SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Aviation SMS Implementations Follow Forked Path

Since November 2006, operators inadvertently followed a forked path while implementing required aviation safety management systems (SMS). In some cases, they made conscious choices, but in most cases, the path they chose was forced upon them due to imperfect information.

I prefer to believe that most who started the SMS journey had hoped that they would succeed and reap the expected rewards while simultaneously improving global transportation system safety. That is a true win-win.

From my global perspective, results have been less than spectacular, but there is hope.

Duties & Responsibilities Shape Behaviors

This is an exciting article. We share concrete tips and tricks to modify your aviation safety management system (SMS) in this Advanced Aviation SMS series. To date, this advanced series has been focused on financial business theory supported by science and technology.

In this article, we discuss modifying employees' expected safety duties and responsibilities. Shifting from a pure safety focus has benefits. For example, this "safety-through-quality" change will provide both sufficient quantity and quality-of-inputs for your aviation SMS to prosper as designed.

Powerful Aviation SMS When Implemented Properly

Aviation safety management systems (SMS) are not simply a regulatory requirements, but a "new way of doing business."

"Yeah, we've all heard these ambiguous praises before," I hear you saying.

• What else is new?
• Where is the proof?
• Why aren't we seeing the benefits? or
• Only large companies with high volumes benefit.

Passing Audits but Failing Financial Performance

Smaller aviation service providers have adopted a not-so-secret weapon that can provide financial benefits, but they are not using it effectively.

Aviation SMS possess extremely powerful risk management workflows that can level the playing field for smaller operators with business acumen. Before the SMS mandate, smaller operators lacked both size and sophistication required to benefit financially from implementing quality management systems that facilitate continuous improvement. This has changed!

Benefits Not Realized from Aviation SMS Implementations

When the drafting founders of modern aviation safety management systems (SMS) planned improving systemic aviation safety, these managers understood their industry's predominant attitudes relating to safety vs production. They recognized uncontrolled, ill-disciplined operators unnecessarily introduce intolerable risk into our transportation system.

Astute leaders understand that voluntary aviation SMS implementation will never be seriously considered by owners and senior managers unless operators enjoy a chance to financially benefit.

Science and Technology in Aviation Business Drive Revenues

Aviation safety management systems (SMS) needlessly continue to remain unprofitable after almost fifteen years.

Your aviation SMS also fails to produce profits. Why?

Science and technology are not applied with equal zeal as other high-tech-aviation-systems. SMS economic disappointments are very easily seen in smaller operators with fewer than 500 employees. This inequality of high-technology adoption creates financial hardships on smaller operators without the education or capital to implement expert systems that minimize financial costs and human efforts required to demonstrate regulatory SMS compliance.

Management's Absence Creates SMS Adoption Challenges

Many newly-appointed safety managers try to single-handedly push their organization's aviation safety management systems (SMS) to success. Safety managers are hired to perform an ambitious undertaking that is not heartily welcomed by the entire organization.

SMS implementations require consistent change management activities. These activities naturally induce frustration and resistance to change.

What is Advanced Aviation SMS Series?

Aviation SMS Must Be Business First--Safety Second

Does your aviation SMS make money? Probably not.

Why not? Most aviation SMS failures result from operators consistently neglecting to follow the prescribed aviation SMS recipe as originally designed. Other operators treat SMS as a "check-the-box" obligation to satisfy as expeditiously as possible, thereby consciously neglecting the "presumable benefits."

Aviation service providers with more than ten employees should benefit financially from the SMS prescription whenever they have sufficient business activity to comfortably sustain operational expenses. Unfortunately, this is not reality.

Marginally profitable businesses maintain higher risk of SMS failure because they lack resources to correctly implement the prescribed SMS formula. These operators cannot afford to leave money on the table and must look at SMS as a  business opportunity and not a regulatory burden.

Financial Opportunities Abound from Aviation SMS Processes

Aviation safety management systems (SMS) are designed to be implemented in a top down managerial style for some "not-so-obvious reasons." For one reason, the "accountable executive" cannot accurately be considered "accountable" when safety initiatives and budgets exist beyond their direct control.

Accountable executives control organizational resources, including finances. Organizational safety financial decisions must be controlled and optimally  championed by accountable executives.

Accountable executives understand:

• Current business strategy;
• Available and future budgetary constraints; and 
• Global, regional and corporate business cycles.

Unfortunately, most accountable executives don't realize how much latent money-making-potential resides within their aviation SMS implementations. This potential resides outside their purview.

In this advanced aviation SMS article, we assume you "influence" a functional SMS. Like many others, you may expect this core business function to earn the financial rewards so often promised in SMS regulatory guidance.

If processes are not easy, they are not sustainable!

Aviation Safety Management Is Business!

For most operators implementing regulatory compliant aviation safety management systems (SMS), their primary business goal was obviously regulatory compliance. Otherwise, thousands of aviation service providers would have initiated aviation SMS before ICAO's November 2006 mandate.

A small percentage of managers believe that their SMS may be able to save money "somehow." Others simply view SMS as a sunk cost and hope that maybe an accident may be prevented.