| Financial analysis: |  |
| Environmental impact analysis: | --- |
| Waste management/P2: | |
| Environmental cost listing/database: | --- |
| Cost estimation: | --- |
| Alternative product/process comparison: | --- |
| Financial analysis: | |
| Environmental impact analysis: | --- |
| Waste management/P2: | |
| Environmental cost listing/database: | --- |
| Cost estimation: | --- |
| Alternative product/process comparison: | --- |
| Cost control | --- |
| Resource control | --- |
| Estimating control | --- |
| Schedule control | --- |
| Scope control | --- |
| Risk control | --- |
ENFLEX Data is a 17-module system for environmental hazardous waste management, which includes chemical inventory and SARA reporting. At the moment, ENFLEX info. is linked with ENFLEX Data in a limited manner. The 17modules of ENFLEX Data are as follows:
The program has over 150 pre-programmed reports. Report customization is not an option in the original system, although modification is possible through specific service requests.
ENFLEX Data has a supporting product called ENFLEX info., which is a database that contains information on hazardous chemicals and regulations. Users can subscribe to ENFLEX info. to receive periodic updates that incorporate new information and regulatory changes.
The system does not currently have a risk assessment component, but the company is in the process of developing a new module for industrial hygiene, which will include risk assessment. Health and safety is not covered in any other module. The system assists users in product selection by considering the potential dangers in selecting one material over another. This application can be used in projects to do qualitative assessments for choosing between different materials based on their environment-related merits and demerits.
| Raw material acquisition | --- |
| Manufacturing stage | --- |
| Use/reuse/maintenance | |
| Recycle/waste management | |
Life-cycle stage covered may vary by module. For example, the module on container tracking considers information on the waste management stage as the waste material is tracked from the time it is generated or enters a facility to when it is finally disposed of. Use/reuse is covered to the extent that raw material use in a facility is covered. The actual manufacturing process or products of manufacturing are not tracked. However, these life-cycle stages are not necessarily covered in the case of each individual chemical, material, or product. They may not be linked in the sense that the effects of source reduction or process changes on wastes produced and costs cannot be quantitatively analyzed. Also, the products (not wastes) manufactured in the manufacturing stage are not covered (if at all) in all their life-cycle stages either. The life-cycle stages are not kept distinct within the system.
| Conventional | --- |
| Potentially hidden | |
| Contingent | --- |
| External | --- |
The software contains cost fields in which users can enter information on various hidden costs. For example, the waste management module has 5 cost fields; taxes, demurrage, transportation, disposal, and other. There are also cost sections for spills and inspection (cleanup costs) and audits (repair costs). Users have a limited amount of flexibility in defining fields and most screens allow users to define 2 to 4 fields (the system as a whole has about 80open fields). This may allow users to enter some information on additional cost categories. For example, users could enter information on labor or administrative costs involved in performing a certain activity.
The software does not attempt to put a dollar value on contingent or external costs. All other hidden and conventional costs associated with use and reuse of materials, environmental management (e.g., capital, labor), and compliance (e.g., health and safety, administrative costs) are not included in default formats. Thus, all conventional and hidden costs are not tracked and entered into the system. The costs entered cannot be collated to form a historical cost library to be used for cost estimation purposes. This could be a useful feature for assisting in cost estimation for projects, because hidden cost estimates cannot be found in most (if any) commercial cost databases.
The system does not do any type of cost estimation.
| Net present value (NPV) | --- |
| Payback period | --- |
| Internal rate of return (IRR) | --- |
| Benefits cost ratio | --- |
| Other | --- |
There is a limited amount of flexibility in entering user-defined fields. The modular design of the system allows users to size their systems as related to their operations and requirements. The product selection feature can be useful in project management for qualitative assessments of some material or product choices.
The company offers implementation assistance, assistance with custom reporting, on-site training, and toll-free telephone hotline support. The company also brings out a newsletter and annual ENFLEX Users Group meetings are organized. No demonstration disks are provided. However, remote demos(enabling software provided) and live on-site demos can be done.
The system does not consider all the costs associated with environmental management in a company. The costs entered are hidden costs related to particular activities. Other conventional, contingency, or less-tangible costs cannot be estimated, but can be entered to a limited extent using open fields. There is no feature for maintaining historical cost records, as related to different activities, quantities, and types of materials managed. The system cannot integrate with company accounting systems, resulting in managing these costs separately, rather than integrating them with other company costs. The system is not designed for, and has no modules for, project management. Like most other environmental management tools, the primary objective is to facilitate compliance, not to manage and minimize costs. However, if this area were developed, pollution prevention and other environmental initiatives would be encouraged as a result of better cost information.
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