Implementing new EHS software is one thing. Getting your entire workforce to actually use it? That’s where most safety technology investments go sideways. But Utilitra, a woman-owned engineering and construction firm serving the utility sector, didn’t just achieve adoption in their first year with KPA Flex—they achieved adoption so exceptional it earned them the Rookie of the Year award.
What can their experience teach the rest of us? After speaking with Jason Wernex, Utilitra’s Director of Safety, we’ve distilled their first-year journey into five non-negotiables that any organization can apply to their own safety software implementation.
This is Part 4 of the Game Changers Series, spotlighting award-winning customers who are transforming their safety programs. Utilitra received the 2025 Flex Rookie of the Year Award at Connect Live.
The 5 Non-Negotiables
for First-Year EHS Software Success
Intuitive Design
The iPhone Test
Can users figure it out without instruction?
Start Familiar
Digitize Before You Innovate
Begin with workflows your team already knows
Flexibility
One Size Fits None
Adapt tools to match diverse operational needs
Empower Adopters
Feed Your Ambassadors
Let early success stories travel organically
Responsive Support
Address Issues Immediately
React quickly to maintain adoption momentum
Ready to Change the Game?
Jason Wernex is sharing Utilitra’s complete first-year story in an upcoming webinar. You’ll hear directly from him about the selection process, implementation approach, adoption strategies, and lessons learned—plus get your questions answered in a live Q&A.
Register now for ‘From Rookie to Rockstar: Utilitra’s First-Year Safety Transformation’
1. Intuitive Design: The iPhone Test
Here’s the reality check every safety leader needs: if your field workers can’t figure out your safety software without extensive training, you’ve already lost the adoption battle. Jason anticipated needing structured, intentional training sessions for Utilitra’s mobile app rollout. What actually happened surprised him.
“80 to 90% of the users, soon as they had the mobile app, they just started clicking and they knew where to go from there. There was obviously some people that we had to do a little bit of—I would say more of a jump start than training—and then once they saw how the functionality works and they saw the pattern to it, that’s really about all it took.”
– Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
The takeaway: Your EHS software should pass what we call the “iPhone test.” Can users figure out the basics without instruction? When technology is truly intuitive, adoption happens naturally—even among traditionally technology-resistant groups like field workers.
2. Start with the Familiar: Digitize Before You Innovate
Utilitra made a strategic decision that accelerated their success: they didn’t try to revolutionize their workflows on day one. Instead, they started with forms their workers already knew—paper forms they were using for auditing and good catch/near-miss reporting—and simply digitized them.
“We started with forms that were familiar to co-workers, but they were using in paper format. When we were able to roll this out to people, it was very common language. They knew what the expectations were in general.”
– Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
This approach created immediate wins. Workers weren’t simultaneously learning new processes and new technology. They saw right away that the digital version eliminated pain points like writing the same information repeatedly and trying to decipher handwriting. That early success built confidence and trust in the system.
3. Flexibility is Power: One Size Fits None
Utilitra serves diverse customers across engineering, technology, and construction sectors. A rigid, one-size-fits-all safety solution would never work for their varied operational needs.
“I can build tools that match the end user’s needs. The same form can have data points that pull differently depending on what division you’re in. So you’re not stuck with a one-size-fits-all. It’s very easy to do from an administrator’s standpoint.”
– Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
The result? Field workers started coming up with their own use cases. Fire extinguisher inspections. AED inspections. Equipment calibration tracking. The demand for new forms and capabilities soon outpaced capacity—a problem most safety leaders would love to have.
4. Empower Early Adopters: Feed Your Ambassadors
Utilitra discovered that when early adopters succeed, their enthusiasm becomes contagious. Jason started receiving unsolicited positive feedback in manager meetings. Field workers began talking up the system. Questions shifted from skepticism to “When are we gonna get the system rolled out for us?”
“The intuitiveness helps build ambassadors. Empowering your users to be able to innovate, think outside the box, encourage them to ask any question because you’re really only limited by your imagination—I think that’s big.”
– Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
One foreman called Jason excited because a customer superintendent had asked to see his job safety analysis—and he was able to pull everything up on the spot. Those moments of pride spread through the organization faster than any training program could.
5. Responsive Support: Address Issues Immediately
When problems surfaced—and they always do during implementation—Utilitra didn’t let them fester. Their ability to respond instantly proved crucial to maintaining momentum.
“When something didn’t go right, we reacted to that immediately. If somebody from the field is saying, ‘Hey, this doesn’t make sense’ or ‘I’m having trouble with this the way that you’ve got it set up,’ we reacted to that very quickly. The configuration is so configurable—sometimes I could do it while they’re on the phone. I’d say, ‘OK, hit refresh, it should be good to go.’ That went a really long way as far as helping with our adoption.”
– Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
Implementation Timeline Recommendations
Based on Utilitra’s experience, here’s a realistic timeline for first-year success.
First-Year Success Roadmap
EHS Software Implementation Timeline
Based on Utilitra's award-winning first-year journey with Novara Flex
Phase 1
Pre-Implementation
Weeks 1-4
- ✓ Identify familiar paper forms to digitize
- ✓ Establish baseline metrics
- ✓ Set up regular implementation meetings
- ✓ Plan data foundations
Phase 2
Initial Rollout
Months 1-3
- ✓ Launch most familiar forms first
- ✓ Introduce mobile app to field workers
- ✓ Start good catch/near-miss reporting
- ✓ Set up leadership dashboards
Phase 3
Expansion
Months 4-8
- ✓ Add forms-to-training features
- ✓ Implement equipment tracking
- ✓ Set up scheduled reports
- ✓ Let user feedback guide builds
Phase 4
Optimization
Months 9-12
- ✓ Review user-generated use cases
- ✓ Expand into operational workflows
- ✓ Measure adoption vs. baseline
- ✓ Plan capability backlog
Utilitra's First-Year Results
Following this timeline delivered measurable outcomes
300%
Reporting Increase
200%
Above Audit Goals
During pre-implementation in weeks one through four, identify familiar paper forms to digitize first, establish baseline metrics, and set up regular implementation meetings with your vendor. Don’t rush this foundation-building phase.
In the initial rollout phase covering months one through three, launch with your most familiar forms, introduce the mobile app to field workers, and get good catch/near-miss reporting running. Set up dashboards for leadership visibility.
During the expansion phase in months four through eight, add features like forms-to-training and forms-to-assets for equipment tracking. Let user feedback guide what to build next.
Finally, in the optimization phase covering months nine through twelve, review user-generated use cases, expand into operational workflows, and measure your adoption rates against your baseline metrics.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The biggest mistake organizations make is rushing through implementation.
“Don’t rush your implementation. Spend the time to get the foundation built out correctly because it all goes up built upon that.”
– Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
Utilitra dedicated significant time to proper data foundations, meeting cadences, and use case planning before rollout.
Other pitfalls include launching too many features simultaneously, ignoring field worker feedback, and failing to connect early integrations like HR systems. Utilitra waited for their API connection with their HR system before doing a full organizational rollout—a decision that paid dividends in reduced administrative burden.
Resource Planning: What Utilitra Would Do Differently
Even with their remarkable success, Jason identified areas for improvement.
“Knowing what we know now, we could have been more aggressive. I probably could have front-loaded my project plan with a little bit more time for building capability because the organization was ready to go faster than I was.”
– Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
He also recommends investing in API integrations earlier.
“Definitely more APIs. We’re going to be plugging in more systems to Novara Flex this year. APIs are just so helpful. I would definitely do more of that to start with.”
– Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
The Backlog as Success Metric: When Demand Exceeds Capacity
Here’s an unconventional way to measure EHS software success: your backlog. Utilitra now has more feature requests from users than they can build.
“The demand for new forms and capabilities is outpacing our capacity. We actually have a backlog!”
– Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
This isn’t a problem—it’s proof of concept. When your workforce actively requests more functionality, you know you’ve achieved genuine adoption rather than mere compliance.
Looking Ahead: Scaling from Safety Tool to Enterprise System
Perhaps the most surprising outcome of Utilitra’s first year is how the system has evolved beyond safety. Field workers now see it as a problem-solving platform, not just a compliance tool. They’re asking if they can use it for daily logs, quality management, and other operational workflows.
“I really figured that people would see this as a safety tool only, and that really is not the case. They do see it as a valuable safety tool, but they also see it as a way to solve problems beyond just safety.”
– Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
The result? Utilitra achieved a 300% increase in good catch/near-miss reporting and 200% improvement in field auditing above their goals—all in their first year.
Utilitra's First-Year Results
When Adoption Becomes Transformation
<1
Year to Award
90%
Self-Adopted
Active
Feature Backlog
Zero
Adoption Resistance
"The demand for new forms and capabilities is outpacing our capacity. We actually have a backlog!"
— Jason Wernex, Director of Safety, Utilitra
"Achieving 300% Adoption: Lessons from a Rookie of the Year"
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