Quality and safety management solutions provider ASQS has unveiled a major update to its iQSMS risk management module. The new Risk+ concept represents a significant advancement in the system's risk management capabilities and is available to all iQSMS users holding a subscription for the module.

The iQSMS risk management module is part of the iQSMS suite, an integrated and comprehensive approach to aviation quality and safety management. In line with ICAO Annex 19, the module supports the internal risk management by enabling customers to collect, risk analyse and share safety-related data from day-to-day operations. It provides a systematic and proactive approach to identifying vulnerabilities within the organisation. iQSMS thus delivers a framework for risk management across the organisation, from the identification of threats and hazards to the implementation and review of risk controls.

The iQSMS risk management module has been fundamentally optimised and further developed and now, with the Risk+ concept, brings a new level of effectiveness, comprehensiveness and process streamlining to its users.

One of the core functions of this concept is the integrated linking of risk assessments with the risk register and statistics, which guarantees a complete feedback loop from assessments to the practical use in daily operations.

In addition, a set of different user roles and a configurable approval option for individual risk assessments is provided, allowing three processes to approve the assessments depending on the structure and the responsibilities of the organisation.

"We are very excited to announce this update," says CTO Günther Syrowatka. "This represents a major advancement and evolution of the functionalities of the current iQSMS risk management module, providing our customers with even more capabilities and optimised processes for managing safety risks and ensuring operational safety in their organisations."

Taking an entity-based approach, Risk+ furthermore empowers customers to organise the module in a way that ensures the responsible user always possesses a current understanding and overview of the risks present in their specific domain. Thanks to read permissions and automatic notifications, responsible departments can also maintain a better overview of their risks. This is an important asset, particularly in the context of departmental safety accountability.

A further key highlight of Risk+ is the ability to link to the iQSMS reporting module. This feature allows users to link reports to the corresponding risks in the Risk+ register to analyse which safety controls were not effective in the corresponding incident. A 'warning' and an 'alert' level can also be defined for each control to better monitor the effectiveness of the controls and to improve monitoring of the safety performance.

"It is impossible to eliminate all safety risks in aviation, but with a structured and proactive approach to risk management, companies can better monitor risks, identify evolving negative safety trends and proactively mitigate risks. This is exactly what the iQSMS risk management module was designed to do. As requirements are constantly evolving, it is important that we and our system grow with them to provide the most appropriate support to our users. Risk+, in short, is the result of this mindset, and by automating and simplifying processes, we raise aviation risk management to a whole new level,” says CEO Günther Schindl.