Inertia can be both a good and bad thing.
I once took the initiative to redo an existing CofA Air Test Proforma for the Bell 212.
I felt an improvement in the sequence of the Flight Check Maneuvers and Checks was in order as the existing format did not have a proper flow. Now understand....I was not trying to re-invent the wheel....just grease the bearings a bit.
I made a copy of the existing format, got a pair of scissors, cut out each segment of the existing Proforma....then using a glue pot and some a brush, put the Proforma back together using exactly the existing verbiage and paragraphs.....just re-arranged the sequence a bit.
The old format had you doing a single engine Height Climb, returning to the Starting Height and doing another Single engine height Climb followed by an Autorotation. Then you were off on other maneuvers that required another autorotation.
My big change was to do the first height climb, do an AutoRev Check, do the second engine height Climb, followed by a handling check Autorotation.
There were other minor changes but only as to flow and sequence.
As I was doing the CoA Airtests I mistakenly assumed I might have some input on the procedure.
Not the done thing! Captain!
Some folks were very definitely "Shields Up!" on that.
The Result....as before....you printed out the Proforma....then flip flopped back and forth through the many pages looking for the correct place to enter your data while doing the Air Test rather than being able to start on Page One and simply work your way back to page Last in an orderly fashion.
That is the kind of mentality we must excise from our Industry.
One organization I worked for had SOP's for everything we did....Aviation, Admin, Safety, Training, House Keeping.....everything!
As we were involved in the safe guarding of Sensitive Nuclear Materials....there was much concern, rightfully so, that we be very well organized and effectively carrying out our duties.
Our SOP's had certain "Priorities" assigned to them for verification.
Higher priority SOP's were checked quite often, lesser important SOP's were checked less often.
The Verification Process was done to ensure that the SOP was being followed....and that the way we did things agreed with the SOP. Variances were identified and analyzed to determine the reason for the deviation then assessed to determine if the actual practice was the better way of doing things or if it was deficient or less effective. If it was deemed better, the SOP got re-written to reflect the change in practice. If the SOP method was deemed better, the actual practice was amended to conform with the SOP.
The entire evolution was really designed to keep track of change....and make sure the change was appropriate for existing and anticipated conditions and did not jeopardize the mission objective.....guarding those Special Nuclear Materials.
Swap Human Lives for SNM and I see the applicability of that verification process in the Helicopter Industry.