After more than a decade of working with aviation SMS, John has more hands on experience with SMS development, implementation, and management than most. This book clarifies and simplifies the SMS and the process of implementation and management of the program. The key to a successful program is keeping it simple and ensuring that all employees are properly trained and fully participate in the reporting process. While the FAA estimates it can take upwards of 3 years to fully implement the program, it is more likely that operators will waste years figuring out the process only to end up with a substandard SMS that distracts and fails to deliver real benefits. This short book is not meant to replace Document 9859 or the FAA's advisory circulars, but it is a good place to start.