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An Interview with Dimitris Farmakis, Business Development Manager at Tekmon
Dimitris Farmakis spent years selling and implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software to Greek businesses. To remind readers, an ERP is a software platform that unifies core business operations such as finance, human resources, inventory, and supply chain into a single centralized database. In practical terms, it’s a must for managing transactions and stock but falls short on many key operational activities such as Quality Management, Health, Safety & The Environment (QHSE), Employee Training Records, Technical Maintenance, compliance with Environmental Sustainability Governance (ESG) and On-The-Field Operations. In reality, aside from sales and purchases, businesses also need to manage the activities, people, processes and risks involved in getting work done.
Today Dimitris leads sales at Tekmon, an all-in-one Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) platform that complements ERP systems by addressing the operational processes ERPs don’t cover. In this interview we ask him what changes when you add (or integrate) QHSE to your existing ERP, and what decision makers should know in 2026.
1. You built your career in ERP. Why QHSE on top of ERP?
Because I kept seeing the same gap on the field. With ERPs we digitize finance, inventory, production and sales for companies of all sizes in Greece. The numbers live in the ERP and that’s great. But audits, incidents, permits, inspections and corrective actions still live in binders, Excel files and email threads.
QHSE is where all types of risks are introduced. A late audit finding or an unreported near-miss can cost a company more than a bad quarter. Joining Tekmon gave me the opportunity to bring the same process discipline I had developed through ERP projects to a different, equally essential, layer of business operations.
2. What does the QHSE software market look like in 2026?
Crowded and hard to read. The 2026 Industry Report profiled 212 QHSE, HSE and ESG products across 24 categories. Only 78 of them (37%) have a current price on record, and just 64 (30%) show a price per plan, unit and billing period.
Free trials are rare: 49 of 212 (23%). For 122 products (58%), a buyer finds neither a published price nor a documented free trial. The market is also shifting: 31 products (15%) record a rebrand, merger or acquisition. So my first message to buyers is simple: the brochure is not the product. You need a real conversation and a real demo.
3. Many Greek companies still run safety and quality in Excel. Why isn't that enough anymore?
Excel is great for a calculation. It’s weak as a system of record. Nobody gets an automatic reminder when a corrective action is overdue. There is no clean audit trail when an inspector asks who approved what, and when. And the person on site with a tablet usually cannot update it in real time.
The stakes are real. In the EU, 3,298 people died in accidents at work in 2023, according to Eurostat figures. Behind every serious incident there is usually a trail of small warnings that were written down somewhere and never acted on. Software closes that loop.
4. What did ERP software solutions teach you that applies to QHSE?
Three lessons. First, software never fixes a broken process; it makes it faster. Map the process before you configure anything. Second, integration matters. QHSE data touches HR (training, competencies), assets and maintenance, suppliers and purchasing. If it cannot integrate with your ERP, people have to retype data and errors creep in.
Third, read the fine print. The industry report found that 1,044 of 2,449 capability promises (43%) depend on the package, edition, configuration or an add-on. In ERP we called that “it's in the roadmap” or “it's an extra module.” Ask the vendor to show the feature in the edition you are actually buying.
5. Where do mobile, offline work and AI fit in?
Mobile comes first. Safety happens in the plant, on the construction site, in the warehouse, not at a desk. Inspections and incident reports must be done on a phone or tablet, with photos, at the moment they happen.
Offline is the detail many buyers forget. Of the 100 products the report classified for offline use, only 40 document a full offline workflow; 52 offer only partial offline support. In a quarry, a ship or a basement plant room, that difference matters. AI is useful too, for spotting trends across incidents or drafting reports. But it only works on clean, structured data. Get the basics first, then let AI help.
6. ISO audits, ESG reporting, customer requirements: how you justify the investment to a CFO.
I speak the CFO’s language because I sold to CFOs for years. The pressure is clear: ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certifications, ESG disclosures, and large customers who audit their suppliers. They all demand evidence on request.
The return shows up in three places. Fewer hours spent preparing for audits. Fewer incidents and lost workdays. And less risk of fines, lost contracts or reputational damage. Analysts also see significant growth in QHSE solutions: Verdantix forecasts the HSE software market will exceed US$3 billion by 2028. Companies that build the discipline now will be ready when the next requirement lands.
7. What is your advice to Greek companies starting their QHSE digitalization, and how does Tekmon help?
Start small and start where the pain is: incidents, audits, or permits to work. Get one module live in days, not weeks, and let your people see the value. Then expand. Before you choose any vendor, ask four questions:
Can I see a clear price for the scope I need?
Can I try it, or see a demo with my own forms and processes?
Does the feature I need exist in the edition I am buying?
Does it work on mobile, and offline, in my real sites?
At Tekmon we combine QHSE expertise with a local team that understands Greek industry, its regulations and the ERP landscape. We stay close to our customers, work in their language and time zone. My ERP background means I care about one thing above all: a project that goes live and gets used.
Sources
The QHSE Standard, QHSE Software 2026 Industry Report, 27 September 2026 revision, records updated to 14 October 2026.
QHSE software statistics 2026, qhsetech.com.
Business Development Manager @ Tekmon
Results-driven professional specializing in long-term client relationships to exceed revenue goals. Strong account management skills, backed by significant experience in implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions.