Your Software May Change. Your Data Should Still Be Yours.
FLO by HAC . . 2 min read
Understand the risks of data lock in and why access to your compliance records matters. Learn what water systems should look for in software agreements to protect data ownership, maintain flexibility, and make future transitions easier before signing or renewing.
Your software may change. Your data should still be yours.
Water systems rely on software to manage important compliance information, including inspections, testing records, notices, customer information, enforcement history, and other program records.
But there is an important question that can easily get overlooked:
If you needed all of your data today, how easy would it be to get it?
Data ownership is about more than what an agreement says. Your utility should be able to access its information, receive it in a usable format, and move it when necessary.
Are You in a Data Lock In Situation?
Your software should help you manage compliance, not make it difficult to access or move your own records.
Some signs that deserve a closer look include:
• Limited access to your own data
• High export or migration fees
• Data only available in a proprietary or difficult to use format
If any of these apply, it may be time to take a closer look at your software agreement and your actual ability to retrieve your records.
“When years of inspections, testing records, notices, customer information, and enforcement history are stored in a platform, access matters. If those records are difficult to retrieve, changing systems can mean delays, added costs, and the risk of losing access to valuable history.”
Do Not Just Ask Who Owns the Data. Test It.
One of the simplest things a water system can do is periodically ask its software provider for a copy of its data.
Then pay attention to what happens.
How long did it take?
Was the request simple, or did it require multiple conversations?
What did you receive?
Did you receive the complete program history you expected?
What format was it provided in?
Can your staff open, organize, analyze, and potentially transfer the information to another system?
Receiving your data and receiving usable data are not necessarily the same thing.
A good practice is to request your data periodically, review what you receive, and retain appropriate copies according to your system's records management practices.
Before You Sign or Renew
Features and price matter, but so do the terms governing your information.
Before signing or renewing a software agreement, confirm at least these three things:
• Ownership: Your utility owns its data
• Portability: Data can be exported in a commonly usable format
• Access: Retention, access, and deletion terms are clearly defined
Do not wait until you need to transition to another system to learn how these provisions work in practice.
Ask the Question Now
Even if you are satisfied with your current software, try a simple exercise:
Ask for your data.
See how easy it is to get. Look at what you receive. Check the format. Make sure the information is complete and usable.
Doing this periodically can help your organization better understand how much control it actually has over one of its most important compliance assets.
Want Another Set of Eyes on Your Agreement?
HAC works with public water systems on regulatory compliance, cross connection control, program development, inspections, and other water and wastewater needs.
We can review a software agreement from an operational and environmental compliance perspective and help identify data ownership, access, and portability provisions that may be worth discussing before you sign or renew.
Request a free consultation: Contact Hardin & Associates Consulting at 972.823.8800 or through the HAC contact page.