SMS Is To Identify What Goes Right
By OffRoadPilots
Why focus on the few out of specification due to common cause variations when a
million things go right every day? When making corrective action to common cause
variations, or to in-control processes, specification errors will increase. When
changing the measurement stick the next cut will be off by a greater measurement
than the previous cut.
Identifying what goes right every day of daily operations at airports and airlines are
to recognize positive outcomes, achievements, and operations that are working
well. The purpose of a safety management system (SMS) is not to focus on what
goes wrong, but to focus on what goes right every day. When an accountable
executive (AE) expects airport or airline personnel to focus on what goes wrong
every day, a failed day is when everything goes right.
Recording and analysing
occurrences is a function of a
healthy safety management
system. A recorded
occurrence is a golden
opportunity for airport and
airline operators to learn and
make changes to account for
the identified special cause
variation leading up to the
occurrence.
When principles of a safety management system are applied correctly, airports
learn from airline occurrences, and airlines learn from airport occurrences. In
Canada, CADORS (civil aviation daily occurrence reporting system) is a tool for
airports and airlines to learn about occurrences and what corrective actions were
taken. Hazard discovery reporting and incident reporting becomes hazardous to
operations when the accountable executive need an arbitrary set number of hazards and incidents reports to comply with regulatory requirements.
The regulator has established precedence that an unspecified number of hazard
reports are required for an SMS to conform to regulatory requirements. Findings
issued to airport or airline operators for not reporting hazards are in itself
incompatible with the safe operation of an airport or aircraft.
The general regulatory requirement for an SMS enterprise is to operate with a
process for identifying hazards to aviation safety and for evaluating and managing
the associated risks, and a process for the internal reporting and analyzing of
hazards. This is a regulatory requirement for an SMS enterprise to have processes
in place to use when hazards are identified.
A process is a series of actions, tasks, or steps that are performed in a particular
order or sequence to achieve a specific goal or outcome. Processes are
fundamental to how things are organized and accomplished in various domains,
including the service industry, safety management, manufacturing, business
operations, computer programming, and more. The choice of logical order
depends on the purpose and context of your writing. Different types of writing may
require different approaches to achieve clarity and coherence. Logical order within
a safety management system processes, airport operations processes, or airline
operations processes refers to the arrangement of information or elements in a
way for an acceptable sequence or progression to produce a desired outcome.
Chronological order is information is arranged in the order it occurred in time,
from past to present or vice versa. This is commonly used for historical accounts,
narratives, or processes.
Sequential order information is organized in a step-by-step or numerical sequence.
This is often used for instructional or procedural writing. An airplane startup
procedure, or an airport daily inspection procedure are examples of a numerical
sequence logical order.Spatial order information is structured based on physical location or spatial relationships. It helps readers visualize a scene or understand the layout of
something. This is used in a cockpit layout checklist procedure, or an airport plan
of construction operations procedure.
Order of importance is
presented in descending or
ascending order of
significance or priority. This is
used when writing the
monthly report and
executive summary to the
accountable executive.
Cause and effect order
information is organized to
show the cause-and-effect
relationships between events or phenomena. This helps airport and airport personnel, and associated managers to understand how one thing leads to another. This is used for risk analyses. Problem solution order starts by presenting an occurrence, a hazard, a problem, or challenge and then provides one or more solutions or resolutions to that problem.
This solution must be applied to special cause variations only. When applied to
common cause variations to correct a stable process, an error is added to the
output for ache corrective action made to the process. Problem-solving is a
fundamental skill in various aspects of life, including business, personal
development, science, and more.
Effective problem solving often requires critical thinking, creativity, and
collaboration. The specific steps and strategies used can vary depending on the
nature of the problem and the context in which it arises. Control limits in a
statistical process control (SPC) chart are not specifications limits, and
specifications are not to be uses as guidance for statistical control because this
eliminates the opportunity to work on special cause variations. The purpose of a
root cause analysis is to identify the special cause variation and provide a repair
solution.
Compare and contrast order is structured information to highlight similarities and
differences between two or more subjects, allowing readers to make comparisons.
An SMS enterprise refers to this as best practices and sharing of information
between independent operators, or within internal departments. When sharing
information it is not the occurrence specific that is relevant to the receiver, but it is
the special cause variation which triggered the occurrence.
Classification order is information grouped into categories or classes based on
common characteristics or criteria. Each category is typically discussed separately.
Common classification are safety critical areas and safety critical functions within
operational processes. There are different levels of hazards in aviation, for both
airports and airlines, and not all special cause variations trigger hazardous
occurrences.
Thematic order is information organized around themes or topics. Each section of
the text explores a different aspect of the overall theme. Thematic order is applied
to the hazard register
.
Spatial-temporal order combines both spatial and chronological elements to
describe how something changes or evolves over time and in different locations.
This becomes critical for a successful SMS when applied to information shared by
other organizations and operations, or between internal departments. A trap for
the accountable executive is to demand standard templates across departments
within an organizations, and when SMS cloudbased third-party suppliers demand
that SMS enterprises use their rigid check-box compliance system.
Goal oriented processes are designed to achieve a particular objective or result.
The steps within a process are aimed at efficiently and effectively reaching thatgoal. Goals are achievable steps to reach an objective in support of the SMS policy.
There are fourteen steps to a healthy goalsetting plan and begins with
brainstorming to support objectives and the SMS policy. Decide upon the
objective, how it is applicable to the SMS policy and tailor one or more goals to one
objective.
Paint a mental picture of a
goal and imagine the result.
A goal should be linked to
what goes right every day.
When a true hazard is
discovered, the process
performed as expected and
what went right was
recorded.
A goal that can be imagined is a goal that can be written down. Set a completion
deadline for each goals and commit to meet the deadline. However, deadlines
represent the future and may need to be adjusted. If there are several adjustment
and extensions to a deadline the goal is too complex for operations and needs to
be changed to a simpler goal. It is vital for success to identify any obstacles,
hazards, and probable special cause variations. SMS is a businesslike approach to
safety, and just like a business needs to have in-depth knowledge about their
competitors strategy to be successful, an SMS enterprise needs to have in-depth
knowledge about hurtles in their path.
Identify knowledge and skills required by internal personnel, and third-party
personnel to achieve the goal. An accountable executive may expect personnel to
have required knowledge and skills based on their titles and positions within the
organization, or a third-party supplier, for established goals to be successful.
Unless goal-specific training and comprehension processes are applied, there is no
tools available of knowing if knowledge and skill levels are satisfactory until the
goalsetting process is initiated. A goalsetting plan must include a written list and
.organize the list after items are written down in random order. The next
comprehensive step of a goalsetting plan is to write the plan.
After a goalsetting plan is written a support system needs to be picked. A goal
setting support system refers to a set of tools, techniques, or strategies that
individuals or organizations use to help them define, plan, track, and achieve their
goals. Such a system is designed to provide structure, motivation, and
accountability to the goal-setting and goal-achieving process.
Make the goal public within
the SMS enterprise, make it
available to third-party
contractors who perform
tasks on behalf of the
accountable executive, and
make the goal available to
the general public, and then
sit back and practice
visualization of the goal.
The last step in a goal setting
process is possible the toughest part. It is to get started and procrastination must
be thrown out the window. Take the first step no matter what the step is. Goal
setting is like skydiving where the point of no return is after the fist step is taken.
Processes are often repeatable, meaning they can be executed multiple times to
achieve the same or similar results. This is important for consistency and quality
control.
Processes typically involve inputs (resources, data, information) and produce
outputs (results, products, services). The inputs are transformed through the
process to generate the desired outputs.
Within a process, there are assigned roles and responsibilities for individuals or
teams involved in carrying out the steps. This helps ensure accountability and
coordination.
Efficient and well-defined processes are crucial for SMS enterprises to achieve
their goals, maintain expected outcome, and streamline operations to follow an
assigned path. Continuous improvement and optimization of processes are often
pursued to enhance productivity, service level and effectiveness.
Proven methods when focusing on what goes right are to reflect on objectives and
goals. maintain a journal, practice gratitude, cultivate a habit of gratitude, perform
ongoing feedback and self-assessment surveys, celebrate small wins, analyze
organizational strengths, identify strengths and talents, observe patterns, seek
others' perspectives, stay mindful and present, set clear metrics, learn from
mistakes, regularly review organizational progress, and stay open to change.
Identifying patterns is a tool available to an accountable executive to replicate
success.
Staying open to change is
not the same as wavering, a
state of uncertainty,
hesitation, or indecision, or
to operate with a weak
system. Staying open to
change is to maintain a
reference point and remain
true to the SMS policy.
Staying open to change or
adapting changes does not
make changes to the SMS
itself but are adjustment to preventing special cause variations from being
developed and accepted as common cause variations in a manner that is
incompatible with the operation of an airport or aircraft.
A trap for the accountable executive is to devalue organizational experience by
accepting third-party experts’ opinions, and that received shared information by
other SMS enterprises are superior to their own SMS.
Identifying what goes right is not just about external achievements, it also involves
recognizing your own organizational growth, personal development within the
SMS enterprise, and overall well-being of personnel, equipment, and support
structures. Regular self-reflection and a positive mindset are invaluable tools in this
process.
A wise man once said that it is easier to accept many failures than commit to one
single supreme outcome.
OffRoadPilots
