Establishing goals and defining user needs

The further development work preferably takes place in a problem-solving group, where typical users of the SHE information system are represented. It is important to ensure a shared understanding between systems designers and users on the different needs that the system has to meet. Audit results are important input to the group s work. The group should establish the level of ambition and goals for the development work that follows. 

An important issue is to define the user needs. Table 29.1 shows a checklist of typical modules of a SHE information system that meet different needs. The checklist could be used to establish a long list of immediate and potential needs, and these have to be prioritised. 

It is not possible or even desirable to try to meet all the different needs in one big leap. A stepwise process with the following intermediate goals or milestones is here recommended  

Access to steering documents on SHE (via Intranet and Internet). Simplify and improve existing routines for recording, storage and distribution of reports, generation of standard statistics and official reporting to insurance companies and the authorities. 

Simplify and improve routines for follow-up of actions. Information-retrieval capabilities including free-text searches and application of standard statistics for manipulation of the database or subsets of it. 

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