SMS Is To Identify What Goes Right

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 that goal. 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. 

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