Do You Have Too Many Software Systems?

Many mid-sized to large aviation service providers have two software systems where one solution would suffice.

These systems are

• Safety management system (SMS); and
• Quality management system (QMS).

The logical leap would be to improve efficiencies and determine whether these systems can be merged. Another logical leap would be to use these existing systems to track other things, like:

• Environmental issues;
• Security; and
• HSE, OSHA, OHSA, etc.

Is this the smartest choice? Maybe not. There are some considerations that we'll review.

Related Articles on Integrated Safety & Quality Management Systems

• What Are Differences of Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) and QMS Programs
• QMS Programs vs Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS)
• 5 Easy Ways to Combine QMS and SMS in Aviation Operations

The safety department uses the SMS data management tools for:

• Hazard reporting;
• Risk management;
• Managing safety policies and procedures;
• Safety promotion activities;
• Safety performance monitoring; and
• Safety assurance;

The quality department uses their QMS system for conducting audits, such as:

• Internal audits;
• Tracking customer complaints and service issues; and
• Supplier/vendor audits.

In this article, we discuss the benefits of having one integrated quality and safety management system. We will also compare two QMS programs and offer feedback based on second-hand user accounts. These reports often come from frustrated users; however, we also share some good news.

About Q5 and Quality Management Systems

Before the ICAO SMS mandate in November 2006, IATA started the IOSA program to ensure participating airlines were audited in a consistent and standardized manner. This is a good program, yet there are some concerns about corruption and inconsistent application of standards across the globe.

Many IOSA and ISAGO auditing questions are based on evaluating an operator's SMS. These questions may initiate action on the part of management that would otherwise not be taken without such an oversight program. Management is participating in IATA with an expectation of financial benefits. Consequently, management will be more motivated to pass an IATA audit than a regulatory SMS audit. Do you disagree?

When an operator is not in jeopardy of losing their operating certificate, the lure of additional financial benefits will always be stronger than some lofty goal of "continuous improvement of the SMS." Sure, there may be an SMS requirement, but if I'm passing my SMS regulatory audits, why spend more money on making my SMS better? On the other hand, an IATA audit may make it easier AND faster for the operator to conduct business in foreign countries without jumping through the foreign country's safety requirements.

In short, having an IATA certification smooths the way for operating in different markets. This is a powerful motivator to improve the SMS, or at least demonstrate that your company can pass an IATA audit.

IATA audits are made up of many checklists. Each checklist has many questions that should be objectively evaluated. If you have never seen an IOSA (or ISAGO) checklist, don't feel as if you are missing anything special, especially if you are already well versed in ICAO's Document 9859 (Safety Management Manual).

IOSA and ISAGO checklists are not much fun to read. If an auditor or quality manager had to manage them manually without automated tools, they would be going crazy, especially if they were doing this on a recurring basis.

IOSA audit management is where Q5 and other quality management solutions shine. For approximately $750 per month, five users can use the auditing tools to conduct audits and manage corrective actions arising from the IOSA audits.

Some Quality Software Programs Have Evolved

When I mention the "Q*" auditing program, the star "*" refers to all QMS programs on the market. "*" is a wildcard character denoting "all." The most popular aviation auditing solutions on the market are Q5 and QPulse.

Q5 claims to also have SMS capabilities. From end-user accounts, don't expect much functionality or a complete safety system to manage your safety program. If your auditing team is considering a solution to manage quality audits, and you also want to include your safety program, then we don't recommend Q5. Users are complaining of too much copying and pasting from one part of the program into another part of their system.

As I stated, Q5 claims to have integrated SMS functionality called Q5 SMS. They may have been premature in coming to market without managing expectations. The biggest complaint about Q5 that I've heard is that an airline of several hundred employees has no way to involve all employees in the safety process. Many time-consuming safety functions need to be duplicated, such as taking paper-based hazard reports and copying them into their risk management system.

Unless Q5 evolves rapidly within the next few years, many more disenchanted users will move away to more complete integrated quality and safety management systems. If you are looking only for an auditing solution to track IATA audits, then this may be worth considering, yet $750 per month seems a bit steep just for auditing. There are other less expensive auditing solutions with IATA checklists, such as the SMS Pro auditing system.

Related Articles on Integrated Safety & Quality Management

• Moving from Quality Management to Integrated SMS and QMS Systems
• 5 Most Important Ways to Integrate Aviation SMS and QMS
• 4 Things to Understand About QMS and SMS in Aviation Risk Management

Better Integrated Quality & Safety Management Software

QPulse started out as an auditing program and evolved nicely into an integrated quality and safety program. From the latest reports by safety and quality managers, QPulse has very much the same functionality as SMS Pro. Conversely, SMS Pro started as an SMS and risk management program and included audit capabilities in year two (circa 2009).

If you are considering an integrated safety and quality management system, you will not go wrong with QPulse. QPulse is considered to be a good auditing system. QPulse workflows are unique to SMS Pro, but they both get the job done.

The best integrated QSMS solutions have offline auditing capabilities. Offline auditing allows quality managers to use iPads, iPhones, laptops, or Android devices to perform audits without Internet connectivity.

With offline auditing software, audit forms are still created and managed online but can be filled out either in online or offline mode. QPulse claims to have offline auditing capabilities. SMS Pro's offline auditing tools were released in November 2015.

If offline auditing is important, you may wish to ascertain whether the system supports all modern Web-enabled devices and not one particular platform, such as iPad. Some operators needlessly lock themselves into one platform and when hardware changes, the software is not so forgiving.

Final Thoughts on Integrated Quality and Safety Management Systems

The two top aviation SMS software products are QPulse and SMS Pro. They are both truly integrated quality and safety management programs. Many wannabes have sprung up in hopes of a quick buck. Many of these wannabes cater to other industries, such as automotive, chemical, and food industries.

For database providers that work across multiple industries, you may not be satisfied with the lack of qualified subject-matter experts on their staff. There are distinct benefits to working with database providers that only focus on one industry, such as SMS Pro. The system is more aligned with aviation industry requirements and the workflows were developed by aviation safety professionals and not professionals in auto or oil and gas industries.

The aviation SMS software market is not about making a quick buck, but about providing great service to aviation service providers. To be effective, your SMS software provider must consider you as their partner and be willing to adapt their solution to suit your unique needs. SMS software providers that work across industries may have very flexible databases, but reports indicate that setup times can exceed three to six months, versus two weeks for industry-specific software, such as SMS Pro.

If you are only needing auditing tools, SMS Pro has an Audit Management System for just the quality departments.

Otherwise, if you are looking for a complete, all-in-one SMS database that includes these same auditing tools, check out these short videos below:

Live SMS Pro Demo

Have questions? Ready to start organizing your SMS? Want to see SMS Pro live? Sign up for a live demo.

Last updated May 2024.