Improving the EHS-Dashboard™ with AI Development for EHS Software

Higher Elevation Software’s flagship product, the EHS-Dashboard™, is a powerful, web-based solution that’s transforming how Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) professionals track, manage, and analyze critical safety data across multiple facilities. We’re committed to continuous software enhancements that improve EHS governance, save time, and reduce effort. Backing our promise with precision and speed requires a level of ongoing innovation that might pose a challenge for others, but not for us. We help our customers exceed their goals by embracing artificial intelligence at every stage of our development workflow. In this blog, we’ll share some of the ways that we leverage creative AI development for EHS to significantly accelerate development of the EHS-Dashboard™ and take you beyond compliance. 

AI Development for EHS  is Enhancing Capabilities, Not Replacing People 

At Higher Elevation Software (HES), our philosophy is clear: We use AI to support our developers, not replace them. Nothing is a substitute for human ingenuity. We insist on a human in the loop and never release AI-generated output until it has been thoroughly validated by our team. 

From Idea to Action: AI-Generated Implementation Plans 

AI is a highly efficient partner that frees our engineers from tedious, repetitive tasks and enables them to focus on strategic and creative aspects of software development. This approach translates directly into quicker delivery of robust, carefully crafted features that precisely meet our users’ operational needs.  

One of our current AI use cases is the creation of structured Implementation Plans. From simplifying the process of updating safety audits to enhancing the UI or introducing new reporting capabilities, every enhancement of the EHS-Dashboard™ or new feature we add begins as a requirement or idea. Traditionally, a developer would manually detail each new concept into actionable steps. It was a time-consuming task that was prone to inconsistencies.  

Today, our development team relies on cutting-edge AI development for EHS software instead. A specialized AI agent integrated directly into our development environment performs this initial planning. Clarity of scope is ensured before any code is written, efficiency is improved, errors are reduced, and resources are conserved. 

It all begins with an engineer clearly describing the feature requirements. Our AI instantly generates a detailed Implementation Plan, structured as a step-by-step guide. This document outlines exactly what files or systems will need updates, provides pseudo-code for complex processes, and specifies frontend and backend changes clearly and succinctly.  

Plans are always carefully named to maintain traceability and transparency. Any team member can effortlessly track a feature's lifecycle from conception through implementation. 

Every AI-generated plan undergoes a critical human review by our engineering team. This human oversight ensures alignment with our high standards, product vision, and client needs, maintaining the rigorous quality and practical functionality EHS professionals expect from our products. 

Collaborative Coding: Humans and AI Working Side-by-Side 

Once an Implementation Plan is approved, our AI assistant transitions into action mode and actively helps us code each part of the project. As the AI drafts code, our engineers methodically review each increment, testing, verifying, and refining as needed. Engineers remain firmly in control, providing guidance and course corrections to ensure accuracy and alignment with our defined objectives. 

This integrated workflow offers several distinct advantages: 

• Early Error Detection: The structured plan acts as a reliable checklist, minimizing deviations and quickly catching potential issues. 

• Incremental Progress: By committing code in small increments, we ensure smooth rollback capability and minimize risks. 

• Scalability of Complex Tasks: Large tasks can be divided across multiple AI sessions, allowing continuous and coherent development without overwhelming the AI or compromising context. 

• Consistent Quality: Engineers provide constant oversight, ensuring every piece of AI-generated code meets rigorous standards for clarity, structure, and maintainability. 

This stage embodies the best practice of “human in the loop” and exemplifies true human-AI collaboration. At HES, we describe this approach simply: "We aren't vibe coding." Instead, our AI is a disciplined executor, guided closely by human expertise at every turn. 

Documentation and Delivery: Accelerating Deployment with AI 

After completing the coding process, our team thoroughly tests new features to ensure that they meet specified requirements. Our custom AI assistant then creates comprehensive summaries detailing the completed work, crucial decision points, and technical implementations. Stored alongside the original Implementation Plan, these summaries create a valuable resource for future reference. 

The AI-generated summaries also provide rich context when our team submits changes for review, greatly simplifying peer reviews and accelerating approval cycles. This streamlined process allows for rapid, yet reliable deployment. We’re able to continually improve the EHS-Dashboard™ and provide our clients with high-quality releases at an unprecedented pace. 

The HES Advantage: Quality, Speed, and Innovation 

The integration of AI into the daily workflow at HES has significantly accelerated the evolution of the EHS-Dashboard™. Tasks previously requiring days of planning and coding are now accomplished in a fraction of that time, without sacrificing precision or robustness. The proactive structure provided by AI-generated plans dramatically reduces wasted development cycles and costly missteps, offering real financial savings by streamlining AI usage and eliminating unnecessary experimentation. 

Moreover, the meticulous documentation fostered by our AI-assisted processes enhances transparency and accountability. For those in regulated EHS industries, this detailed traceability proves invaluable for compliance and audit purposes. 

Looking Ahead: Pioneering the Future of AI Development for EHS Software 

We continually strive to push technological boundaries and are actively exploring even deeper AI integrations. Future developments under consideration include automated implementation plan generation triggered directly by new Product Requirement Document (PRD) entries and AI-managed updates to task statuses within our tracking systems. We envision a day when an EHS manager’s feature request is processed overnight into a ready-to-review development plan. 

At Higher Elevation Software, we remain dedicated to pushing the envelope, harnessing AI’s full potential to offer EHS professionals powerful tools that keep workplaces safe, compliant, and efficient. Our commitment to quality, innovation, and continuous improvement ensures the EHS-Dashboard™ remains the industry’s premier solution, empowering you to manage environmental health and safety with confidence and clarity.