Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS): October 2013

Aviation Safety Management System (SMS) Audits - Getting Highest Marks

Aviation safety auditing software using checklists helps your airline or airport manage audits

Internal audit leaders and safety managers should place higher importance on effectively using technology to prepare their airline or airport for civil aviation authority SMS audits. Across the industry, there appears to be a significant gap between the importance that top airline and airport executives place on acquiring aviation SMS software tools and the perceived ability to use this aviation safety software to effectively prepare for audits and improve aviation safety.

Technology changes rapidly. If your internal auditors and safety managers are stuck using paper and MS Excel to prepare your airline or airport for an upcoming audit, they are way behind the times. New aviation SMS software exists to allow your safety and compliance teams to work together in managing pre-audit checklists.

Getting Top Aviation Safety Audit Marks from Civil Aviaiton Authorities

To help ensure your airline or airport consistently receives the highest auditing marks

Conduct a critical assessment of your airline/airport's current use of aviation safety software technology by the internal audit department.
Conduct an inventory of your technology tools and create a map relating tools to auditing efforts these tools support.
Develop plans for internal safety auditors to leverage the latest technologies to keep pace with technological advancements.
Establish close ties to other departments within your airline or airport to ensure you are pursuing complementary strategies and taking advantage of available technological resources.

It is important to determine whether the internal auditing department can use the same tools as other departments, such as the safety department. As an example, the Web based SMS Pro aviation SMS database software has auditing tools that can be used by both the safety and auditing departments. When your airline or airport has SMS Pro, audit checklists can be easily created or imported. Audits can be scheduled and managed within the user-friendly risk management framework.

Improving Your Aviation Safety Auditing Performance

To start the process to improve your aviation safety auditing performance, develop a long-term technology strategy addressing:

Core internal audit processes;
Real-time reports and analysis, continuous monitoring, and other technology-based activities;
Technology-related skill sets, reflecting the findings of a skills inventory for using these tools;
Budget requirements supporting technology-related goals;
Anticipated benefits of aviation safety auditing investments and activities; and
Measurements of the effectiveness of technology investments, processes, and activities.

More Information About Aviation Safety Audit Management Software

Failing Your Aviation Safety Audit - Next Steps?
Internal Auditors' Reporting Software
Audit Inspection Form Creator
Safety Audit Checklists
Audit Management Systems Integrated into Safety Management Systems
Policy & Audit Elements of Effective Risk Management Programs

About NWDS - founded in 2003 by six software engineers, NorthWest Data Solutions (NWDS) provides custom computer programming and systems design services. NWDS creates many types of software, including e-commerce, financial, defense, engineering, logistics, aviation and more. In 2007, NWDS developed SMS Pro™ a web based SMS application that supports an organization's overall SMS through safety reporting, safety documentation, safety risk management and safety assurance. SMS Pro™ is currently used by aviation organizations in the U.S., Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East to help manage their SMS programs. NWDS continues to support SMS Pro™ and add new functionality. NWDS offers custom contract programming services in the U.S. and Canada and is managed by Chris Howell, one of the founders. Their headquarters is in Anchorage, Alaska. For information on NWDS visit their website at www.nwds-ak.com and www.asms-pro.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.

Easily Manage Vendors/Contractors/Suppliers in Your Aviation SMS Software - New Vendor Dashboard

Aviation Safety Management Software includes vendors, contractors, suppliers in your airline or airport SMS

Vendors Should be Included in Your SMS Program

Vendor management is often initially overlooked when implementing an aviation Safety Management System. Many airlines and airports spend time and money assessing vendors/contractors and suppliers on an annual basis, but they neglect integrating these data points into their aviation SMS program.

One can easily argue your airline or airport should regularly identify any hazards associated with your vendors, as well as the quality of the service they are providing your organization. Recognizing any impairment a vendor may bring to your operation will save your organization a great deal of money in the future.

SMS Pro has a new Vendor Dashboard integrated into the Web based aviation SMS database software. This vendor dashboard is one of several new dashboards added to SMS Pro in 2013.