5. Revision of SMS

The SMS has to live with the company, and a balance has to be struck between incessant changes, which would sow confusion and exasperation, and changes spaced too far apart, which would generate excessive time lags and cause the SMS to be forgotten. An annual revision rhythm is a good starting point, but you need to be flexible to adapt to the change management schedule. It makes sense to update the SMS following the conclusions of safety studies triggered by both intended and unintended changes.

The search for longevity recommended above takes on its full importance here, by minimizing the need for revisions.

Putting the SMS back in the spotlight at each review (and at least once a year) is a good way of maintaining its credibility and staff motivation (especially by taking into account the suggestions and feedback received since the last...