Skip to main content

What is the Aerospace Safety Solution?

The Aerospace Safety Solution is a pre-configured Polarion ALM solution built by Nextedy that delivers an integrated safety assessment and requirements traceability environment. It provides structured support for functional hazard assessment (FHA), FMEA, fault tree analysis, and requirements traceability across the full V-model development lifecycle. The solution is designed for aerospace programs required to comply with standards such as DO-178C, ARP 4754A, ARP 4761, DO-254, and MIL-STD-882E.

What aerospace standards does this solution support?

The Aerospace Safety Solution is designed to support compliance with the following standards:
StandardDomainCoverage
ARP 4754AAircraft and system developmentProcess and traceability
ARP 4761Safety assessment methodsFHA, FMEA, FTA, CCA
DO-178CAirborne softwareRequirements, verification
DO-254Airborne hardwareDesign assurance
DO-160GEnvironmental qualificationTest evidence
MIL-STD-882ESystem safety (defense)Hazard analysis
DO-326AAirworthiness securityThreat assessment
The exact set of standards visible in your installation depends on your project configuration. Check your project’s Certification Readiness dashboard for active standard coverage.

What is a DAL and why does it matter?

DAL stands for Development Assurance Level and is defined by ARP 4754A and DO-178C to classify how rigorously an aircraft function or software component must be developed. DAL ranges from A (catastrophic failure effect) through E (no safety effect), with each level imposing increasing requirements for verification, independence, and documentation. The Aerospace Safety Solution captures DAL assignments on Failure Conditions and propagates them through the traceability chain to requirements and test cases. For more background, see Getting Started.

How does the solution connect safety analysis to requirements?

The Aerospace Safety Solution uses a Polarion RTM (Requirements Traceability Matrix) domain model to link every level of the V-model — from customer requirements and system requirements through design requirements to test cases. Safety findings from FHA and FMEA are expressed as Failure Conditions and Failure Modes, which are then linked to Risk Controls and traced through the requirements hierarchy. This bi-directional traceability is what enables certification evidence generation. See The V-Model Development Process for a guided walkthrough.

Do I need Risksheet and PowerSheet to use this solution?

Yes. The Aerospace Safety Solution is built on top of two Nextedy products:
  • Risksheet — powers structured risk analysis modules (FHA, SFMEA, DFMEA, FTA, CCA, Compliance Matrix, Security Threat Assessment)
  • PowerSheet — powers the Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) view with column grouping, formula-based coverage, and hierarchical data expansion
Both products must be licensed and installed for the full solution to function. Some dashboards and reports will not render correctly without both products active.
Contact Nextedy to obtain licenses for Risksheet and PowerSheet as part of the Aerospace Safety Solution bundle.

What is the reference project used in documentation examples?

Throughout this documentation, examples are drawn from the Aero1 Flight Control Computer (FCC) reference project. This is a sample project pre-configured with all Aerospace Safety Solution work item types, document templates, risksheet configurations, and dashboard layouts. It implements all seven supported standards and serves as both a demonstration environment and a starting point for new programs.

Can the solution be adapted for non-aviation programs?

The Aerospace Safety Solution is primarily designed and validated for aviation certification programs under EASA and FAA frameworks. However, the underlying Polarion configuration — work item types, RTM model, and traceability structure — can be adapted for defense programs using MIL-STD-882E or for other safety-critical domains. Any adaptation requires review of the RTM domain model and risksheet configurations to align with the target standard’s taxonomy.
Consult Nextedy before modifying the base solution configuration for non-aviation use cases, as changes to the data model may affect dashboard calculations and certification readiness metrics.

Browse the FAQ index for Safety Assessment, Certification, and Configuration question categories, or visit Getting Started for hands-on guidance.