Aviation safety management systems (SMS) are not just for large airlines and airports with high traffic volumes.
Small aviation service providers are in just as much need of implementing formal aviation SMS as are larger operations. All operators use the same SMS implementation guidelines as larger operators; however, they are not evaluated equally, as larger operators logically fall under higher regulator scrutiny than smaller operators, as the volume of their business implies greater risk.
Of course, small and large service providers will have different strategies for satisfying regulatory requirements, but the same principles and benefits of safety management systems apply to both large and small aviation service providers.
To be fair, I would say that larger operators benefit more quickly from SMS implementations than smaller operators. I state this when I consider the lack of substantive safety reports entering the system for smaller operators. Since larger operators have more cycles/operations, they are exposed more frequently to the risk and subsequently, more opportunities to "practice" their processes to determine shortcomings. These "opportunities for improvement" will enter the SMS risk management process in the form of reported safety issues and audit findings.
Compared to larger operators, smaller operators have significantly reduced volumes of operational activities to monitor. Smaller service providers lack the "critical mass" of potential safety reports that will "work out the operational bugs in the shortest possible time;" however, smaller operators will still benefit from the required SMS implementations.
These benefits of aviation SMS implementations for all operators include:
In real-world operations, small service providers often don’t adopt a safety management system because they:
However there are good reasons for small aviation service providers to implement an aviation safety management system. Here are 3 of the top reasons that highlight the importance of aviation SMS for small service providers that may not appear obvious at first glance.
For smaller operators, safety management and quality management go hand in hand. With limited financial resources, if a small operator becomes notorious for unsafe operations, they can easily be driven out of business.
The basic fact is that the most important thing for a small operator is to prove that they are:
Having worked and flown with many small operations, I can say that by far these are among the most important factors in consumers’ minds. For this reason, a safety management system for small operators goes hand in hand with quality management.
The safety/quality SMS concern will only become more prevalent as the service provider’s business grows. Without a safety program in place, growth for small operations is likely to be a bumpy (and costly) ride.
The safety/quality consideration is not a valid argument for small operators to invest in implementing a quality management system (QMS) in parallel with the SMS implementation. Integrated SMS and QMS are typically implemented in large operations that already have resources to manage the existing QMS components.
The point is that the SMS' risk management processes if applied consistently, will also markedly improve operational quality. This is a huge benefit that must not be summarily discounted by accountable executives who halfheartedly accept the SMS mandate and grudgingly implement the SMS.
Small aviation operators work with small teams, all/most of whom are talking and interacting together on a regular basis. The success of safety operations usually hinges significantly more on each individual than in larger organizations, because in smaller organizations there is not a team of people around to catch mistakes.
The reliance on individual people in small operations makes most small operators feel like a fully implemented safety management system is not necessary. To them, they may feel that the SMS initiative is simply a regurgitation of the traditional safety program. You may remember the traditional safety program where:
The unfortunate fact is those small operators are exposed to increased risk simply because they generally do not wholeheartedly adopt formal safety management systems. A sad example is the case of two competing local airlines that fly to remote villages.
Reliance on people, as opposed to a system, creates vulnerabilities especially:
For the most part, people in the general public have no idea what SMS is or that a safety management system even exists. They also don’t know what safety measures airports and airlines even have.
Small operators usually work very closely with customers. For example, small airlines that fly to remote areas usually only carry 4-8 passengers with a single pilot, which means the pilot is talking directly to each customer when he/she gives instructions. With such small operators, customers almost always make reservations directly with the operator.
This up close and personal relationship provides an opportunity that larger operators don’t have, namely about having a dedicated and highly visible SMS that competitors probably don’t have.
The rationale behind doing this is the exact same as why most car companies go out of their way to highlight high safety ratings: when it comes to transportation, safety is a major concern for many consumers (if not a deciding factor).
If a customer is going to choose between two small operators and one operator has an advertised aviation SMS while the other doesn’t, whom do you think customers would rather choose?
Transport Canada apparently agrees with this article, as they have now made it mandatory for many small service providers to have an aviation SMS in place. As pointed out, large and small service providers have different needs – and thus require some different SMS data management strategies. A small service provider would do well to start with SMS data management tools that are relevant to the scope of their operations, such as:
A very difficult task for smaller operators is to develop and document their risk management processes. This does not have to be rocket science.
Do you have well-defined, documentation for your risk management workflows? If not, the cheapest and quickest way to acquire these processes is to subscribe to an aviation SMS database software that already has this documentation prepared, ready for you to edit can adjust to fit your operations.
Since 2007, SMS Pro has been working with small to mid-sized operators (under 1,000 employees) on their SMS implementations. We provide one of the most well-known SMS databases.
SMS Pro comes with an SMS manual template that allows you to quickly create your SMS manual within a day or two. If you are looking for industry-accepted, SMS data management tools, SMS Pro has everything you will need for a compliant SMS implementation, regardless of where you operate in the world.
Learn how you can benefit from SMS Pro's risk management processes and data management tools. These short demo videos will show you the flexibility of SMS Pro. The Hazard Reporting Solution is adequate for most very small operators, but if you need a complete system without worrying whether you are missing out on any required tools, I recommend the Safety-Quality Assurance Solution.
Last updated in April 2024.