ddms, Inc.

[EarthSoft] How did you choose the solution? Was it functional requirements, market research, reference from others? Can you describe the process?

[Samantha] ddms implements environmental data management systems and delivers managed services to support clients’ ongoing environmental data workflows. Around 2010, ddms observed a shift in how our clients valued environmental data as a source for decision making, as opposed to simply a liability on their books. ddms looked for a solution that would meet those needs and measure up to our standards. 

[EarthSoft] Why did you ultimately select EQuIS?

[Samantha] ddms selected EQuIS based on its position in the marketplace, options for cloud and on-premises installation, and ability to manage the entire environmental data workflow. EQuIS met ddms’ technical requirements with its modular toolset and licensing structure, scalability to add multiple facilities within a single database, ability to configure and customize to fit end-user requirements, and robust environmental database Schema.

Our strong business partnership with EarthSoft enables ddms to provide best-in-class EQuIS support to our clients. Our clients benefit from ddms’ strong vendor relationship with EarthSoft, which allows us to deliver efficient implementation processes, scientific knowledge, and data best practices backed by EarthSoft’s end-to-end software solution and team.

[EarthSoft] Describe your environmental data management program(s), such as the number of environmental programs, geographical coverage, number of users, number of sites, and others.

[Samantha] ddms implements and supports dozens of single party government facilities and industrial client environmental programs with an EQuIS system for sites across the United States as well as internationally. ddms niche market serves nuclear, mining, and energy industries with proven standard workflow processes to quickly standup an EQuIS system.

In addition to our Managed Services offering designed to support the long-term use of EQuIS, ddms has additional services that support the environmental data workflow, including a specialization in EQuIS-to-GIS workflows to consume EQuIS data through third-party GIS and Power BI analytics for increased analytics. Our in-house team of data validators use DQM for Level 2A automated data review. 

[EarthSoft] Can you provide either quantitative or qualitative improvements in your environmental data management processes post implementation? Gains in quality, efficiency, process, and others?

[Samantha] One of our values is to meet our clients where they are today, and scale with their organization’s goals. To help baseline and develop a tailored, value-based implementation plan, ddms will often times perform a thorough system review and workflow audit to prepare for an EQuIS implementation. To that end, our clients have greatly improved the efficiency and quality of their data workflows through the use of EDP for lab data processing and EQuIS Collect for electronic field data collection. To help them scale, ddms has developed several dozen Collect templates to capture unique media types in the field, from routine and ad-hoc sampling to specialty inspection and health and safety. Through the use of EDP and Collect, coupled with ddms implementation of best practices, our clients are able to specify their data provider workflows and receive data accurately and quickly. This has improved our clients’ ability to make quick and clear decisions from their environmental data for remedial design, regulatory compliance reporting and overall sample planning.

ddms’ Managed Service offering scales to assist clients long-term with their data management process. ddms provides anywhere from full-service operation and maintenance of an environmental data management system to a more scaled-back set of services based on client needs and expertise. 

[EarthSoft] Any lessons learned that you want to share?

[Samantha] ddms’ strong client and vendor relationships are foundational to a successful EQuIS implementation. As an EarthSoft business partner, ddms has learned the most valuable tool in our toolbox is a strong and transparent relationship with the software vendor, EarthSoft. As a team, ddms and EarthSoft provide the highest level of support to our clients. Additionally, ddms has observed that the most successful EQuIS implementations are those that include client leadership and involvement, and subject matter input from all system user types.