| 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 | --- |
The basic HazE system has various companion modules: HazEStream tracks all sampling, HazEDisp tracks all waste, and HazETrain is the training module. All these modules are compatible with each other and are designed to facilitate cradle-to-grave management of hazardous substances through mass balance calculations. The areas covered by all the modules include the following:
The major components of HazE are the chemical inquiry, master chemical maintenance, reports, table maintenance, utilities, and on-line help. The master chemical database allows users to locate various types of information associated with each substance such as information on components, storage and use, chemical characteristics, and inventory information. The table files allow user-defined table files that can be used to build databases according to users' requirements.
HazEDisp is designed to track and collect disposal and analytical data. It has areas to enter information on waste stream tracking, identification, composition, labeling, and costing. Other functions include waste entity generation tracking, transportation tracking and manifests, and waste disposal and manifest reports. Users have the ability to impose their own thresholds on chemicals.
HazEStream provides a mechanism to track sample collection and analytical data. Using sampling and analytical data, the system does mass balance calculations to calculate the percentage and amount of hazardous constituents discharged into the environment via air, water, soil waste disposal, or product produced. The system allows data to be entered in the form of images.
| Raw material acquisition | --- |
| Manufacturing stage | --- |
| Use/reuse/maintenance | |
| Recycle/waste management | |
Life-cycle stages covered may vary by module. The product can track hazardous materials from the moment they enter the facility to their final resting place. It can calculate the hazardous constituents discharged into the environment through air, water, soil, or products manufactured. It tracks the amounts of hazardous substances purchased, inventoried, used, and disposed of at various locations. The actual products manufactured are not tracked nor are the manufacturing stages of the life cycle for the various chemicals and materials.
All materials and outputs are not tracked. There is no quantitative linkage between the quantities and types of material used or type of production process and waste generated. Thus, users cannot simulate changes in waste quantities and costs as a result of process changes or source reduction.
| Conventional | --- |
| Potentially hidden | |
| Contingent | --- |
| External | --- |
The system aims to track hidden costs associated with hazardous waste management and generates cost summary reports. This feature has been added recently. Costs can be detailed as much as users desire. Thus, other cost categories such as conventional, external, or contingent costs could be added as well. It is not clear whether cost fields can be defined in any area of the program. For instance, if users have a mechanism to quantify costs associated with discharge of hazardous constituents in various media, they can add a cost field to mathematically calculate this based on discharge information.
All conventional and hidden costs are not tracked and entered into the system. External or contingent costs possibly involved in the various life-cycle stages that hazardous materials would go through cannot be estimated using the system. The actual cost involved in the tracking activity is not included. The costs entered in the program cannot be collated to form a historical cost library. This feature could be useful for assisting in cost estimation for projects, because hidden cost estimates cannot be found in most(if any) commercial cost databases.
The system is not designed to assist users in cost estimation.
| Net present value (NPV) | --- |
| Payback period | --- |
| Internal rate of return (IRR) | --- |
| Benefits cost ratio | --- |
| Other | --- |
The system is PC based and menu driven and has an on-line help feature. It has interfacing capabilities for data exchange with other computer systems (no "seamless" exchange with particular systems). Its import facility allows imports from disks or CD ROM. Custom routines can be created for transferring data from company purchasing, inventory, or bar code system. This feature may allow users to transfer some cost information to company accounting systems, thus facilitating greater integration of environmental and other company costs. Such costs are usually left hidden in company overhead accounts.
HAZE allows unlimited tracking and recording of chemical substances. The system can collect all company notes and data to create a custom disaster plan. The system can compile information previously entered at various sites (up to999) to generate a centralized corporate report. Quantities entered into the system using various units of measurement are automatically converted into pounds for standard reporting requirements.
A comprehensive user's manual is included in the package, and users can take advantage of toll-free support. Telstar also provides computer consulting and system support. Users can request services for specialized programming and on-site training. Slide-show demo disks and limited-time product trial copies are available.
Although modular in design, the system modules are not broken down significantly. The system does not have the popular Windows structure or mouse support. The system comes with a full suite of reports but does not allow customization of reports. The system is restricted to hazardous substances and waste. It may not cover all the areas of concern related to environmental management (employee health and safety, nonhazardous substances, pollution prevention, etc.) in a company.
Although users can enter cost information in the system, the costing feature is not given as much attention (not mentioned in the information package). The system has existing cost fields for some hidden costs that users can detail. However, it is not designed to take in detailed cost information on all cost categories that could be affected as a result of various activities. Other conventional, contingency, or less-tangible costs cannot be estimated using the system. There is no feature for maintaining historical cost records, as related to various activities and quantities and types of materials managed. The system is not designed for, and has no modules for, project management. Like most other waste management and tracking tools, the primary objective is to facilitate compliance, not to manage and minimize costs. However, if this area were further developed, pollution prevention and other environmental initiatives would be encouraged as a result of better cost information.
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