 5 · 2019

Going Paperless: What’s Stopping You?

The disadvantages of paper are plentiful, and likely lamented often, but the truth is that going paperless isn’t simply a matter of scanning all of your documents and calling it a day. All processes involving data and communication would need an overhaul. Is it worth it? Manufacturing is by nature all about established processes, so it’s easy to see why for so many organizations this road might look like going against the very essence of their business model.…

7 · 5 · 2019

The Future is WOW #27: Managing IoT in 2019

IoT provides a lot of opportunities in many different fields, but it’s important to optimize its use and meet the increasing demands. This week, we’re looking at this year’s IoT priorities for developers and how smart city planners can integrate IoT into a more complete system. After that, we’ll find out how to build earthquake-resistant buildings, and look at a robotic solution to recycling.

Priorities for IoT developers in 2019

A new study by The Eclipse Foundation shows that this year’s top priorities for IoT developers are: security, connectivity, and data collection/analysis.…

19 · 4 · 2019

The Changing Role of Humanity in the Technology-Driven Workplace (5 books you don’t want to miss)

How will emerging technologies change the workforce as we step into a more and more automated, and robot-assisted future? This reading list doesn’t just include abstract and philosophical notions about technology. The following books will impact your present, and describe tangible ideas and situations. Especially in these fast-paced times, focusing only on the present means that you’re lagging behind. Add these books to your reading list to prepare yourself for anything that the future can throw at you.…

10 · 5 · 2019

Getting to Know Thy Client: A Visit to Eval Kuraray

I think it’s safe to admit that at TenForce we are quite obsessed with getting to know and understand our customers, their day-to-day reality and their struggles. You can see it in the way we built our software, with a high degree of flexibility that allows us to cater to all different scenarios our clients may face.

But on top of this flexibility, we find it important to provide expertise and demonstrate a true understanding of the customer’s industry.…

25 · 4 · 2019

Manufacturing Leadership: Here’s How to Keep the Elusive Millennials Engaged

Millennials have been in the workforce for a number of years now, but they’re not easy to attract or keep. In a world where company loyalty seems to be dwindling (in both directions), how can today’s manufacturing leaders create an attractive and stimulating environment? With the following tips, you’ll transform your workplace into one young workers will flock to.

Involve them in implementing new tech

When it comes to new tech, millennials are the ones who are going to fight for change and be on your side when you want to upgrade.…

16 · 4 · 2019

Manufacturing Upgraded #14: Top 10 OSHA Violations

When thinking about safety, the procedures and regulations can be easy to get lost in. Let’s take a look at what mistakes you can avoid when reviewing your safety practices, and of course, let’s see what OSHA has to say about the most common violations.

Don’t get caught up in procedure

Alfonsius Ariawan describes how some deep-rooted beliefs can harm a company; namely that if you follow procedures, the operations will be safe and the business successful.…

4 · 4 · 2019

Are You Really on Top of Your Process Documentation? Here’s Why You Should Be

Making documents which outline the hundreds of processes companies have seems like an unnecessary waste of time. Everyone knows what to do, don’t they? Often, processes go undocumented, or whatever documentation exists is horribly out of date. Keeping everything up to date is also challenging, as change is another constant in business. There’s a score of reasons why you may be behind on your process documentation, and not care about it too much.…

29 · 3 · 2019

The Future is WOW #26: Prevent Electrical Failures with Smart Sensors

This week, people have shown once again what great problem solvers they are. Let’s have a look at some new ways to prevent electrical failures, making planes and drones more quiet, preventing food poisoning, and efficiently assisting people in large crowds.

Detecting electrical failures before they happen

MIT developed a system which monitors electric devices, and it is able to point out faults, like burnt-out wiring, that could soon cause fires.…

15 · 3 · 2019

THE PORT OF ANTWERP COMPANIES DRIVING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN MANUFACTURING

As a technology company, we have a front-row seat to the trailblazing work our clients are doing to drive digital transformation. Thanks to their ambitious mindset, TenForce is reaching out to the farthest corners of the world.

More than 250 production sites across the globe rely on us when leaving legacy systems behind to adopt a modern EHS digital platform. Each time, our work starts with a meeting in the Port of Antwerp.…

21 · 3 · 2019

Manufacturing Upgraded #13: What side of innovation are you on?

Is your company on the forefront of innovation, or are you lagging behind? We all know that ergonomics is key to keep employees safe from injury, so let’s take see what innovations we’re seeing in that field, and how companies are reacting to them. We’re also looking at how to standardize your LOTO program, and more.

Is your company an early adopter of new technology?

Deepesh Desai on EHS Today talks about how companies are reacting to innovation, specifically in the world of ergonomics.…

28 · 2 · 2019

The Future is WOW #25: Connecting the Unconnected

However much advancement we see in technology, around half of the world’s population remains “unconnected”, which poses one of the biggest challenges for the near future. We will also talk about a hilarious, and creepy, example of how machine learning technology still has a long way to go, and a smart way to make cities smarter.

Connecting the unconnected

Most of us can’t imagine a world in which we’re not constantly “on”, or connected.…

26 · 2 · 2019

The Wild Card of Risk Management? Being Human.

We can’t disassociate risk management from the manufacturing industry where incidents don’t just cause a loss of profit but, in the worst case, loss of life. An assessment and prevention system is critical to stop these tragedies from happening. Yet however strong the system is, incidents still occur, and can often be attributed to human error.

The cause of human error

We are the creators of our world. We’ve created systems and conventions to help us navigate our environment.…

21 · 2 · 2019

Why Contractor Qualification is Essential to Protect Your Company

When your company relies on contractors, it’s important you choose those who represent your company well. After all, the reputation of your company depends on the delivered results. With an in-depth contractor qualification system, you can be safe in the knowledge your contractors follow the right guidelines and regulations, and are compliant. Let’s take a look at what you can do to work with the right people, and to protect your business.…

14 · 2 · 2019

Manufacturing Upgraded #12: The Balancing Act of Human Behavior and Safety

Safety culture is something we mention a lot on our blog because it is central to a corporation that cares about its employees. In this post, we’ll share some tips on how to create a culture of constant progress and more. Let’s get right to it.

 

Shaping Culture Through Behaviour

Some organizations struggle with a negative culture, and there are a few reasons why progress is out of reach. Dan Markovitz shares a fascinating analysis on EHS Today, describing the pitfalls companies fall into when trying to create a progress-centered culture.…

7 · 2 · 2019

Cutting Through Red Tape: GDPR and Innovation in Large Enterprise Environments

With fines of up to € 20 million or 4% of global turnover (whichever is greater), the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the single most important data protection law that has hit Enterprise Data Management in history. And it’s not only fines companies have to worry about. Years of hard-earned customer trust can be swept away in seconds in the aftermath of a GDPR blunder.  

The cost of complying with what is considered an international standard for privacy management has already forced many companies processing personal data to leave the EU market, close key businesses and even shut down entirely.…

1 · 2 · 2019

The Future is WOW #24: Do you even lift?

Safety risks are a daily reality in the construction or manufacturing business, and one risk is more strain on your body and proneness to injury. Luckily, scientists are always developing new ways to keep your body safe. This post, we’re also looking at material innovations, and how utilities influence smart cities. Let’s get going.

Exoskeleton to help lift heavy objects

Sacros Robotics has developed a robotic exoskeleton that enables someone to safely lift 200 lbs (that’s around 90 kg).…

4 · 6 · 2019

Top Three Challenges of Being a Leader in Food Manufacturing

Food manufacturing companies don’t have it easy: the smallest mistakes get magnified in the media, food laws become stricter by the minute, and the door seems to be constantly spinning with auditors coming in and out. Everything, from naming your product, to your ingredients list or a rant on social media can and will spark public debates. We listed the top challenges facing food manufacturing leaders, and what you can do to overcome them.…

16 · 1 · 2019

Manufacturing Upgraded #11: Do Not Sit on Your Phone

Welcome to the first Manufacturing Upgraded of 2019, in which we show you how technology can be both a cause for risks (in some unconventional ways, too…) but mostly a solution. Let’s take a look at what you can do today to tackle modern safety risks.

Online safety in manufacturing

Cybersecurity is one of the biggest modern safety concerns for companies worldwide, and as the attacks get more creative, safety measures need constant revision and updates.…

24 · 1 · 2019

Independent Analyst Firm Praises TenForce for Its Innovative ORM Software Application and Impressively Broad Functionality

Leuven, January 24th, 2019 – TenForce is recognized as an industry specialist, approaching the leaders’ quadrant in the 2019 Verdantix Green Quadrant for Operational Risk Management Software. A first-time listed vendor, TenForce stands out due to its broad functionality, mobile capabilities and ability to match varied customer needs across multiple industries.

“Given the breadth and quality of its mobile apps, TenForce scores the highest among all vendors. The mobile app portfolio (..)…

9 · 1 · 2019

The Future is WOW #23: Robots that don’t need to be told what to do & more to come in 2019

With Christmas and New Year’s celebrations already feeling like a distant memory, it’s time to look at what’s next to come in 2019. We’ll discuss some trends that we can expect this year, as well as some nifty innovations that await us. Let’s jump in!

Robot jams

Roboticists have been trying to replicate fine motor skills for decades, and each step closer looks eerie and awesome. Scientists at the University of Cambridge have constructed a robotic hand with the skeletal structure of a human hand.…

9 · 1 · 2019

The Future is WOW #22: 2018’s Favorites in Tech Innovation

While we’re always thinking about the future, reflecting on the previous year at the start of a new one makes us realize how far we’ve already gone. At the start of 2019, we can really see, and appreciate, the positive change 2018 brought,  and how much good is happening constantly. Let’s take a look at which innovations that made the blog in 2018 that we think are making or will make a huge difference, and which we just thought were super cool.…

21 · 12 · 2018

TenForce Pro Tip: Celebrate the Holidays with Books

There are a lot of ways to get in the Christmas mood. You can build a snowman or decorate the Christmas tree. We must say, our favorite way to experience Christmas is drinking hot chocolate, lighting up the fireplace and reading a good book.

These inspiring non-fiction classics should help you make good use of the idle-time during your holiday. 

Deep thinking: Where machine intelligence ends, and human creativity begins – Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov’s 1997 chess match against the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue was a watershed moment in the history of technology.…

20 · 12 · 2018

How to Take Charge of Change and Succeed

Change seems to be either dreaded or desired, but when it arrives, it never goes smoothly. Change often brings unexpected risks and costs, and unpleasant surprises. That’s where a Management of Change – or MOC – process comes in. However, it’s often unclear what exactly constitutes a change and how it can be managed. We’ll take a look at what change means, and why a MOC process is pivotal for your company’s future.…

14 · 12 · 2018

Manufacturing Upgraded #10: Avoiding Holiday Hazards

Has the holiday cheer already started in your workplace? We’re well into December, and everywhere lights and trees are popping up to make those dark days a bit cheerier, and the offices a bit more colorful.

But before you overload your workplace with holiday cheer make sure that the decorations are safe! Read more about it below, but first, let’s talk about the importance of hygiene and prevention.

Cleanliness correlates with happiness

Nine out of ten employees in the manufacturing industry report being happier in a clean work environment.…

29 · 11 · 2018

The Future Is WOW 21: A replacement for the human touch?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, the days in which people go looking for deals like there’s no tomorrow. As people were hunting bargains, we were hunting the latest developments in the world of tech, and as always, the future is looking pretty sweet.

Low-power microchips

MIT researchers have found a new approach to controlling magnetism in microchips, which causes them to consume less power. This approach could also increase the flexibility of microchips when it comes to their shape and the shape of devices they are implemented in.…

22 · 11 · 2018

Making EHS Audits Work for You (not the other way around)

What does an EHS audit look like at your company? Is there an auditor walking around with a  paper checklist? Is the audit based mainly on interviews and walk-throughs, resulting in a lack of tangible data? Or is your auditor equipped with a mobile device showing a fully customized dashboard, a clear prioritization of tasks, data on previous audit results and corrective actions?

Are your auditors filing their findings on paper?…

7 · 12 · 2018

Mitigating the Risk of Human Error in Shift Handovers

A shift handover takes up an important fraction of your employees’ workday, a fraction in which a lot of crucial information can disappear. Miscommunication, lost information, and lack of data can lead to incidents, and not just any incidents.

Remember back in 2005, the BP’s America Refinery explosion? Poor shift handover was one of the main causes: a crucial fact was not reported during a shift change, leading to the explosion.…

15 · 11 · 2018

Manufacturing Upgraded 9: Investing in the Right Safety Gear

No matter how strict preventive measures are or how solid a company’s safety policies, accidents can always happen. Therefore, it’s worth investing in the kind of safety gear that is as effective as it is comfortable. Find out more about such gear and other safety matters in this post. But first, let’s talk about the future of workplace communications.

Keeping your workplace connected

Not everyone is in the office every day anymore.…

9 · 11 · 2018

5 Problems You’ll Never Have to Worry About Once You Manage Incidents Using Software

A strong safety culture is quite likely the lifework of any safety manager. You strive towards a workplace where employees feel protected and are a proactive part of the system. Limiting unexpected downtime, and maintaining a no-incident track record require consistent effort and conscious action. The road is not always easy. More often than not, as a safety professional, you will run into at least one of the problems below. Beware, this may hit quite close to home for many of you out there.…

19 · 11 · 2018

The Power of One Habit to Save Lives and Transform Organizations

A lesson learned from Alcoa as told by Charles Duhigg in ‘The Power of Habit’

 It was just a few months ago I’ve finally to finished reading ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg. It left a mark. I know that because I find myself referring back to it way more often than my friends would approve. The author makes a great job at giving real-life examples of how to use habits to improve the way we live and work.…

2 · 11 · 2018

The Future Is WOW #20: tackling data breaches and other modern emergencies

Developments in tech are always joined by new risks and safety issues, even emergencies, which ‘regular’ security forces won’t be able to fix. In this edition, we’ll tell you how IBM is finding a solution for this problem, as well as how 3D printing may already be headed on the way out, and we’ll show you some cutting-edge materials.

IBM’s cybersecurity task force

Companies worried about cybersecurity, rejoice. IBM has created X-Force Command Cyber Tactical Operations Center, which is a long name for a team of white-hat hackers who will jump from a futuristic truck and barge in movie-style to defend against cyber-attacks.…

30 · 10 · 2018

Meet TenForce at the EHS International Congress 2018, 7 – 8 November, Berlin

This autumn, the EHS International Congress in Berlin is the place to be if you want to meet, network and share knowledge with the movers and the shakers of the EHS industry.

We’re excited to announce that the TenForce team will be there to meet you and discuss the latest industry trends and the role software plays in advancing EHS and promoting a proactive safety culture.

We’ll not be coming empty-handed!…

26 · 10 · 2018

Manufacturing Upgraded #8: Take Contractor Safety to the Next Level

For any corporation, optimization of processes and productivity is a continuous challenge that needs innovative solutions, solutions that also change as the company changes. This week, we’re looking into smart contracts, getting contractors on the same wavelength when it comes to safety culture, optimization in food manufacturing, and we’ll point you to a webinar on smart manufacturing.

Away with paper and PDF: try smart contracts!

Smart contracts are software-based contracts in which all conditions can be tracked, and allows for automatic actions to be triggered.…

19 · 10 · 2018

The Future is WOW #19: Robots and People Meet on the Assembly Line. Now What?

There are a lot of problems technology hasn’t been able to solve, but that’s not for lack of trying! And eventually, all of those problems will find solutions. This week’s problems include how to integrate robots in assembly line processes which are still highly dependent on people, the ever-pressing climate change, how to reach for the skies, and finding materials that repair themselves. Sounds exciting, right?

Collaboration between robots and people on the assembly line

The assembly process in many factories is already highly automated, but the end of the process, where the human eye to detail really matters, is still mainly void of this technology.…

10 · 10 · 2018

The Future Is WOW 2018: Here’s What Happened

The second edition of our yearly client event has come and gone in a whirlwind. With the rush of the last days’ preparations, it still feels unreal that it’s already over. We’ve had a great time organizing everything and it was definitely worth it to see everybody enjoying a nice evening in the company of our team.

So what was so special this year? Well… we decided it’s time for our clients to see where the magic happens and we opened the doors to our office in Leuven.…

11 · 10 · 2018

Manufacturing Upgraded #7: What You Should Know About Protecting Your Hearing

Welcome to the seventh Manufacturing Upgraded, where we help keep you up to date with changing regulations and innovative trends in the industry. This week we’re looking at different ways to protect employees, and what better time than Protect Your Hearing Month! But first, BASF has some news.

Protect your ears!

October is Protect Your Hearing Month, an important issue for those noisy workplaces where protective gear, reducing noise levels and exposure, and minute record keeping is crucial.…

5 · 10 · 2018

The Future is Wow #18: keeping it cool with a polymer coating

This week’s roundup has a lot in store; from HP’s massive industrial 3D printer to spray-on antennas, because who doesn’t want more design and product innovation? Let’s jump right in!

HP showcases new metal 3D printing system

It’s huge, it’s by the household name HP (haven’t we all had an HP printer at some point?), and it’s touted to be the first 3D printer that can print metal parts at production scale.…

28 · 9 · 2018

Manufacturing Upgraded #6: accident prevention pitfalls and IIOT challenges

Tomes of rules and regulations, best practices touted from professionals around every corner, but what ultimately is the right way to go forward in your business? Each week, we collect interesting ideas and practical articles to spark some inspiration. This week we have thoughts on accident prevention and often misunderstood OSHA regulations, next to the potential of IIOT and an interesting webinar on offer.

Accident prevention not as obvious as it seems

A UK study showed that non-fatal injuries have declined steadily for the past five years, whereas fatal accidents have stayed about the same.…

8 · 11 · 2018

Gunvor Refinery Ingolstadt: The 3rd Gunvor Site to Use TenForce for Incident, Action and Risk Management

November 2018, Leuven: Following in the footsteps of Gunvor Petroleum Antwerp and Gunvor Petroleum Rotterdam, Gunvor Refinery Ingolstadt chooses TenForce as their end-to-end software solution to report and monitor incidents, track actions and manage risk. For the latter, the project’s scope includes three main areas: HAZOPs,  standalone risks, and workplace risk assessment.

 

About Gunvor

Founded in 2000 as a merchant of crude oil and oil products, Gunvor has strategically evolved to become one of the world’s leading independent commodities trading houses.…

21 · 9 · 2018

A Perfect Day in Process Safety and Operational Risk

Earlier this year my attention was caught by a post within my LinkedIn network. It was debating “the perfect day”concept, accurately pointing out the need for progress and transparency in safety and operational risk management. It inspired me to give a brief overview of how technology can help manufacturing organizations improve results and foster a proactive safety culture.

Since managing safety and operational risk is of vital importance on production sites in chemical, oil, gas, and any other complex manufacturing sectors, it is important to implement transparent guidelines and objectives for all employees and contractors to make sure they are an active part of the safety culture.…

20 · 9 · 2018

The Future is WOW #17: growing a computer like growing a living cell

Maybe the key to having computers think as people lies in trying to grow one like one would grow a living cell in a laboratory. It seems unlikely, but it’s being looked into as we speak, and there is one thing we know for sure: humans keep surprising. But first, let’s look into other applications of the ingenuity of the human mind.

AI can warn people at risk of diabetes in China

Researchers at a hospital in Shanghai are testing an AI system that can identify patients at risk for developing type two diabetes and warn them up to 15 years in advance, which gives the patients enough time to change their lifestyles.…

17 · 9 · 2018

Manufacturing Upgraded #5: ROI on smart wearables and training for fatigue risks

Every day, facts we’re sure of get contradicted by new research, and then that new knowledge will soon, in turn, be replaced by a new fact or truth. For example, standing desks seemed like a great idea, but now it turns out that they might not be. Each post, we shine a light on the latest, so let’s get into this week’s bubbles of knowledge, and let’s see how long it takes before they get burst.…

6 · 9 · 2018

The Future is WOW #16: coffee-delivering drone and graphene 3D printing

Sometimes you hear about an invention and you just know it will change the world for the better, take us into a future bright and shining, in which nothing will ever be the same. It’s the light at the end of a dark, dreary tunnel. This week, ladies and gentlemen, we found such an invention: a workplace coffee-delivering drone. And I suppose some other interesting things happened too. Let’s get to it!…

30 · 8 · 2018

Manufacturing Upgraded #4: to the vaccination station!

Summer is coming to an end, but just because the heat will no longer be an issue, doesn’t mean that there aren’t other things to watch out for. Read on to find out what you can do to prepare for flu season, how to manage the most common warehouse safety hazards, and more!

Flu season: to vaccinate, or not to vaccinate

James Davis on EHS daily advisor conducted an interview with Dr.…

24 · 8 · 2018

Inovyn Italy Joins as TenForce Client

August 2018, Leuven: TenForce is pleased to announce the extension of our partnership with Inovyn. Building upon a fruitful collaboration with the Belgium and Germany production sites, Inovyn Italy chose TenForce as their software solution for optimizing workplace and process safety. The project will kick off with the implementation of TenForce Action Management and Incident Management across three locations in Italy: Rosignano, Ferrara, and Tavazzano. The initiative is part of Inovyn’s broader vision to ensure workers’ safety, operational efficiency and compliance with legislation by aligning their approach to EHS and operational risk across the globe.…

23 · 8 · 2018

The Future is WOW #15: The city of the future

Welcome to your bi-weekly dose of technology and innovation news, where we highlight the endless ingenuity people possess. From day-to-day tech, like in-home water purification systems, to unimaginably large ventures, like fixing entire coral reefs, there’s always something new to talk about. Enjoy!

Toronto: the city of the future

Sidewalk Labs is the company in charge of re-inventing Toronto, and they’re starting with the waterfront: a neighborhood called Quayside. The challenge they are tasked with is to design a neighborhood of the future, which will meet the needs of a growing and diversifying population.…

22 · 8 · 2018

Friesland Campina Asia to Optimize EHS and Operational Risk Using TenForce

We are proud to announce the expansion of our partnership with Royal FrieslandCampina to include their presence in Asia and ASEAN countries. This next step comes after two years of fruitful collaboration with RFC in Belgium and the Netherlands and marks the launch of TenForce on the Asian market.

TenForce will support RFC Asia in improving the following processes: CAPA, Change Management, Quality Audits, Root-Cause Analysis and Document Management. The first phase of the project will focus on implementing the CAPA software solution for 14 production sites and offices in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Myanmar.…

16 · 8 · 2018

Manufacturing Upgraded #3: OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week

This week is OSHA’s Safe + Sound week, which we’re going to tell you about in a second, including some things that your company can do to participate. But of course we’ve got a lot more to share with you in this roundup, so let’s dive into it.

OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week

From August 13th to August 19th, OSHA is organizing its Safe + Sound week, a week in which they encourage global initiatives for EHS awareness and improvement.…

9 · 8 · 2018

The Future is WoW #14: Port of Amsterdam fighting fossil fuels

Even in the scorching heat, people are still striving towards innovation and bringing the future to today. The Port of Amsterdam has decided to move a step closer towards the elimination of fossil fuels, robotic hands are becoming more and more lifelike, and of course, MIT has come up with something great again. Let’s find out what that is!

Aerosol spray no longer a thing of the past

MIT researchers have found a way to bring new life in a type of spray that was sworn off in the nineties when it was deemed unsafe for the environment.…

7 · 8 · 2018

TenForce Gets On The Front Foot With Innovations For Operational Risk Management

Interested to get an outside view on our company and our progress on the path to delivering cutting-edge software products? Then you should definitely take a look at the latest Verdantix report on TenForce.

Earlier this year, we had an interesting conversation with the Verdantix specialists about the shifts happening on the EHS and Operational Risk Management software market. We discussed the role TenForce plays in helping our clients tackle the common challenges arising in their path to embracing new technology, our history and technological background and our current software solutions.…

2 · 8 · 2018

Manufacturing Upgraded #2: Virtual Reality and Fall Protection Training

In this week’s Manufacturing Upgraded, we’re honing in on EHS solutions and tips. We’re going over some OSHA action items to optimize workplace safety, innovative training applications, and more. No, EHS standards can never quite be too high, but we’re sure this post will help you reach them.

Virtual Reality app for specific fall protection training

Using virtual reality, the application developed by the American Society of Safety Professionals is training its users to identify and resolve fall risks.…

31 · 7 · 2018

TenForce Key User Event: The Future Proved to be WOW Indeed

As the year draws closer to an end, we want to take a moment and look back to one of the moments we enjoyed the most – our first edition of the TenForce Key User Event: The Future is Wow 2017.

At TenForce we are big believers in the WOW effect, we want to wow our customers by leveraging cutting-edge technologies and deliver amazing software products. Over the years, we learned that for a software product to be truly great it is imperative to work together with our customers.…

27 · 7 · 2018

The Future is WOW #13: Bugs to fix problems instead of causing them

Welcome to the thirteenth roundup in this series. And not to worry, thirteen is by no means an unlucky number here. To the contrary, this week is full of exciting innovations that can turn the world upside down: the Farnborough International Airshow happened, and it gave us some exciting tech news.

Robot ‘bugs’ to inspect and repair aircraft engines

Rolls-Royce (not the car manufacturer, but the UK engineering firm) is creating ‘bugs’, tiny robots modeled after cockroaches, to get into aircraft engines to search for problems and help engineers to look inside the engine without opening it up.…

19 · 7 · 2018

Manufacturing Upgraded #1: Automation increases safety and reduces worker stress

Welcome to Manufacturing Upgraded! In this series, we collect the best online resources to help you excel at work, all centered around the world of manufacturing, workplace safety, EHS and operational risk management. Could use an upgrade on your work floor? Keep reading!

Is there such a thing as too much data?

We rely on data and alerts to warn us if something is wrong, but if workers get exposed to hundreds of alerts a day, they will get desensitized to them and stop taking them seriously.…

10 · 7 · 2018

The Future is WOW #12: Robot to Tackle Work Too Dangerous for Humans

Sometimes what’s old doesn’t need replacing, but simply improving. Recently, the trustworthy zinc primers people have been using for decades to protect steel just got a lot better. But first, a few other remarkable developments to describe like a robot designed to keep people safe. Let’s jump into this week’s innovation roundup!

A robot as smooth as a snake

In Salt Lake City, a company called Sarcos designed a robot that goes into those narrow, dangerous places where you don’t want to send your workers.…

5 · 7 · 2018

The Future is WOW #11: Changing the Face of EHS

It’s great to see confirmed a fact that you’ve known for a long time already: innovative software solutions are changing the face of EHS, and making workplaces safer. But we also learned a lot of other things that we didn’t know in this week’s roundup!

Electrogeochemistry: the latest in negative emissions technologies

Electrogeochemistry – what a mouthful – describes a new process which can take negative emissions technologies to new heights.…

30 · 6 · 2018

The Future is WOW #10: Time Flies, and so do Taxis

We’re already at the tenth iteration of our roundup, and we’re just getting started. In this roundup, we’ll be taking you around the world to discover the latest innovations!

New York City: electric cars with self-driving chargers

Our journey begins in New York City, where, from the beginning of next year, electric vehicles will have access to self-driving charging units that can drive to the vehicles when needed. That’s right, you don’t have to go somewhere specific to charge your car, the charge will come to you!…

22 · 6 · 2018

PoWalCo: Optimizing Worksite Management in the Walloon Region

The story begins in 2004 when a pipeline explosion in Ghislenghien showed that there was a severe problem with worksite management and knowledge of the infrastructure in the Walloon Region. Most worksite-related information was isolated at the communes or provinces level, the mapping of the infrastructure was incomplete, there was no central point of communication, no collaboration between the different companies and contractors. This proved not only to be inefficient, but dangerous.…

21 · 6 · 2018

The Future is WOW #9: VR in EHS training creating a hands-on safety experience

Welcome to our weekly roundup where we showcase the innovations that matter to us. Among this week’s items, VR used in EHS training stands out as a great innovation in a field near to us. But before that, there’s so much more to discuss. Let’s jump in.

Spellcheck for assembly lines

Microsoft Word shows us when we’re wrong with a squiggly red line, something that shows us an error at the source.…

14 · 6 · 2018

TenForce Contractor Management: Built for the manufacturing sites and contractors in the Port of Antwerp and other industrial clusters [100% free for contractors]

As most of TenForce’s clients carry out their activity in Europe’s #1 petrochemical cluster – Port of Antwerp – we witness their successes and struggles every day. We noticed how having an effective contractor management system is critical to achieving EHS goals, protecting the company’s reputation and long-term profitability. However, having to deal with obsolete tools and outdated methods can easily turn into a logistic nightmare and dangerous situations.

If you find yourself chasing expired documentation and cross-checking safety orientation dates, then it’s probably time to consider an online contractor management software.…

14 · 6 · 2018

The Future is WoW #8: Affordable CO2 Capture and the First 3D Printed Houses

Undoubtedly the biggest challenge we face today is climate change, but we have good news! This week we discovered several initiatives taking steps in the right direction, let’s take a look.

Capturing CO2 looks more and more feasible

Previously, capturing CO2 from the air and turning it into energy was a wild dream: too expensive to be realistic, yet necessary to impact climate change positively. Luckily, a new study published in the journal Joule (summarized for us by James Temple from MIT Technology Review) shows that it might be realistic after all.…

13 · 6 · 2018

TenForce Contractor Management: Software speciaal ontwikkeld voor productiesites en aannemers in de Haven van Antwerpen en andere industriële clusters [100% gratis voor aannemers]

Aangezien de meeste van onze TenForce klanten hun activiteiten uitvoeren in Europa’s #1 petrochemische cluster – de Haven van Antwerpen – zien wij dus ook hun dagelijkse successen en moeilijkheden. Wij merkten bij hen dat een efficiënt contactor management systeem absoluut noodzakelijk is om hun EHS doelen te bereiken, de reputatie van het bedrijf te beschermen, en winst op lange termijn te garanderen.  Van verouderde software en ouderwetse methodes gebruik maken kan echter makkelijk aanleiding geven tot logistieke nachtmerries en gevaarlijke situaties.…

7 · 6 · 2018

The Future is WoW #7: Transformer boats and emissions-free gas generation

Welcome to the seventh TenForce roundup where we delve into the most exciting recent technological developments, and they are plentiful! So what’s been happening lately? Zero emission plants and transformer boats. Doesn’t sound bad at all!

Texas demo plant achieves its first fire

NET Power’s demo plant in La Porte, Texas, which strives towards zero emission energy generation, has just achieved its first fire, a critical step towards the full operability of the plant.…

6 · 6 · 2018

The Future is Wow #6: AI to optimize building operations and keep you healthy

Embracing technological advancements can often equate a leap into the unknown, into a new and unfamiliar place. But with so many exciting innovations improving the world, new means better. In this roundup, we’ll be taking a look at how London hospitals, DAF, EcoEnergy Insights, and Titomic are taking the leap.

DAF: fully electric trucks

The electrifying commercial vehicle manufacturer DAF has partnered with VDL to release their first line of fully electric trucks.…

1 · 6 · 2018

The Future is Wow #5: AR Transforming Manufacturing, Blockchain, Bye-bye Mouse & Keyboard

Many buzzwords are flying around when it comes to the future of the tech business world and, in the end, very little gets done or applied to concrete use cases. So why do we and why should we care so much about tech innovation? Is it just hype and novelty that keeps us hooked on the latest news about another company that tried something with AR, AI, IoT or another new tech acronym?…

24 · 5 · 2018

The Future is Wow #4: The human factor

Here’s our fourth roundup filled up with tech innovation goodies. Every week we search the web to find and promote the most interesting initiatives of using technology to push forward change and embrace new ways of getting things done in manufacturing, worker safety, energy, telecom, communication, and transport or simply citizen life. Dig in!

Speeding up driverless cars

Driverless cars ‘see’ their surroundings with Lidar (Light detection and radar). By sending pulses of laser light and measuring the reflections with a sensor, they draw an accurate 3D map of everything nearby.…

23 · 5 · 2018

Verdantix named TenForce as Smart Innovator in Operational Risk Management Software

TenForce was named Verdantix Smart Innovator in Operational Risk Management Software upon answering the organization’s invitation to participate in their latest research project. The Smart Innovators: Operational Risk Managment Software report provides operations, production, and safety managers with a high-level assessment of the emerging category of the ORM software.

Lost revenues, regulatory fines and costly reputational damage caused by accidents and shutdowns have resulted in Board-level risk committees looking for better risk controls at the operational level.…

22 · 5 · 2018

Welcome to our newest client: UNILIN

Leuven, May 22nd, 2018: Unilin selects TenForce as their Incident Reporting platform, foreseeing a 15+ production sites rollout.

UNILIN is a world-class player in the flooring industry and is mainly known for its Quick-Step floors. The company offers a lot more than Quick-Step alone and also manufactures products such as roof panels, insulation panels, and furniture panels. Consolidated turnover of the UNILIN Group amounts to € 1,55 billion. The group employs 5.000 people and has over 15 production units.…

17 · 5 · 2018

The Future is Wow #3: NASA, BASF and Google Pushing for Innovation

Week three of this roundup coincides with some amazing advancements in the world of technology. NASA launching a new lander to Mars was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the previous week. Back on Earth, some sharp minds have been looking into new ways of optimizing safety and communication at work and making cities smarter. Dying to know more? Read on!

Bridging crucial information gaps

What is an absolute necessity for you when you think of a safe work environment?…

8 · 5 · 2018

47th Meetup by BigData.be @ TenForce

On May 8, TenForce was happy to host the 47th Meetup event: Industry 4.0 by Bigdata.be! The weather certainly did its part as people came together at the TenForce headquarters in Leuven to join in interactive talks on the bright future of Big Data. Delicious food, chilled drinks, and refreshing conversations!

Jetro Wils, Software Product Manager at TenForce, gave a to-the-point, inspiring presentation on the needs and pressure points the manufacturing, utility and governmental industries deal with in their diverse day-to-day operations.…

3 · 5 · 2018

The Future is Wow #02: Crowdsourcing Traffic Data Saves Lives

Welcome to our second The Future is Wow roundup. As promised we scooped the internet for interesting articles on how technology changes the way we live and work. This week we were particularly impressed by an initiative by Waze. They used their data and user community to improve response time in case of emergencies. Read all about it below. Enjoy!

IoT to keep track of your supply chain

Keeping track of simple things in life, like the pizza or the toothbrush we ordered online, comes as no surprise to most of us.…

27 · 4 · 2018

The Future is Wow #01: Tech-Driven Innovation in Safety & Health at Work

Hi everyone, we have great news! We chose the World Day of Safety and Health at Work as the best day to launch our brand new TenForce roundup: The Future is Wow. From now on, we’ll be keeping an eye out for the latest technology innovations in EHS, process safety, manufacturing, Industry 4.0., data intelligence, citizen engagement, governments and more. We will feature the most interesting articles out there in a weekly roundup to share with you all.…

20 · 4 · 2018

Managing Contractors: Is your company still trapped in the past?

Big and small organizations rely on contractors to strengthen their workforce and access a varied skill set to boost their business. Contractors do provide a lot of added value but managing the increasing number of third parties involved can easily become a burden. More so when relying on outdated tools, no longer fit to respond to the demands of the modern world. Is your company still trapped in the past?

Engaging contractors certainly has benefits for a lot of industries.…

18 · 4 · 2018

TenForce Contractor Management is ready for you

We are excited to announce that TenForce, our pragmatic EHS & Operational Risk Management platform now includes a great new module: TenForce Contractor Management.

As usual, we’re getting better by listening to our clients’ feedback. Working closely with the manufacturing and utility sectors we could not help but notice that, for our customers, having an effective contractor management system is critical to achieving EHS goals, protecting their company’s reputation and long-term profitability.…

11 · 4 · 2018

TenForce Just Got Better. Pizza, Ravioli & Spaghetti: The Classics Reinvented.

Hi there, TenForce users! Just in case you did not visit the TenForce Dev Center in a while, we have good news for you. TenForce just got better! As usual, our product team worked hard to improve and add new features to our software. So in the past few months, we launched three new milestones: 265 Pizza, 270 Ravioli, and 275 Spaghetti.

To give you a bit of context, we usually launch an improved version of our product every three months and we announce it through what we call the Milestone Release Notes.…

5 · 3 · 2018

Maintenance 4.0: 9 Key Concepts You Can’t Afford to Ignore

We are in the midst of a transformation that started already a few years ago, nicknamed as the  ‘4th industrial revolution’.  According to Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum it’s all  about ‘industrial convergence’. That is the merger between the physical, digital and biological world. This is possible thanks to developments such as:

robotisation, nanotechnology, biotechnology, 3D printing, virtual reality and Internet of Things

When we focus the ‘4th industrial revolution’ on maintenance, we hear terms such as:

Predictive Maintenance, IIoT and Edge Computing

Can you still keep track?…

12 · 2 · 2018

TenForce Speaks at Open Belgium 2018

We are happy to announce TenForce as partner and speaker at Open Belgium 2018, a community-driven annual conference about Open Knowledge and Open Data, hosted in Brussels on March 12th. It’s packed with interesting talks and discussions about the openness of Belgium, from a local point of view to a European perspective.  Three of our colleagues will be there to talk about how to smartly use data and linked open data in the field of touristic services and utility roadworks.…

16 · 1 · 2018

TenForce welcomes its newest client: the Vynova Group

We are happy to announce that Vynova Group chose TenForce as a partner in their mission to improve EHS and Operational Risk Management performance. The scope of our collaboration is to implement a complete software solution that will centralize all process safety workflows – starting with Incidents Management and Reporting – into a single unified system.

Vynova is a leading European manufacturer of chlor-alkali products and PVC resins, generating yearly sales of nearly 1 billion euros with more than 1,200 employees.…

12 · 10 · 2017

Jan Van den Nieuwenhof appointed new CEO of TenForce

Leuven, Belgium, October 12th, 2017 – TenForce announces the appointment of Jan Van den Nieuwenhof as their new CEO. He assumed the new responsibilities starting September 15th, 2017 and succeeds Frans Vanhaelewijck who stepped down as CEO to take up a more active role as Technology Advisor.

Jan Van den Nieuwenhof has been part of the TenForce team for the past 15 years, beginning as Project Manager and Team Leader, before joining the TenForce leadership as Business Unit Manager, overseeing the development of the company’s software products.…

28 · 8 · 2017

TenForce Trace is Now Available in Google Play Store!

From the moment we launched TenForce our focus has always been to provide solutions for a smarter workplace. We empower workers to do their jobs better, faster and be more efficient. Inspired by the needs of our clients we launched TenForce Trace, the first stand-alone mobile app in the TenForce family.

You now have an easy-to-use, ad-free app to take and annotate pictures and better share information with your team members

Completely integrated with TenForce, you can use the app to:

Capture findings during audits and maintenance inspections, easily highlight critical points of interest, share the information with your colleagues and link it to the right action item in TenForce.…
7 · 12 · 2016

INOVYN Automates Management of Change to Achieve Operational Excellence and Improve Cost Performance /TenForce Networking Sessions

Here we are, just a few days after our 4th TenForce Networking Session, an event series that is already becoming a tradition for us and our special guests. This time we welcomed Dirk Gyzels and Bert Schietekat from INOVYN Manufacturing Belgium, who offered our audience a comprehensive overview of their TenForce implementation and their internal challenges and solutions for common pains related to incident management, audits, and management of change.

Constantly challenging the status quo

We firmly believe that a good software product is one that is continuously growing and adapting to the users’ needs and the reality of the industries it serves.…

8 · 11 · 2016

TenForce Networking Sessions: Arlanxeo automates work permits in 6 months. No more missed expiry dates and substantial increase in safety

At TenForce we believe that happy clients are our best promoters and we are always excited when they accept to open up and share their know-how with industry peers. This time we welcomed Arlanxeo, a world-leading synthetic rubber company, that trusted TenForce in their quest to move on from pen & paper and automate Permit to Work processes.

The session started with a brief introduction from TenForce. Jetro Wills, TenForce Product Owner, the one in charge to keep TenForce relevant for our clients and performing to their expectations, was there to explain the vision we have for our product and the most important industry trends that influence its development.…

8 · 10 · 2016

How TenForce Saved a Company from a Possible Disastrous Audit

A service company, in the chemical and petrochemical industry, provides the storage of liquid products such as lubricants and bio-diesel. We were doing a presales trajectory together with them. We did a workshop, a demo, showed them all sorts of different scenarios, but nothing happened.

…Until a blue Monday, they call me – : “Are your offers still valid? We need an urgent demo!”

We went there the same week and agreed on a roll-out plan for 2 modules they urgently needed.…

8 · 7 · 2016

Kortrijk Xpo: Bezoek TenForce op Prenne #39

Wij zijn klaar je te verwelkomen op PRENNE #39 te Kortrijk Xpo. We konden de kans echter niet laten liggen je te laten weten dat we hopen jou daar te zien, enthousiast om preventiespecialisten te leren kennen.

TenForce adviseurs zullen er klaarstaan om je te informeren over de manier waarop de mobiele en nieuwste technologische ontwikkelingen de toekomst in de preventie-industrie zullen vormgeven. Ze zullen ook praktijkverhalen delen van klanten die de sprong reeds waagden.…

2 · 4 · 2016

Maintenance 2016: Beperk risico’s en boost je operationele efficiëntie

Het zijn nog maar enkele dagen tot de start van de 2016 Maintenance Expo in Antwerpen en het TenForce team kijkt er naar uit om jou daar te ontmoeten voor een goed gesprek over de beste manier om aan risk management te doen.

Dit is hét moment waarop innovaties in de maintenance sector naar buiten komen om te spelen. Dankzij deze beurs krijg je dus de kans om op de hoogte te blijven van de meest actuele ontwikkelingen in de sector zoals asset management, shutdowns, production reliability, safety management en maintenance software.…

8 · 3 · 2016

Cava, Sandwiches and Practical HSEQ Insights from Monument Chemical

Last week TenForce held its first lunch networking session in Kallo, port of Antwerp together with Monument Chemical, our happy customer, welcoming a very nice crowd of HSEQ specialists. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and the air was thick with love for sandwiches, of course!

We kicked off the session with Bastiaan Deblieck from TenForce. He shared insights on how the adoption of mobile, digitally empowered operations in HSEQ will finally lead to smart factories with great diagnose capabilities, incident prediction, intelligent assets, real-time status reporting and even augmented reality with 3D asset visualization.…

1 · 3 · 2016

Bezoek TenForce op Prenne #37

Wij zijn klaar je te verwelkomen op PRENNE #37 te Sint-Truiden. We konden de kans echter niet laten liggen je te laten weten dat we hopen jou daar te zien, enthousiast om preventiespecialisten te leren kennen.

TenForce adviseurs zullen er klaarstaan om je te informeren over de manier waarop de mobiele en nieuwste technologische ontwikkelingen de toekomst in de preventie-industrie zullen vormgeven. Ze zullen ook praktijkverhalen delen van klanten die de sprong reeds waagden.…

8 · 2 · 2016

Public Works, Safety and Mobility – CxO gathering

February 18, 2016 – on that day, 28 key executives first time gather to debate safety and transparency in the context of Public Works. Business Leaders from the Telecom, Utilities, Energy, and Road Works business share Mobile practices and experience. How about safety data – should we herd or share? What about #IoT?

 

Geert Standaert, CTO of Proximus kicks off the debate: “Can #IoT practice impact customer intimacy?” Yves Van den Broek, Engineer @Apple sheds new light on the Mobile landscape.…
28 · 9 · 2015

An occupational safety and health management software is good for you, and it’s good for your business!

There is a growing pressure on businesses to have clean operations in a transparent manner, while employees are provided better working environments for their health and safety at work. It has become crucial to own a fully integrated Environmental, Health, Safety and Quality [EHSQ] management software system which covers all operations.

Some Stats! Each year, 4000 people die at work in the US. Each year, 3 million serious accidents happen at work in the US.…
18 · 9 · 2015

EU-OSHA releases its comprehensive guide to EU funding in OSH

If you are trying to identify funding sources for activities, initiatives or projects related to occupational safety and health (OSH), then look no further than the EU-OSHA funding guide.

Targeting EU-OSHA’s stakeholders, the guide provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of European funding opportunities.

In Part I, easy-to-use funding factsheets give brief descriptions of European Union funding programmes. In Part II you can find out about relevant European structural and investment funds that are implemented by national authorities.…

8 · 9 · 2015

EU-OSHA releases its comprehensive guide to EU funding in OSH

If you are trying to identify funding sources for activities, initiatives or projects related to occupational safety and health (OSH), then look no further than the EU-OSHA funding guide.

Targeting EU-OSHA’s stakeholders, the guide provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of European funding opportunities.

In Part I, easy-to-use funding factsheets give brief descriptions of European Union funding programmes. In Part II you can find out about relevant European structural and investment funds that are implemented by national authorities.…

1 · 9 · 2015

Event Coming up – Prenne #35 – Belgium

The 35th Prenne will take place on 17 september 2015 at De Montil Affligem, BELGIUM.

As usual we are are looking forward to meeting you at the Prenne fair. Please come and visit us during this event.

We will surprise you with our latest and newest mobile developments. In addition we want to share with some extremely interesting customer stories. We have extremely interesting learning on competence management, inspections and permits

What is Prenne?…

19 · 8 · 2015

OSHA unveils new “It’s The Law” poster

To help ensure that workers have a voice in their workplaces and the protection they deserve, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration unveiled a new version of its “Job Safety and Health – It’s The Law!” poster. The poster informs workers of their rights, and employers of their responsibilities.…

19 · 8 · 2015

Are you doing EHS Management correctly?

Get familiar with the 6 Practices & 10 Modules.

Throughout the last couple of decades, there has been a natural evolution within the EHS Market. This led to the development of 6 core management practices. These 6 practices are now the center of attention for companies which want to comply with the new regulations, while caring for the workers’ safety and remaining incident free. Pending on the different type of activities certain practices will need to be implemented.…

27 · 7 · 2015

TenForce Summer Event: Permits to Work, Chevron Philips, Antwerp

Thanks to Chevron Phillips, TenForce had the chance to host a user group session on its permits module. The speaker, the HSE & Integration manager, assisted by two HSE specialists, spoke about permit creation and the lockout/tagout procedure. The event allowed companies such as Solvay, Eval Europe/Kuraray, IBR, Lanxess, and Indaver to observe, interact and share their knowledge.

We believe that these gatherings allow great interaction and a better understanding, it also gives us a chance to show certain aspects of the product which not everyone may have been familiar with before.…

1 · 5 · 2015

Confined spaces rule could protect nearly 800 construction workers a year from serious injuries and reduce life-threatening hazards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued today a final rule to increase protections for construction workers in confined paces. Manholes, crawl spaces, tanks and other confined spaces are not intended for continuous occupancy. They are also difficult to exit in an emergency. People working in confined spaces face life-threatening hazards including toxic substances, electrocutions, explosions and asphyxiation.

“In the construction industry, entering confined spaces is often necessary, but fatalities like these don’t have to happen,” said Secretary of Labor Thomas E.…

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