Lessons Learned & How to Address
PJ2 above introduces the word precursor and acknowledges the arrogance by management to recognize lessons that need to be learned (sic)
As always the trouble with data is the inability to recognize data in vs actions out.
OK, my first inkling is to not kid yourself that operational data is a solution. It's not even a tool, however it is the ingredients.
The concept of Lessons Learned in safety is to couple the operational data with global experience (not just a single airline, manufacturer, etc.) to agree on what has constituted Precursors or what some may call "regression factors" If you add in the concept of precursers to the data it often infers that the data is OK fo now only due to luck or chance. Conversely when you run out of luck by repeating a similar data chain then you have an accident and big time economic impacts.
The knowledge of precursors (that's what safety professionals are expected to know) coupled together with in-service data within an airline or a manufacturer must be actionable or expect accidents and claims of negligence which can bring an organization to the brink of extinction.
The concept of precursors can only be sustained by safety professionals and certainly not by bean counters. So beware of ignoring a safety professional who has verifiable knowledge of precursors.
Again, the concept of the Lesson Learned is a combination of data and the knowledge of precursers