While BowTie Pro is centred on bowtie risk management, successful bowtie implementation depends on effectively managing the actions needed to establish, verify, maintain, and continually improve barriers. The Action Tracking module provides this capability, ensuring that bowties become active tools for managing risk rather than static diagrams.
Action Tracking helps organisations ensure that identified issues and risk-related tasks are managed in a structured, consistent, and traceable manner. The Action Tracking module in BowTie Pro enables organisations to create, assign, monitor, and follow up on actions arising from hazards, barriers, deficiencies, audits, inspections, and risk assessments, ensuring they are completed and fully documented.
For organisations that already use a corporate action management system, BowTie Pro integrates seamlessly through:
- Cloud Edition API for integration with external Action Tracking systems.
- Excel import and export for exchanging action data with other systems.
For customers who prefer an integrated solution, the Cloud Edition includes a fully configurable Action Tracking system. This enables organisations to:
- Create and assign actions of different types using configurable templates.
- Track progress from creation through to completion.
- Send automatic reminder emails.
- Generate recurring actions for routine activities such as inspections, maintenance, and testing.
- Maintain a complete history of action status and completion.
Bringing Bowties to Life
Actions are the activities that bring a bowtie to life. Every barrier shown on a bowtie diagram represents a commitment to risk control. That commitment must be supported by evidence planned inspections, test records, corrective actions, and documented close-out. Without these, the bowtie remains a static document rather than a functioning safety management system.
Actions commonly arise from:
- Implementation – Put a new barrier in place. An action may be created to confirm that the barrier is added to the system eg Install an automatic fire detection system in the storage area by 30 September.
- Maintenance – Keep the barrier functioning. Repetitive Action to Service the fire detection system every six months.
- Verification – Check that the barrier is working (audits, inspections, testing). Repetitive Action to Test the fire alarm weekly and record the results.
Improvement – Address weaknesses identified during reviews or incidents. Example Upgrade the fire detection system
Key Features of Action Tracking
The Action Tracking module includes several core capabilities.
Action Creation
Users can create actions linked to specific hazards, controls, deficiencies, or operational findings.
Actions may include:
- Description
- Owner
- Priority
- Due date
- Status
- Supporting notes
Action Assignment
Actions can be assigned to responsible users or teams to ensure accountability and ownership.
Workflow Management
The module supports action lifecycle management, including:
- Open actions
- In-progress actions
- Review stages
- Closed actions
This helps organizations monitor completion progress effectively.
Deficiency Management
Deficiencies identified during reviews or assessments can be linked directly to actions for follow-up and remediation.
Board and List Views
Actions can be viewed using:
- List-based layouts
- Board-style workflow views
This provides flexibility for different operational and management needs.
Progress Monitoring
Users can monitor:
- Due dates
- Overdue actions
- Completion status
- Review progress
- Linked deficiencies
This helps improve operational visibility and follow-up management.
Benefits of Using Action Tracking
Using the Action Tracking module helps organizations:
- Improve accountability
- Reduce unresolved deficiencies
- Track corrective actions efficiently
- Improve audit readiness
- Strengthen operational risk management
- Maintain clear action ownership
- Improve visibility across teams
Relationship with Other BowTie Pro Modules
The Action Tracking module integrates closely with:
- Hazards
- BowTie diagrams
- LOPA assessments
- Deficiency management
- Risk reviews
This integration helps organizations manage risks and follow-up activities within a single system.
Best Practices
When using Action Tracking:
- Create clear and actionable descriptions
- Assign responsible owners
- Set realistic due dates
- Regularly review overdue actions
- Keep action statuses updated
- Link deficiencies where applicable
Maintaining accurate action records helps improve operational control and long-term risk management.