SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Purpose of Aviation Risk Management Tools

Aviation risk management tools are designed to help you manage exposure in your SMS. Managing exposure involves a lot more than just risk analysis.

To properly keep exposure within an Acceptable Level of Safety, you need risk management tools that address all areas of the SMS 4 Pillars.

What is a good risk management tool? It is a safety tool that does one or more of the following:

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
• Your SMS goals of your business processes.

The first question you need to ask yourself is: what problem are you trying to solve?

FAA Orders 14 CFR Part 5 for Part 121 Operators

In January 2016, SMS legal requirements went into effect for Part 121 operators. These requirements stem from the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) mandate:

"As of November 23, 2006 States shall require, as part of their safety program, that an [operator, maintenance organization, ATS provider, certified aerodrome] implements a safety management system (SMS) accepted by the State that, as a minimum:

• Identifies safety hazards.

What Is the Hazard Reporting Process

Simply put, the hazard reporting process is the primary mode of data acquisition in aviation safety management systems (SMS). Being such, a poor hazard reporting process can literally break your SMS. If that sounds unrealistic, it’s not.

Without data:

• Your risk management process with have nothing to manage;
• Your safety assurance process will have nothing to assure; and

Saving Money Implementing Aviation SMS

Not all aviation service providers are created equal.

• Charter operators;
• Airlines and airports;
• Aviation maintenance organizations (AMO);
• Flight schools; or
• FBOs.

Transparency Is a Philosophical Question

A high level of transparency in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is critical for creating:

• A Just Culture.
• A safety reporting culture.
• A culture of safety.

I think most, if not all, aviation safety managers would agree with me on this. Aviation safety data security is commonly under control of an SMS administrator, who may also be the director of safety.

What Are Divisions in SMS Pro

This is a question that comes up a lot.

Especially when we start throwing other words into the mix like:

• Departments;
• Portals; and
• Management Portals.

It can get confusing quickly. Many people ask – what’s the difference?

Do You Understand Aviation SMS Solutions' Architecture?

After a dozen years being an aviation safety management systems (SMS) database architect, I have heard just about every question imaginable about aviation safety software.

Among the most common questions we get are:

• What is a division in your aviation SMS database; and
• How many divisions do I need?

Before we answer this question, we should familiarize you with the overall architecture of an aviation SMS database solution.