Coding guide
Observers write what they see in plain words, then code their notes after the turnaround. There are 275 codes, sorted into 44 groups under the five parts below. Each one maps back to the original research codes, so results compare with the reference data.
The full guide, with every code, its definition and worked examples, comes with the Self-service level for airlines, ground handlers and airports.
Threats
13 groups · 95 codes
Conditions the ramp team has to deal with, mostly from outside the team. They make the turnaround harder to do as planned.
Example groups: Operational pressure, Weather, Freight and baggage
Enablers
7 groups · 16 codes
Conditions that make the work easier, or more likely to go as planned.
Example groups: Time and schedule, Equipment, People
Variations
12 groups · 110 codes
What the team did differently from the procedure, the plan or the training. Neutral: often the variation is what keeps the turnaround going.
Example groups: Driving, Loading, Readback
Good practice
4 groups · 17 codes
Skilled work worth learning from and passing on.
Example groups: Plan, Coordinate, Adapt
Undesired states
8 groups · 37 codes
Where the turnaround ended up somewhere it shouldn't be, such as a load error or a near collision.
Example groups: Dangerous goods, Load, Pushback
Management
Threats, variations and undesired states are also coded for what the team did about them:
- Managed: The team acted and it was resolved, or work returned to work as imagined.
- Mismanaged: The team acted but it was not resolved, or it led to a further problem.
- Unmanaged: No action was seen.