Write the standard before the work starts: three to six checks the finished piece must pass. When it is finished, go through the checks one by one and mark each pass or fail. Record the result. If everything passes, the work goes out. If not, it goes back with a note that says exactly which check failed and why. That is quality control, for a part or a report.
A worked example: the monthly client report
The standard, written before the work:
- Numbers match the source sheet.
- Names and dates are right.
- The one-page summary comes first.
- It answers the brief's question.
- Every link opens.
- Nothing is left over from last month.
The check, when the report is finished: open the report and the list side by side. One through four pass. Five fails: a link opens the wrong page. Six passes.
The decision: back to the writer with one line: "Link in section three opens last month's dashboard." Fixed in two minutes. Out it goes.
The four habits that make it work
- Standard first. Checks written after the work are opinions.
- Yes or no checks. "Is it good?" is not a check. "Do the numbers match the sheet?" is.
- Record the fails. After a month, the record shows which check fails most. That is where the process needs changing.
- Fix the cause. If links fail every month, add "click every link" to the writer's own list.
Where M-Tracker fits
M-Tracker runs this process on every task. The brief holds the checks: result, audience, must-haves. When the work is sent, M-Tracker compares it with the brief and writes a plain review of what matches and what is missing. The person sees it first and fixes the fails before anyone else looks. Reviews are saved, so the record of what fails most builds itself.
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Questions people ask
Who should perform the check?
The person who did the work, first, against the written standard. Then a second look for anything client-facing.
How long should it take?
Five minutes for most office work. The time it saves is measured in hours.
What if the standard was wrong?
Change it, and say so. A standard that nobody can meet is a brief problem, not a people problem.
Work you can trust, without redoing it.
Your team gets feedback before work reaches you, or your client.
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