Demos show dashboards, not lockouts
Every vendor has charts. Few will build your ugliest procedure live and scan it at a mock asset. Insist on the floor workflow — author, tag, scan, export — with your equipment as the example.
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Buyer guide
Choose LOTO software around the work — not the feature list.
The right lockout/tagout platform does three things: produces machine-specific procedures worth following, puts them at the asset via QR codes, and keeps records auditors accept. Use this guide to evaluate any vendor — including us — on the workflow your team will live with.
For safety and maintenance leaders comparing digital LOTO tools and building the business case.
- Procedure quality: 1910.147(c)(4) structure + photos
- Field access: QR scan → correct procedure in seconds
- Program fit: multi-site, consultants & offline backup
- to run in every vendor demo
- 3 tests
- to ask before you sign
- 7 questions
- line that proves ROI before rollout
- 1 pilot
Tegis Safety — Evaluation checklistLive
Evaluation checklist
Paper binder vs. Tegis
Run this test in every vendor demo
- Build one real procedure live — timed
- Scan the asset → correct procedure in seconds
- Export the audit PDF — hand it to an inspector
Designed around OSHA 1910.147
01 · The problem
Evaluate the workflow, not the pitch.
“Mobile app” means a login wall
If a technician needs an account, a download, and training to open a procedure at 2 a.m., they won’t. QR-to-browser access is the test: scan and read, no friction.
Pricing punishes the program’s growth
Per-procedure fees tax every new asset; per-seat fees bloat with contractors. Understand how cost scales from pilot to plant-wide before you commit.
02 · What to score
Score every vendor on the work.
Six checks that separate usable tools from slideware — run them on us too.
| Criterion | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Procedure quality first | Demand structured 1910.147(c)(4) content: scope, shutdown, isolation of every energy source, lockout application, stored-energy release, verification, restart — with photos pinned to isolation points. |
| Field access without friction | Confirm a scan opens the exact procedure for that asset in a mobile browser. Ask about offline backup (PDFs with embedded QR) for dead zones. |
| Multi-site reality | If you run more than one plant, you need company → site organization, per-site ownership, and consistent formats — not a flat file list. |
| Authoring speed | Time a vendor building one of your real procedures live. Cloning for sister assets, photo handling, and PDF generation separate usable tools from slideware. |
| Audit handoff | Ask to see the exported PDF. Does it carry asset ID, energy table, steps, photos, and QR code — everything an inspector expects in one package? |
| Delivery model | No in-house bandwidth? You need consultant-backed authoring. Have experts but new sites coming? You need self-serve scaling. The platform should support both. |
03 · Run the test
Three tests for every demo.
Test 1
Define the gap
Name your actual problem: unwritten procedures, unreachable procedures, inconsistent formats, or audit scramble. Score vendors against that gap, not generic checklists.
Test 2
Test your real workflow
Bring one asset, its energy details, and its current Word doc. Have each vendor author it, tag it, scan it, and export it — timed.
Test 3
Pilot before you roll out
Run 10–20 assets on one line for 30 days. Measure scan usage, time-to-find procedures, and review readiness before committing plant-wide.
04 · Questions
Asked by people like you.
What should we bring to a software demo?
One representative asset: its equipment ID, energy sources, current procedure (however rough), and a photo of the disconnect area. That is enough to separate real workflow from marketing.
Cloud vs. on-premise for LOTO software?
LOTO procedures must be reachable at the asset on any device, updated instantly, and backed by printable PDFs. Cloud delivery with QR-to-browser access plus PDF offline backup covers both needs for most plants.
How much does lockout tagout software cost?
Models vary: per-site subscriptions, per-procedure fees, and consultant-delivered projects. Ask how cost scales from 20 to 500 procedures and what QR tags cost (in Tegis, tags are physical goods at cost). Get the 3-year math, not just year one.
Can a consultant help with implementation?
Yes — and for plants without EHS bandwidth it is often the fastest path. Tegis supports consultant-led delivery where experts author procedures in your owned workspace.
What is the fastest way to compare two vendors?
The live build test: same asset, same starting materials, timed. Best procedure quality + fastest scan-to-read + cleanest PDF wins. Everything else is secondary.
Tegis Safety
Run the live-build test against us.
Send one procedure in advance. We’ll build it, tag it, scan it, and export it — timed, in front of you.