Look around at how you get the job done. Whether you’re in the manufacturing, service or business, you have equipment that must operate correctly and a series of steps or actions that must occur for your product or service to be successful. These series of steps are known as Procedures.

Mistake-proofing is really about preventing all kinds of problems and inefficiencies in these procedures - the ones you're using now as well as those you might implement in the future. The best way to prevent problems is to design your procedures so that it is impossible for the problems to occur in the first place - Mistake-Proof them!

When you think about it, aren't most problems caused by mistakes or errors built into the design, manufacture, or performance of the product or service? Shouldn't problems be eliminated in the procedures themselves and not after the fact? That is exactly what mistake-proofing does. It's easy to learn and provides a method for you to

• Define and prioritize operating procedures.
• Apply a step-by-step process to identify, define, and prioritize   
  problems.
• Identify, plan, and implement solutions.
• Plan implementation of the best solutions.
• Use worksheets to guide yu through each step.
• Document and justify any actions you decide to take.