Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS): 2014

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Sistema de Gestión de Seguridad para la aviación

Facilita las operaciones aeroportuarias incrementando la eficacia en los procesos

More information about aviation SMS software can be found at:

How to best help your
Aviation Safety Management System

Become an SMS PRO

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™.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Aviation SMS Software - Vendor Dashboard

Vendor Dashboard

How to best help your
Aviation Safety Management System

Become an SMS PRO

Aviation SMS Software - Auditing Dashboard

Auditing Dashboard

Managing aviation safety audits should be easy and intuitive. Corrective actions should be tracked and managed in the airline or airports risk management system. Below is a screenshot of SMS Pro's auditing dashboard where you can navigate to create/edit auditing forms, schedule safety audits, view the calendar view of scheduled audits and perform audits.

To learn more about the Aviation Safety Audit Suite, follow this link.

How to best help your
Aviation Safety Management System

Become an SMS PRO

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Aviation Safety Software - Quick View

Web Based Aviation SMS Software for Airlines, Airports, Maintenance

Not all airlines and airports require all the tools that SMS Pro offers.

Eligible Operators for SMS Pro's Web Based Aviation Safety Management System Software

Unmanned Aviation
Ultralight Vehicles
Air Carriers and Commercial Operators
Domestic, Flag, and Supplemental Operations
Airplanes with Seating Capacity > 20 Passengers or a Payload > 6,000 Pounds
Foreign carrier or operator of U.S. Aircraft
Rotorcraft External-Load Operations
Commercial Air Tours and National Parks Air Tour Management
Agricultural Aircraft Operations
Airports
Flight Schools
Training Centers
Repair Stations
Aviation Maintenance Technicians Schools

More information about aviation SMS software can be found at:

How to best help your
Aviation Safety Management System

Become an SMS PRO

Thursday, October 23, 2014

New MSDS Module in Aviation SMS Software

Managing MSDS Data Sheets For Your Organization

For many years, SMS Pro has maintained a library for airlines and airports to manage their MSDS documents. Whenever an airline or airport wanted to add another MSDS item to the list, they would contact tech support and we'd add it.

New Ability to Manage Your MSDS Sheets

Our limitation was that the MSDS sheets in our aviation SMS software product were only in English. When users wanted to browse MSDS products in their own language, they would be disappointed. The new MSDS module in SMS Pro allows operators to add their own sheets to the library based on language, whether it is English, Spanish, French, German or Chinese.

Below is a screenshot of the new MSDS module.

Aviation SMS Software With MSDS Management

SMS Pro does not add new modules to your SMS program without your permission. Like other modules, you must request this to be added.

You may delete MSDS sheets that you don't want to view in your portal. Don't worry about others deleting your MSDS sheets that you add. Other portals can only hide MSDS sheets that you add.

More information about aviation SMS software can be found at:

How to best help your
Aviation Safety Management System

Become an SMS PRO

Monday, April 7, 2014

Using Free SMS Pro Starter Kit - Video Quick Guide

Using the Free Aviation Safety Management Software Tools

free aviation safety management systems (SMS) software for airlines, airports, aviation maintenance, flight schools

Scores of airlines, airports, flight schools, aviation maintenance providers and SMS consultants have signed up to use the free aviation safety management systems (SMS) software provided by SMS Pro. This is the second time SMS Pro has provided free aviation SMS software to the aviation community. The first time occurred from December 2010 to December 2012.

Aviation Safety Portals are NOT Automatically Created This Time

Each request for the new SMS Pro Starter Kit is reviewed and vetted to ensure each applicant is qualified to use the free aviation safety software. Companies with existing aviation safety portals are not given access to the new SMS Pro Starter Kit because their existing free SMS Pro Lite subscription has more features than this new, simplified aviation safety tool-kit.

In addition, users of the new SMS Pro Starter Kit can create their own subscription without contacting sales. When you know you want a particular module, such as the Hazard Register, you can add that to your portal without fussing with a quote.

Important! Flight Schools Get Special Pricing on Aviation Safety Software

airline airport aviation maintenance download free aviation safety management software

If you are a flight school, we urge you not to start a subscription from the SMS Pro Starter Kit before contacting sales@nwds-ak.com. Flight Schools receive special pricing because we want your students to recognize (and possibly recommend) SMS Pro when they work for other companies.

Quick Video of Free Aviation Safety Management Software

Haven't Signed Up Yet for Free Aviation Safety Software?

As of April 7th, there are still approximately 100 portals available. Our expected limit is only 200 free aviation safety portals this year. This contrasts with the 600 free aviation safety portals created in 2010.

To sign up to access the free aviation safety management systems (SMS) tools, follow this link.

More information about aviation SMS software can be found at:

How to best help your
Aviation Safety Management System

Become an SMS PRO

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Free Aviation SMS Software - SMS Pro Starter Kit

Free Airline / Airport SMS Software Starter Kit Coming Very Soon!

Simple, easy to use aviation SMS software

Airlines airports aviation maintenance Free aviation SMS software starter kit

Free SMS Pro Starter Kit for Airlines/Airports/Aviation Maintenance...

Simplify your aviation SMS program by managing issues in one place!

Safety
Security
Quality
Compliance
Environmental

Get It While It Lasts - Details!

Benefits -
Very Simple to Use
4 Powerful Hazard Reporting/Risk Management Modules

Limited Time Offer & Limited Number Accepted

Eligible Aviation Service Providers include:

Airlines
Airports
Flight Schools
Aviation Maintenance (AMOs / MROs)
Aircraft Manufacturers
Air Traffic Control
Civil Aviation Authorities
FBOs

Operators not eligible are recommended to consider Universal Weather & Aviation (UWA) SMS Manager product.

More information about aviation SMS software can be found at:

How to best help your
Aviation Safety Management System

Become an SMS PRO

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Aviation SMS App for Airlines, Airports, Flight Schools

Aviation SMS Software App For Managing Airline & Airport Safety

This post comes from a common question regarding aviation SMS apps for portable devices.

Is There an SMS Pro App to Report Hazards in Offline Mode?

Question: "Our aircrew are going to iPads in the next few weeks. I discussed with our IT person here that I would like IT to put an “icon” of the SMS-Pro web site on it. They said no problem, but then asked me if there was an actual app available."

Repsonse:

aviation safety management software app for airlines airports aviation maintenance mro amo

"App" is an ambiguous term that has become commonplace. Initially, it was referred to device specific programs, such as IPhone, IPad and Android programs that you download from a store. They install on your device.

The problem with these "apps" is that they are device dependent and if you want them to run on all devices, you have two options:

Create a device-specific app for each platform; or
Use HTML5 that works across all platforms, even the Web browser.

For the Web based safety management software SMS Pro, we use the second option, as there are so many devices on the market: Blackberry, IPhone, all sorts of tablets, etc.

So no, there is no specific app. SMS Pro has worked on IPad since the IPad came out and most functionality works as if it were being run from a desktop browser. Whenever bugs regarding IPad functionality are reported to the SMS Pro support staff, we strive to fix them (as is our custom) because airports and airlines across the globe are using IPads.

As most of us know, whenever a new browser version comes out, there can be challenges, such as new IE, FireFox, Chrome, etc. This is another problem aviation safety software faces. The modern SMS Pro modules that work in offline mode use HTML5 code. Consequently, these offline modules will only work with modern browsers.

To test your browser for HTML5 compatibility, try http://html5test.com/

Here is a list of browsers partially supporting HTML5

http://blog.deepbluesky.com/blog/-/browser-support-for-css3-and-html5_72/

Note I said "partially?" There are no browsers yet that completely support the HTML5 specification.

IPhone Ipad app for airline airport aviation safety management systems SMS

SMS Pro has several apps that work in offline mode, such as
Weight and Balance;
LOSA Auditing Software; and
Flight Risk Assessment Tools (FRAT).

Our next offline app projects include offline hazard reporting forms (HTML5) and auditing forms.

You can learn more about the company that developed the LOSA management software.

Years ago, we had an offline hazard reporting desktop app, but it quickly became outdated with the advent of the ubiquitous Smart Phones. Anyone can submit hazards to SMS Pro by email using the offline mode whenever they are flying or don't have Internet connectivity. Emails go into the outbox. When Internet connectivity resumes, these emails in outbox are submitted automatically.

Shortcomings of Email Reporting for Aviation Safety Hazards

Email reporting is the most easy and efficient way to get employees to report airline and airport hazards. The limitation is that there may be required details that are not captured because users are not filling out a form.

SMS Pro's offline hazard reporting forms will address this problem. Look for them during the summer of 2014.

More information about aviation SMS software can be found at:

Friday, March 14, 2014

What’s Lurking Beneath?

Uncovering the Real Root Causes

Often the real reason for a hazard to manifest itself if not readily apparent. Dig deeper!

Feel free to use this content as desired in your safety newsletters. TACG provides this aviation safety newsletter template as a service to the aviation safety community.

Aviation Safety Management Software helps manage reported hazards

A while back I was a passenger on an MD-88 which was being pushed back from the gate at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport. I had a window seat so I was able to see outside and observe the ramp operations. One of things I saw was pretty alarming—but not surprising. There was a clearly visible, large Styrofoam cup blowing around in the wind; not one of the ramp personnel picked it up.

This type of situation is a very good example for the well-known “Iceberg” model. Simply put, accidents are at the top of the iceberg because they are above water (clearly visible) and reactively we can learn a lot from them. On the other hand, the incidents and occurrences that are below the water line (well below the top of the iceberg) are harder to see because they are deeply submerged, or hidden. A Styrofoam cup will probably not cause an aircraft to crash but any type of Foreign Object Debris (FOD) can certainly cause significant engine damage. Regardless, this situation is a good diagnostic indicator of WHAT is going on below the waterline, also known as proactive territory. So the question then is WHY this happened (or what failed)? Here are just a few plausible WHY’s and my responses to each:

Training issue?

o Doubtful. FOD training is robust at most airports, particularly at the largest airports in the world, such as Atlanta. The ramp personnel were trained to identify and pick up FOD with a very good understanding of FOD’s potential damaging effects.

Lack of awareness?

o Doubtful. The cup was white in color, large, swirling around by the wind, and plainly visible. Ramp personnel had to have seen the cup.

· Expedited ignorance?

o Likely contributing factor. It’s natural to overlook seemingly “trivial” things for the sake of expediency to get the job done.

· Pluralistic ignorance?

o Likely contributing factor. People tend to form a norm and do (or don’t do) what their peers are doing (or not doing). In this case, if one ramp personnel ignored the cup then his peers may have followed suit. This is why leading by example (or role modeling) is so important at any level of the organization.

What’s the point of all this? Well, the most seemingly trivial occurrences in isolation may not become a problem. But, when linked together (i.e., the Swiss cheese effect), these occurrences may creep above the waterline to become visible accidents. Thus, to prevent accidents, we need to start at the bottom. If ramp personnel are ignoring FOD then what other things may be lurking beneath the surface? Keep in mind that although this article cites a ramp issue, all of these principles can apply to any type of aviation operation.

What can you do? If you are management, be sure training not only covers the technical aspects of the job but, additionally, include some human factors training (or at least stress the importance of human limitations). If you are a line employee, remember that YOU are the “eyes of the operation.” Be vigilant, be aware, don’t conform to negative norms, don’t think that the “little things don’t matter,” and perhaps most importantly— as the eyes of the operation—submit those anonymous hazard/incident reports to your safety department! It takes a concerted effort between management and line employees to keep those things lurking beneath the surface in check!

Dr. Bob Baron is the President and Chief Consultant of The Aviation Consulting Group (TACG). His specializations include Human Factors (HF), Safety Management Systems (SMS), Crew Resource Management (CRM), Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA), and Fatigue Risk Management (FRM). He consults with, and provides training to, hundreds of aviation organizations on a worldwide basis. Projects range from short workshops all the way up to, and including, full safety program implementation at some of the largest airlines and aircraft manufacturers in the world. He also works with various civil aviation authorities and accident investigation bureaus to improve safety at the very highest levels of the aviation system. Please visit the TACG website for more information. www.tacgworldwide.com

Dr. Bob Baron can also travel to your location to provide quality aviation safety management systems software training to best suit your airline or airport's need.

Friday, February 28, 2014

Emergency Response Notification System for Aviation SMS Programs

Emergency Response Alerts for Airlines, Airports, Flight Schools

Airlines, airports and flight schools need to quickly and efficiently contact emergency response teams

airlines and airport emergency response notification software system for alerts

Contact ERP Teams Quickly With Your Smart Phone

when responding to emergencies or when conducting emergency drills. This emergency notification system fits best in your aviation safety management software system!

Easy to Use Emergency Response Alerting System

emergency response alerting software system for airlines, airports flight schools

SMS Pro's Emergency Response Notification service provides one-way, on-demand emergency messaging to a designated group of emergency response teams across a variety of platforms. Target email, SMS texting and voicemail. Useful to ensure emergency response teams receive their messages whether they have access to their smartphone, desktop, laptop or hone phone. Emergency response alerts are transmitted to the communication device of ERP team leader's choice.

Airlines, airports, flight schools and other aviation service providers can now depend on SMS Pro to facilitate delivery of hundreds of messages across a broad range of recipients within just minutes.

SMS Pro's Emergency Response Notification service is incredibly easy to use, whether you are using your IPhone, IPad, Android or PC. The secure interface ensures only ERP team leaders have instant access to easily trigger the configurable emergency response alerting service.

No Extra Hardware Required for Triggering Emergency Response Alerts

Emergency response team leaders don't need additional hardware or much technical expertise to configure. Emergency response team leaders can pre-configure alerts using their IPhone, IPad, Android or PC. While responding to an emergency, precious minutes count. With very little effort, hundreds of emails, SMS texts and phone calls find their way to your ERP teams, whether they belong to your company or to external service providers.

Emergency response drills and alerting services are made for safety assurance

Once the emergency response notification has been processed, a confirmation email is sent to the initiating team leader to confirm successful transmission. Through the extensive use of configurable groups (ERP teams) and multiple points of contact (SMS text, email and phone messages), you can be assured the highest level of success for contacting your emergency response personnel.

As with all new modules, you must contact SMS Pro's technical support staff to request this module be added to your portal. This module will work nicely with SMS Pro's version controlled Document Manager and the Emergency Drills Management software for aviation SMS programs module.

More information about aviation SMS software can be found at:

How to best help your
Aviation Safety Management System

Become an SMS PRO

Monday, February 24, 2014

Reduce LOSA Costs - Demo Offline LOSA Software With Threat & Error Management (TEM)

LOSA Provides Many Benefits, But Normally at High Costs

Airlines and other aviation service providers wishing to implement Line Operations Safety Audits (LOSA) have few affordable options when structuring a safety program to address operational errors. LOSA audits are very expensive and can easily exceed $50,000 USD for each series.

How Much Does a LOSA Audit Cost?

Best LOSA software for offline IPad use at airlines

Factors to consider when determining cost include:

Number of collected observations;
Number of observers;
Managing data (from paper to electronic versions);
Data cleansing and verification efforts;
Depth of data analysis;
External observers vs internal observers;
Insurance discounts;
Fees from belonging to the collective (can be avoided by SMS Pro's LOSA); and
Consulting fees.

Best Way to Reduce LOSA Costs

In an effort to reduce costs, and to integrate Threat & Error Management into SMS Pro's risk management framework, SMS Pro has created an Offline LOSA tool for airlines. Airlines do not need to acquire the SMS Pro Web-based SMS software for airlines and airports to use this service; however, there are many benefits to managing LOSA findings in SMS Pro, including tracking corrective actions (http://airlines.safety-management-systems.com)

As of March 2016, aviation LOSA software is no longer a part of SMS Pro. It has been moved out as a separate product. You can learn about the aviation safety software company creating this LOSA software.

Offline LOSA Demo - Suitable for IPad or Laptop

The Offline LOSA software has a client portion that works with IPads, IPhone or Laptop in offline mode for observations. This LOSA software also includes a server component for Data Cleansing and Integrity Checks.

SMS Pro is offering a "guinea pig rate" for the first year: $1,000 USD setup and $100 monthly.
To get a feel for the LOSA client side software, see live demo LOSA site

http://sms-demo2.com/desktopmodules/losa/client/index.html

SMS Pro is selecting airlines wishing to participate in the LOSA pilot program. Three airlines have indicated interest to participate. The objective is to allow the operators to perform and process their observations, and then prepare the needed reports based on these pilot airlines' feedback.

More information about LOSA Audit Suite and SMS Pro aviation safety management system (SMS) software can be found at http://asms-pro.com/Modules/SafetyAssurance/LOSAAuditSuite.aspx

Interested in Participating in LOSA Pilot Program?

Airlines interested in joining the SMS Pro LOSA program are encouraged to contact SMS Pro staff at

http://airlines.safety-management-systems.com/ContactUs.aspx. Be expected to pay $10,000 USD for the first year participation and $3,600 annually thereafter.

Line Operations Safety Audits (LOSA) Training

Airlines needing LOSA training to prepare for LOSA audits can contact Dr. Bob Baron, one of the world's leading LOSA trainers.

If you need explanations of LOSA, see this great article in Skybrary:
http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/LOSA

For an explantion of Threat & Error Management(TEM), see this Skybrary article:
http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Threat_and_Error_Management_(TEM)

More information about aviation SMS software can be found at:

How to best help your
Aviation Safety Management System

Become an SMS PRO