The safety benefits of SMS software are not the primary reason a company initially decides to adopt the special, built-to-purpose software. If this were true, these companies would have acquired advanced SMS database solutions long before aviation safety management systems (SMS) became a regulatory requirement.
The reason aviation companies acquire SMS software is that their spreadsheets and in-house systems are inadequate to manage all the expected SMS documentation requirements imposed by their regulatory authorities.
If you are not familiar with expected SMS documentation requirements, you can review them here: SMS Documentation Requirements
Using aviation SMS software, this technology greatly improves the ability of all employees to improve safe operations.
While there are many benefits of SMS software, here are six crucial benefits:
One of the primary ways SMS software improves safety is that software is, essentially, an aviation safety database. An aviation SMS database stores information and allows a computer to perform complex operations that would otherwise be done by a fallible human mind.
The computer’s ability to do this is, obviously, leaps and bounds ahead of a human.
The financial benefits of safety software are a big deal. These financial benefits will be many aviation safety managers' main argument for upgrading from a manual SMS to a software-driven SMS.
Not only does aviation SMS database software cut down on costs, but it’s rather easy to show that SMS software is NOT just another expense. Actually, it’s a money-saving tool.
The financial benefits of using the software are significant, and the margin increases as the size of a company increases. See this SMS return on investment study for more information – however here are several financial benefits of safety software:
Often times, gaining support from upper management means speaking their language: show the financial incentives of safety management system software over manual SMS. As managers realize the financial benefits, there will be less resistance. Safety managers should also stress how SMS software will allow them to participate in business ventures that require an SMS, such as those required by the petroleum and forestry industries.
QMS and SMS go hand in hand. Quality management systems and safety management systems both mutually benefit from being integrated. Organizations that have a strict hierarchy of quality vs safety tend to struggle with a safety culture, as it subtly communicates to employees that productivity is valued more than safe behavior.
SMS software can be a valuable ally in integrating these two systems for the following reasons:
Software is designed around business logic and workflows. Adopting SMS software gives you an opportunity to adjust your existing SMS processes to integrate QMS.
Something that most organizations fail to grasp when they move from a manual SMS data management program to software-based SMS is just how much easier their duties and tasks will be as a result of software.
SMS software offers significant automation. If you are running a manual SMS you can easily expect to see your safety team’s efficiency double – i.e., workload cut in half.
In short, the software offers your safety team a chance to focus more on doing important duties rather than getting bogged down in repetitive administrative tasks for the following reasons:
The potential is very great, and using software now means getting started storing all safety data in a digital format. With manual programs, the ceiling is human ability.
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Last updated in October 2024.