Enhancing Aviation Safety: Expert Insights, Tips, and Updates from SMS-Pro

What Is a KPI in Aviation SMS

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), also called SPIs (Safety Performance Indicators), are data metrics that indicate the baseline performance of your SMS for managing safety.

What Does It Mean to “Switch” SMS Program

If you’re reading this, it means you are considering or curious about what it takes to switch your safety management system. But, what are we talking about when we say “switch” your SMS program. There are a couple of possible scenarios that you should consider:

What Is an SMS Operational Risk Profile (ORP)

Under the umbrella of many SMS compliance agencies, an operational risk profile (ORP) is a requirement that is the core of your hazard, risk, and control measure accountability.

What Is Continuous Improvement in Aviation SMS

Continuous improvement in aviation SMS programs in the formal process by which safety programs correct substandard safety performances that have been identified. Correcting substandard performance has several basic elements:

Consider Your Business Needs

Ultimately, choosing between custom-built, in-house aviation safety management system (SMS) software and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions comes down to three key considerations:

• Your budget;
• How quickly you need your software; and
• The SMS goals of your business processes.

The first question you need to ask yourself is: What problem are you trying to solve? Answering this question involves a discovery process of analyzing exactly what your needs are. The end result could be:

What Are Safety Reports in SMS Programs?

Safety reports in SMS programs are your primary weapon for communicating safety information to stakeholders. Safety information will be catered to stakeholders.

Stakeholders are simply anyone who you need to communicate safety information to, such as:

What Are Corrective Preventative Actions (CPAs)

In aviation safety management systems (SMS), reported safety issues and audit findings are run through an operator's documented risk management process. During this process, additional mitigation measures must be applied to safety concerns whenever the risk is either:

What Is a New SMS Program

A new SMS program means adopting a new safety program in your organization. This new safety program can be an entirely new risk management program where one did not exist before. This new safety program can replace an old SMS, such as in the case of switching SMS programs.

Both scenarios involve significant (if not total) overhaul to the existing way of doing things in an organization.

What Is Just Culture in Aviation SMS Programs

In layman's terms, Just Culture in aviation SMS programs is an organization’s commitment to focusing on learning and improving in the light of unsafe acts, as opposed to blaming and punishing.

In many ways, just culture is a commitment that is as much documentation and policy as it is actions on the part of management.

What Is Safety Culture in Aviation SMS

“Safety culture” is an ambiguous phrase that gets thrown around a lot.

Sometimes we use it when we talk about poor safety awareness when employees behave ignorantly on the ramp or around dangerous situations.