As we approach the new budget cycle, we often come to the question: “If we shift to (or improve) a digital Permit‑to‑Work (PTW) / Control-of-Work system, what is the real cost - and what should we factor into the budget?”

To answer the question, we prepared a practical breakdown designed to help you frame the investment - with subtle pointers to how Gate Apps positions itself in this space.

This article is meant to be helpful for people who sign off, budget for, and procure digital permit to work systems as safety directors, plant managers or purchasers.

The Cost Components

When you evaluate a PTW system, the total cost is more than just software subscription. Typically, costs fall into these buckets:

Assessment / internal time

Internal assessment and preparation costs, such as project team hours (HSEQ, operations) assessing current situation, finding out the templates / procedures, setting goals and requirements

Key variables / costs

If we have an existing process to digitalize, this is usually pretty straightforward. Often there are visible or hidden needs to develop the system further - it is important to get the right stakeholders to participate and that usually means meetings.

At Gate Apps, we can help you conduct the assessment, but often we can also help you with developing the system - our onboarding workshops are actually designed just for that.

Software / Licensing / Subscription

The recurring fee for platform access

Number of worksites, number of permits per month, feature tiers, API or integration needs, custom workflows.

Gate Apps, for instance, offers a startup “Lite” tier (≈ €120/month) and higher tiers (Standard, Standard+ at €280 / €420) before going to enterprise pricing. gate-apps.com

Onboarding & Setup / Kick‑off

Configuration, template setup, initial training, data import, user roles, permission logic

Key variables / costs

The more bespoke your workflows or legacy systems, the higher this cost is.

At Gate apps, normal onboarding happens at a kick-off meeting and main user training. More complex packages include 2-3 design workshops on top of that. gate-apps.com

Internal Time / Internal Resource Cost

Project team hours (HSEQ, IT, operations), implementation workshops, change management

Key variables / costs

It’s easy to underestimate: the time to define workflows, test the system, tweak the system, tweak forms, correct course and train the team.

This is actually an iterative process - it is often more beneficial to start somewhere and proceed with iterations - e.g. start with a simple process and enhance it further as we get experience on the digital world.

Integration / APIs / Technical Infrastructure

Linking with ERP, HR systems (for competence/qualifications), AD/SSO, maps, other systems

Key variables / costs

Even “standard integrations” often require technical effort; custom ones multiply the cost.

Authentication/SSO should be set up by default, our typical integration scenarios include exchanging worker / qualification info, for example from a e-learning system or HR registry. This maybe done as a simple import/export or designed as a continous integration.

Other possible integrations include connections to ERP/Maintenance system for work item info, location management (e.g. mapping systems, BIM's) and reporting systems such as Power BI. These are all of course optional and can also be added later.

Maintenance, Support, Upgrades

Ongoing vendor support, version upgrades, tweaks, bug fixes

Key variables / costs

Some versions include support; enterprise or custom editions may carry additional maintenance fees. In large scale environments you should also prepare for some regular modifications / process tweaks especially during the onboarding / learning process.

Device / Connectivity Costs

Mobile devices, tablets, network connectivity in field, GIS / map licensing

Key variables / costs

If your users work in remote or offline areas, you might need rugged devices, local maps, offline sync capabilities.

Estimating Setup & Cost — An example

Here’s a ballpark example for a mid‑size site:

• Software: Suppose you choose a “standard” plan for one site: €280/month → ~€3,360/year

• Setup / Onboarding: Suppose 3–5 days of consulting/workshops (incl internal team), say €5,000

• Internal time cost: If 3 people invest 20 hours each across a few months (HSEQ, Ops, IT) — that’s maybe 60 hours × €80 = ~€4,800

• Integration / Device / Support: Let’s allow a buffer: €3,000–€5,000, if you need additional devices, tablets or similar

So in the first year, your investment might land in the region of €10,000 - €20,000 (for one site, including internal resources) for a well‑scoped implementation. More complex setups require heftier budget and of course you can start with the very basics.

In subsequent years, your recurring costs (license + support + incremental tweaks) might decline to €5,000–€15,000 depending on scale and customization.

If you manage multiple sites, the incremental cost per additional site (licensing, slight setup) often becomes more favourable.

Things to Consider (Beyond Price)

All costs cannot be calculated directly in budget - some things to consider while revenewing you PTW system might be:

• User adoption & change management
  Even the best software fails if operators or supervisors resist or don’t use it properly. Make room in the budget for training, follow-ups, support, “champion users.”

• Workflow complexity
  If your permit workflows involve many conditional steps, parallel approvals, SIMOPS logic, or complex energy isolations, customization will drive up cost and risk.

• Scalability & rollout phases
  Consider phasing: start with a few permit types (e.g. hot work or confined space) before rolling out all. That phases risk and spreads the cost.

• Offline / remote operation / networking
  If work is to be done in remote areas without connectivity, you’ll need offline sync, device management, caching, etc.

• Pilot, testing, and rollback strategy
  Budget time and cost for a pilot, user feedback, tweaks, and possible fallback during the transition.

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Why Now?

• If you need to “reserve a slot” in next year’s budget: showing a credible estimate helps stakeholders trust your proposal.

• Earlier start = smoother rollout: starting Q1 or Q2 gives you buffer time for testing and avoids delays.

• Avoid surprises during procurement: if your estimates incorporate all vectors (internal, external, risk margin), you reduce risk of budget overruns.

• Build the business case foundation: once costs are clear, you can layer in savings, ROI, risk mitigations — which we’ll tackle in the follow‑up article. 

Why Gate Apps?

Gate Apps positions itself as a modern, configurable PTW solution with clear tiered pricing (Lite, Standard, Standard+, Enterprise) to suit organizations at different maturity levels. gate-apps.com

Gate Apps emphasizes quick onboarding and map‑based visual views of work sites, permit creation via mobile or desktop, and flexibility in handling standard templates (hot work, confined space, etc.). gate-apps.com

In your budget proposal, after presenting your independent estimate, you might include a placeholder line: “Gate Apps (Standard or Plus tier) — €280 or €420/month for one site (plus setup/training)” as one of the benchmark options.