Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the First Edition

1. A Clear Path to World-Class Performance and Results

    1.1. The Bus Trip
    1.2. Business Processes Should Always Deliver Right Results
    1.3. The Accuracy Controlled Enterprise: Prevent Human Error Everywhere, Every Time

2. Aim to be an Expert

3. Purpose of Standard Operating Procedures

    3.1. The Cost of Poorly Written Standard Operating Procedures
    3.2. Human Error Rates

4. The Accuracy Controlled Enterprise Concept (What it means to be an ACE.)

    4.1. Hold Your Ground

5. Building Reliable Work Processes and Systems

    5.1. Series Systems
    5.2. Parallel Systems

6. Variability in Outcomes

    6.1. Spotting Variability
        Example 6.1: Inventory Replenishment Mayhem
        Example 6.2: Seeing Variability - The Cross-Hair Game

7. Controlling Variability

    7.1. Variability Causes Defects and Failures
    7.2. Why Failures Happen

8. The ACE uses SOPs to Prevent Defects and Failures at All Levels

    8.1. Controlling Accuracy - Removing Error
    8.2. Accuracy Control - The Purpose of Targets in SOPs
    8.3. The Need for Tolerances in Procedures
    8.4. The Way the Accuracy Controlled Enterprise Uses SOPs
    8.5. Further Reducing the Effects of Variation
    8.6. Becoming an ACE Starts from the Top

9. Developing ACE Procedures

    9.1. Easily Definable Standards and Measures
    9.2. Difficult to Define Standards and Measures
    9.3. Handling Procedural Non-Conformances

10. Extra Benefits of Being an ACE

    10.1. Far Fewer Downstream Problems
    10.2. Less Expensive Inspections
    10.3. Better, Faster Training In-built
    10.4. Less Highly Skilled Employees Needed for Less Cost

11. Raising Standards - Intentionally Improving Skills

    11.1. Systematize the Learning Process
    11.2. Develop Training Plans for Each Person
    11.3. The Importance of Raising Standards

12. The Cost of Poorly Written Standard Operating Procedures

    12.1. The Best SOPs Can Be Done By the Least Skilled People
    12.2. Train and Retrain Your People to Your Standard Operating Procedures
    12.3. The Focus becomes Improving the System Performance

13. The Power of Visual Control Measures

    13.1. Visual Control Measures for Continuous Processes

14. The Curse of Being Average

    14.1. Understanding Elite Performers in Population Distributions
    14.2. The Curse of Being an Average Business
    14.3. Getting More than Average Performance
    14.4. Why Teams Outperform
    14.5. Implications for Managing Organizations

15. When to Use a 3T SOP

    15.1. Importance of Standardization when Seeking to be an ACE, Lean or Six Sigma

16. When Not to Use a SOP

17. A Story of the Success and Power of a SOP

18. The Secret of Writing a Successful SOP

19. Writing a 3T Failure Prevention SOP

    19.1. SOPs are Powerful Preventive Action
    19.2. The Best Person to Write an SOP
    19.3. SOP for Teams
    19.4. Layout to Aid Understanding (Make it intuitively easy to absorb)
    19.5. Start With a Summary, End with the Facts
    19.6. List all Tools, Equipment and References
    19.7. Be Totally Complete (Don't only write it, show it.)
    19.8. Be Simple, Be Exact (Clearly indicate every action, measure and timing)
    19.9. Full Details Clearly Provided Step by Step
    19.10. Provide Regular Self-Testing For Certainty
    19.11. Request Proof That Each Step is Done Correctly
    19.12. Keep It a True Record of Current Best Practices
    19.13. Keep Control of the Documents and Records
    19.14. Keep the Master Copy Safe

20. SOP Using Value Stream Mapping Kaizen Layout

    20.1. Value Stream Mapping Overview
    20.2. Investigation
    20.3. Analysis
    20.4. Identifying Improvements
    20.5. Using VSM for SOP Continuous improvement and Preventive Action
    20.6. Benefits of Using Horizontal Value Steam Mapping Kaizen Layout
        Example 20.1: VSM Kaizen SOP Horizontal Layout

21. Conducting Training

22. Conduct Random Audits

23. Example - Shoe Lace Tying

24. Example - Cash flow Spreadsheet

25. Example - Flange Connection 3T Failure Prevention SOP with Tolerance Banding

26. Epilogue

27. On The Importance of Doing A Job Well

    27.1. What are Standards?
    27.2. Setting Competency Standards
    27.3. The Power of a Quality Management System

Bibliography
Index