Make No Mistake!: An Outcome-Based Approach to Mistake-Proofing

If you work for a company that emphasizes traditional quality control methods it's unlikely that you've seen defects eliminated in spite of substantial efforts. Make No Mistake! clarifies the reasons why such traditional methods fail and shows how world-class quality can be achieved at a fraction of the cost through mistake-proofing--the practice of controlling virtually every source of potential errors.

Author C. Martin Hinckley has gathered here--for the first time in a single source--the best methods for reducing complexity, variation, confusion, and the other root causes of defects. The counterpiece of the book is an outcome-based classification system for mistake-proofing that focuses on preventing rather than detecting defects. As the author states, "The great value of mistake-proofing is that, independent of the cause, psychological factor, production stage, or potential consequences, it blocks or warns about an undesired outcome at a point in the process when the consequences can be minimized." Undesired outcomes include omitted parts, parts placed in the wrong orientation, and the use of incorrect information, among others thoroughly categorized by the author.

When mistake-proofing practices are sorted according to specific outcomes, more similarities emerge in both the problems and the control methods than when organized by any other approach. Thus, this technique provides the fastest and easiest means for identifying alternative mistake-proofing concepts.

Because mistake-proofing is a skill that improves through familiarity with previous solutions, Hinckley's new classification system is the key to rapidly finding outstanding solutions to current problems on the shop floor.

Make No Mistake! covers all aspects of mistake-proofing, and includes:

• 200 mistake-proofing examples from varied industries
• Easy-to-use mistake-proofing documentation forms you can apply on the job
• Introduction to princples of mistake-proofing and design for assembly
• A quick, step-by-step methodology for developing superior mistake-proofing concepts
• Listing of select suppliers of mistake-proofing devices

About the Author

The President of Assured Quality, C. Martin Hinckley has a broad background of design experience centering around projects requiring the highest levels of quality and reliability. The lead mechanical engineer on major projects at Sandia National Laboratories, Hinckley has also written widely in his field. His writings have appeared in Mechanical Engineering, R&D Magazine, Appliance Manufacturer, and the Stanford University Campus Report. Technical papers on his research have also been published in Manufacturing Review, the Journal of Quality Technology, and Quality Reliability Engineering. His research results on the link between design concept and product quality stem from his work with Hitachi, Motorola, and GE Aircraft Engines.