BIZAV SECURITY EXPERTS SHARE VETTING TIPS FOR POTENTIAL VENDORS—CONT. Larger flight departments affiliated with bigger companies often have access to the parent company’s security resources when vetting vendors. “A lot of flight departments operate under a separate legal entity than say the parent company,” said Cauthen. “However, they may have some shared capability to use corporate legal, or maybe there’s a corporate security department, or maybe there’s a risk and insurance component back at corporate. You can ask them to do some deep diving into potential vendors to see what they can find as well.” CONSIDER THIRD-PARTY RESOURCES “For very small flight departments that rely on doing a lot of stuff in-house there are third-party riskmanagement systems and applications out there that you can vet vendors through,” said NBAA Director, Flight Operations and Regulations Laura Everington.“But many of the larger flight departments will either have their own in-house corporate compliance, which handles all of that aspect, not necessarily the flight department itself, but more in their legal department and corporate compliance.” Consistency and dedication are primary ingredients in developing and implementing a sound vetting system. For the most part, the experts say business aviation operators understand the importance of properly vetting potential vendors. “If you take an SMS approach to things, it is a process of continuous assessment and evaluation and improvement where you can always do better,” said Cauthen.“So how you frame this and the resources that you can tap into are largely going to be predicated on the size of your organization and really the time constraints.” PRE-VETTING AND DUE DILIGENCE • Start with a solid foundation: Begin by researching the vendor’s reputation, ownership structure and basic credentials online. • Check for required certifications: Verify that the vendor holds all necessary certifications for the services they provide, such as AS9100 for quality management systems in the aerospace industry. • Review financial health: Investigate the vendor’s financial stability and ownership information to ensure they are a viable and trustworthy business partner. • Ask for references: Request and call references, especially those from similar operations. To get a more complete picture, ask references for additional references themselves. • Conduct site visits: If possible, visit the vendor’s facilities to observe their operations firsthand and ensure they meet your standards. SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS • Safety management systems: A vendor’s alignment with your flight department’s safety culture is critical. Inquire if they have a formal, documented SMS in place that covers risk management, hazard reporting, and quality assurance. • Safety records: Review the vendor’s accident history, OPENING LINES 7 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 05, ISSUE 04
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