Feb4Written by:Chris Howell
2/4/2008 3:00 PM 
Aviation Safety Key Performance Indicators
Aviation safety key performance indicators or KPIs provide aviation service providers metrics to improve their aviation safety record. Key Performance Indicators measure the critical success factors of an aviation service provider. KPIs may differ depending on type of aviation organization, such as size of airline, helicopter operations, air traffic control or MROs. An important Key Performance Indicator for all aviation service organizations is the number of reported issues during the year. This not only measure the obvious, but also infers the safety culture or the reporting culture of the aviation service provider.
Whatever Key Performance Indicators are highlighted, they must reflect organizational goals. KPIs must be key to success, and they must be quantifiable (measurable). Aviation Safety Key Performance Indicators may be long-term or short term (quarterly, semi-annual or annual). Which aviation safety key performance indicators your organization targets and how they are measured should not change often in order to have valid results. Organizational goals for a particular Key Performance Indicators may change as organizational goals change, or as you approach the completion of your goals.
Aviation Safety Performance Monitoring
In SMS Pro, your organization creates goals and objectives based on past performance. In SMS Pro's Goals & Objectives module, real time statistics are generated so your organization can easily create realistic goals and objectives based on real-time aviation safety key performance indicators.
Which aviation key performance items they capture varies from flight organizations to air traffic management, MROs, helicopter operators, etc. However, there are several aviation safety performance indicators common across all aviation service providers that are captured in SMS Pro's "Performance Monitoring" module.
For example, a most useful
aviation safety
performance indicator is the financial data. How much do all your safety-related issues cost your organization this year, last year, the last ten years? Or if you like, you may narrow down the financial aviation safety performance indicator to determine which division in your organization costs the organization most in terms of safety, security, quality or compliance issues.
Most Common Aviation Safety Performance Indicators
Air traffic management key performance indicators vary little from the key performance indicators of airlines, airports, MROs & helicopter operators. For example, valid KPIs include Financial, Aviation Safety Investigations, Aviation Safety Communications and Types of Issues Reported (Safety, Quality, Security & Compliance). Another useful tool for every effective aviation safety key performance indicator tool are "Trending Charts." SMS Pro has magnificent charts to allow you to visualize your aviation safety key performance indicators.
Purpose of Aviation Safety Key Performance Indicators
Many aviation professionals provided feedback into the development of SMS Pro's aviation safety performance indicators that target useful aviation-related business processes at the management level. Some of the details include the following aviation safety key performance indicator metrics:
General KPIs
- Total Number Issues Reported
- Open Issues
- Working Issues
- Avg Days to Resolve Issue
- # Months Reporting
- Avg # Issues Reported Monthly
- Days to Close High-Risk Issues
- Days to Close Med-Risk Issues
- Days to Close Low-Risk Issues
Financial KPIs
- Total Cost of All Issues
- Avg Cost Per Issue
- Minimum Issue Cost
- Maximum Issue Cost
- Median Issue Cost
Investigations-related KPIs
- Number of Investigations
- Days to Start Investigations
- Days to Close Investigations
Communication-Related KPIs
- # Users in System
- # Safety Meetings
- Avg # Invitees per Meeting
- Avg # Attendance per Meeting
In SMS Pro, these aviation safety key performance indicators may be filtered by year and division.
If you see an aviation safety key performance indicator missing from this list, please drop us an email at chowell@nwds-ak.com.
Again, these aviation safety key performance indicators feed SMS Pro's Goals & Objectives module. In SMS Pro's Performance Monitoring module, organizational goals and objectives are listed on a tab separate from the aviation safety key performance indicators. However, the main KPIs remain visible at the left. To see an old screenshot of SMS Pro's Performance Monitor, see http://aviation-sms.com/SMSPro/AboutSMSPRO/KeyPerformanceIndicators/tabid/770/Default.aspx
Contact us today to learn more about SMS Pro's aviation safety key performance indicators.
For an SMS Pro demo, contact chowell@nwds-ak.com or to learn more, see http://www.aviation-sms.com/SMSPro/BusinessProcesses/Overview/HighLevel/tabid/721/Default.aspx for the business processes.
For additional information on NWDS visit their website at www.nwds-ak.com and www.aviation-sms.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.