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Why digitalise the permit process?
Digitalising permit-to-work processes means replacing paper-based workflows with electronic ones.
Digitalising Permit-to-Work Processes
Digitalising permit-to-work processes means replacing paper-based workflows with electronic ones. Why is digitalisation worth the effort, what benefits does it bring to an organisation, and how is it implemented in practice?
Why digitalise the permit process?
In many workplaces, permits for hot work, confined-space work, maintenance activities and similar tasks have traditionally been handled on paper. Paper forms have served for decades, yet digitalisation offers such significant advantages that more and more organisations are switching to electronic permitting. The main drivers are:
Efficiency – Paper permits consume time in filling, transporting, copying and archiving. A digital workflow eliminates those steps. Creating a permit is faster (drop-down menus and auto-fill fields), approval can occur remotely without delay, and archiving is automatic, freeing up time for the job itself.
Error reduction – A digital system can enforce mandatory fields and validate entries. On paper, boxes are easily left empty or handwriting is unclear. Digitalisation ensures every permit is complete and legible, and eliminates the problem of lost forms—data cannot “disappear” as a sheet of paper can.
Improved safety – Real-time information flow and automated checklists mean critical steps cannot be skipped. Before a permit can be approved, the system may require confirmation that a fire watch is appointed or that energy isolation (LOTO) is complete. Such safeguards make the process inherently safer.
Transparency and traceability – Managers gain far clearer visibility into permitting activity. All documentation is available instantly. If one needs to see who issued a permit six months ago and under what conditions, a few clicks suffice—valuable for both safety and liability.
Collaboration and learning – When permit data reside in a single place, teams can learn from one another. If one site consistently adds excellent additional conditions for certain tasks, these can be standardised across the company. Digital tools let best practices spread easily.
Remote work and pandemic situations – Recent years have shown that experts cannot always be on site (e.g., during Covid restrictions). A digital permit process supports remote approval—a plant manager can review and sign permits from home if necessary. Global companies benefit too when approvers are in another city.
Practical benefits observed after digitalisation
Organisations that have gone digital report concrete gains:
Faster permit turnaround – One industrial company saw the average time from request to approval drop from 45 minutes to 10 minutes because everything happened through app notifications. Over a month this saved dozens of hours of downtime.
Fewer breaches – A construction firm found that once permits were handled digitally, the number of jobs started without a permit fell dramatically. With the process so visible and easy, no one felt the need to “cut corners”—something that happened with cumbersome paperwork.
Reduced accidents – In another organisation, a one-year review after digitalisation showed that accidents and near-misses in permit-required work declined. Notably, there were zero serious incidents in hot work or electrical work, whereas previous years had recorded several. The system’s systematic safety checks got much of the credit.
Lower administrative costs – Paper permits demand printers, paper, binders and storage space. A large chemical plant reported saving thousands of euros annually simply by cutting paper and archiving costs. A dedicated permit-filing role was partly eliminated and the employee reassigned to other tasks.
Environmental benefit – The organisation’s sustainability report could cite a reduction of X kilograms of paper usage per year thanks to digitalisation—small in absolute terms but positive for the environment and corporate image.
How to implement permit digitalisation
A move to an electronic system should be planned:
Needs assessment – Which permit types exist? How many are processed daily/monthly? Who handles them? These answers guide system selection and configuration.
System selection – Choose a commercial solution (e.g., Gate Apps) or build in-house (rarely sensible today, given strong off-the-shelf options). A ready-made product has best-practice functions built in and is proven across environments.
Deployment & customisation – Configure the system to match company processes. Create form templates for each permit type, add users and set permissions (who may create, who may approve). Build integrations as needed (e.g., link to Active Directory or a competence database).
Pilot phase – Test on a small scale—perhaps one site or one permit category. Gather feedback: were the forms understandable, any surprises? Refine wording and UI to suit users.
Training – Train every user group, emphasising hands-on practice: each person creates and approves a test permit so the real situation feels familiar. Explain the why of digitalisation—when benefits are clear, adoption rises.
Full roll-out – Launch across the organisation. Provide early-stage support (a roving helper on sites, a hotline or chat channel). After a few weeks, electronic permitting usually becomes routine.
Monitoring & improvement – Track metrics: number of permits created, system usage rate (is anything still done outside the tool?), improvement areas. Collect user feedback and refine continually. Adopt vendor updates that add value.
Example: the Tulityölupa.fi initiative
Finland offers a concrete example: the Tulityölupa.fi service, developed by the Finnish National Rescue Association (SPEK), the Finnish Fire Officers’ Association, and technical partners (including Gate Apps). It enables the official hot-work permit form to be completed and managed online, modernising national hot-work practices.
Companies that began digital hot-work permitting via this platform quickly recognised the benefits and expanded the concept to other permit types, leading to broader systems that manage all permits under one roof.
Summary: Digitalisation is an investment in safer work
Digitalising permits is not merely an IT initiative—it is fundamentally a safety and efficiency project. While initial investment covers software and training, benefits return rapidly in fewer accidents, smoother workflows and lower admin costs. Staff attitudes are usually positive once they see the system supports—rather than complicates—their work.
Tomorrow’s workplaces will be paperless for permits too. Younger employees already expect modern tools; a smartphone is more natural than pen and paper. Digitalisation can also help attract and retain top talent, enhancing a company’s reputation for innovation.
If your organisation has yet to take this step, now is an excellent time. Experience across industries is overwhelmingly encouraging. Gate Apps has helped digitise hundreds of thousands of permits in Finland and Europe. Book a demo and let us show how your own permit process can be digitised smoothly and effectively.
