Safety Management Systems (SMS) Consultant
The people at Boyd Caton Group, Inc. don’t just consult and develop products — they create solutions that positively impact the lives of others. Our thriving employees relentlessly pursue …
Services
We provide superior professional services that increase effectiveness and deliver value to you and your stakeholders.
Program development and delivery
For more than 20 years, our clients have relied on us as trusted partners to help them create and deliver superior programs. Our experts help you formulate a vision and roadmap for your initiatives, identify and solve problems, and provide ongoing management support and technical implementation to achieve your desired results.
We have demonstrable program delivery experience that covers a wide range of services, including:
- Policy and guidance,
- Audits and reviews,
- Inspections and examinations,
- Technical assistance,
- Strategic planning,
- Congressional reports, directives, and more
Our client-first approach has allowed us to solidify an unshakable trust with our clients and establish meaningful relationships, with some that span more than two decades.
Data validation, analysis, and insights
Leveraging data to support a mission can be challenging for an organization. At bcg, we have spent years helping clients manage data proficiently and always keep an eye on your mission. We understand the importance of quality, accurate, and timely data to solve problems, justify initiatives, and effectively manage resources. We access untapped value within available data to enable confident and precise decision-making. Our analysts help define data needs and support the full data management lifecycle from collection, validation, and analysis, through reporting. We present our findings using clear data visualization that helps tell your story and advance your goals. At bcg, data isn’t the question, it’s the answer.
Web development
We design elegant, responsive, and accessible websites that you can use on any device. To track your success, our developers are proficient in search engine optimization, social media, and content marketing. We offer a full range of support services, including a help desk, FedRAMP-approved web hosting, content management, and application maintenance.
We work with our clients to fully understand and realize their requirements and goals in order to develop solutions using agile methodologies that deliver superior user experiences with a focus on performance, security, and maintainability.
Training and outreach
We develop and deliver web-based and instructor-led training that encourages learners to think critically. We teach through practical application to improve retention and understandability. Our experienced trainers are qualified and certified to—
- Recognize learning issues and opportunities,
- Consider others’ values when developing lessons, and
- Assess the results of training
We emphasize clarity when we communicate with and for our clients. By first identifying your specific audience, we’re able to provide targeted correspondence and messaging. Our outreach materials help your stakeholders find what they need, understand what they find, and use the information to meet their needs.
What makes us different
bcg has over twenty years of experience in helping clients across a broad variety of initiatives. We have a reputation as a go-to team that is creative, agile, and relentless in our approach to help clients achieve their objectives.
Our business owners, Annabelle Boyd and Jim Caton, live by the credo that hard work, honesty, and an uncompromising pursuit to exceed expectations provide purpose to life and a guide for shared success.
Our values and client loyalty have allowed us to assemble a team of people committed to helping those we serve in the public and private sectors create and deliver programs that positively impact the lives of others.
Approach
We bring proven experience and expertise to apply targeted strategies to help clients more quickly solve their toughest and most critical problems.
Engagement
We form long-term relationships with our clients to ensure that our shared results continuously exceed expectations over time.
Stewardship
We serve as a trusted partner, with uncompromising integrity and loyalty, understanding the duties and obligations of our clients.
Innovation
We bring ideas and opportunities to life and deliver high quality, tangible solutions.
Work with bcg
We participate in E-Verify®
Pursuant to our contracts with the federal government, we are required to verify the employment eligibility of all persons we hire through the government's E-Verify® program. That means that, if you are hired by bcg, we will provide information from your Form I-9 to the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security in order to confirm your work authorization. For more information about E-Verify® and your rights, refer to the following documents:
Solutions
We create and deliver innovative technology solutions that bring value to your organization and end users.
Safety Management Systems
We are a team of uniquely qualified safety professionals, specialists in the development and implementation of successful safety management systems across domestic and international industries.
Jim has more than 20 years experience building safety management programs and tools for the public surface transportation industry. An acknowledged expert in SMS, he works with Federal, state and local partners in the roll-out of SMS in the public transportation industry. He develops guidance, technical assistance and training content for SMS implementation and worked with clients to launch e-Learning courses in SMS. Jim currently supports the Federal Transit Administration’s transition of the transit industry to SMS through implementation pilots at four agencies.
Joanne has more than 25 years of management experience. She has demonstrated success in the implementation of business and technical solutions and is recognized as an industry leader in SMS regulatory requirements, implementation, training, and safety risk management facilitation. Joanne is frequently called upon by senior management to identify and carry out practical development and deployment strategies. Joanne leads all facets of SMS implementation at airports including the Portland International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and the General Mitchell International Airport.
Capt. Maurino has pioneered safety initiatives in the aviation industry for over 42 years. He led the development of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) SMS and State Safety Program and authored ICAO’s Safety Management Manual and program. A well-known specialist, Capt. Maurino is a sought-after speaker on the topic of SMS implementation. He partners with the senior management teams of airlines and airports across the globe to implement SMS, including Grupo Avianca, Insel Air, and Curacao International Airport.
We partner with senior management teams in the private and public sectors to help define the future of their safety objectives and unlock the financial potential in continued safety performance improvements.
Strategy
We help agency leaders define their expectations for safety management and guide the development of new, or evolve existing, systems to realize the benefits of increased data in safety resource decision making. We work closely with your organization to ensure the SMS is tailored to your agency’s priorities so we can help you reach your safety performance targets.
Engagement
We help to build commitment to your safety management goals amongst all stakeholders by ensuring they are informed throughout the process. We provide training and communication planning and execution that results in a work force motivated to realize the full value of the SMS.
Development
As your organization transitions from SMS planning to implementation, our experienced team will be there to guide you through the process. We help you to build the agency capabilities necessary for a successful SMS, monitoring the effectiveness of implemented activities and adjusting the SMS plan as necessary. By leveraging your agency’s existing systems, processes, and knowledge, our team helps to create a sustainable SMS that fits seamlessly into your agency’s operations.
Integrity
SMS is never ‘done’. Our goal is to help you put in place an SMS that continuously improves. We will help you to integrate SMS into your everyday operations and provide you with the skills and processes necessary to monitor your operations and consistently improve your safety performance.
Who We Serve
e-Learning platform
Our e-Learning courses are effective, accessible, and introduce users to new ideas in broad and understandable terms, provide users with regular assessments of their progress, and use complementary visual and audio cues.
Resources
We have over 20 years of experience delivering superior products of all types. Click below to view a few representative examples.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Safety Management Inspection
Synopsis: bcg supported the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as the prime consultant for an unprecedented Safety Management Inspection (SMI) of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). We evaluated WMATA’s operations and maintenance programs, safety management capabilities, and organizational structures through document review, interviews, field observations, and independent investigations. The review culminated in FTA identifying 91 required actions.
Safety Management Systems Framework
Synopsis: bcg has supported the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and its transition to Safety Management Systems (SMS). We worked with FTA to develop its first ever SMS Framework, which provides the building blocks of SMS and the major milestones of its implementation. We continue to assist FTA in rolling out numerous technical assistance materials and in the conduct of FTA’s SMS pilots. Building on the SMS Framework, we look forward to continuing our support of FTA in assisting transit providers during their transition to SMS.
SMS Implementation Planning
Synopsis: Captain Dan Maurino and Jim Caton led the bcg team in conducting SMS Implementation Planning for two of the Nation’s largest transit agencies. The bcg team has developed a Gap Analysis process and administered it on-site at numerous transit systems. bcg provides ongoing monitoring of SMS implementation and provides assistance to transit agencies.
SMS Training
Synopsis: bcg’s team of experts designs and delivers SMS training to transit agencies to support their transition to SMS. Led by Jim Caton and Ream Lazaro, our team has provided innovative approaches to training, such as e-Learning and e-Tutorials. bcg’s SMS training provides key agency staff with the necessary tools and knowledge to support their ongoing progress toward SMS.
NTST
Synopsis: bcg developed the National Transit Summaries and Trends (NTST), one of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) National Transit Database (NTD) Annual Data Products. The goal of the NTST is to present and summarize transit data in an easy-to-read format and to provide an overview of public transit in the United States.
TCRP Report 160 – Paratransit Emergency Preparedness and Operations Handbook
Synopsis: The bcg team wrote the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 160: Paratransit Emergency Preparedness and Operations Handbook for the Transportation Research Board. The Report includes guidance, strategies, tools, and resources to help paratransit service providers plan and prepare for, respond to, and recover from a range of emergencies. The guidance has applicability to urban, suburban, rural, and tribal paratransit operating environments.