EMIS: Environmental Management Information System

Implementation

EMIS is implemented as a web-based, distributed client-server system, shared by both a central EHS operator at the industrial zone or estate level and any number of individual enterprises or production plants.

A central server or group of servers depending on size and components is connected to any number of external clients (simple, networked PCs) and an optional monitoring network and RTUs (SCADA) through the Internet protocol TCP/IP. EMIS is implemented under Open Source Linux, which is open (no license costs for the operating system), safe for mission critical applications, and well scalable, supported by all major hardware vendors and the latest processor technology. This provides a cost efficient, easily scalable solution for a basically unlimited number of users that can share the central hardware and services such as central data base maintenance, backup, disaster recovery, regular updates, user support, training

Hierarchical structure:
The system covers an INDUSTRIAL ESTATE or park, which contains any number of individual PLANTS or enterprises. The system is designed both for the responsible HSE officer at the ESTATE level as well as his counterparts in any or all of the enterprises or plants within the ESTATE. All data and information are maintained in a central - and thus always consistent - information system which is controlled by the HSE officer and his staff.

Access control:
Access to EMIS is controlled by user name and password with 128 bit encryption, and can also be based on IP address or domain of the client. Multi-level access rights can be assigned to individual users.

Each PLANT in the ESTATE has write access to its own plant specific data for regular updates and analysis, and can read (view) data from other plants for comparison and benchmarking if they are released for public access by the respective plants that own the data. Plants can use the shared analytical tools with its own data for planning tasks, scenario analysis and impact assessment including ISO 14000 pre-audit environmental analysis. Selected components of the overall information can also be defined as a publicly accessible environmental information system.

Operational real-time control:
Real-time control functions (SCADA) use a rule-based expert system that controls and executes any number of scheduled and event driven tasks, maintains data integrity and quality and ensures up-to-date information by work-flow control, error messages, alerts and alarms that can be issued by eMail, fax, or SMS to selected operators.

Business model:
EMIS is designed and supported as SaaS (Software as a Service) or application services that is provided to a large number of parallel and in fact cooperating users on a subscription basis. For any individual subscriber that eliminates the need for major up-front investment, any major hardware or technical infrastructure and maintenance costs. The possibility to share development, implementation and operations costs (including high-performance cluster computing hardware and monitoring sensor) provides for very cost efficient and flexible solutions. Costs include:

• One-time setup fee (includes data compilation and local consultancy)
• Monthly subscription, annual or quarterly basis (including local support).

EMIS is designed for joint operation between the local industrial park owner and/or operator and the responsible HSE department, a local consultant for direct local user support, data compilation, monitoring solutions, and any field measurement tasks, and ESS as the main software solution provider and remote ASP (application service provider).

Please note that the system can also be licensed for local operation (directly at the industrial park or with a local ASP, and remote Internet based support by ESS), and delivered as a turn-key solution including the necessary server and optional monitoring and sensor hardware including local UHF/GPRS telemetry.