Personally I think that the most valuable comment in this series was that of Dairyground - what an eye-opener. We aren’t the only safety obsessed people, and it sounds as if the aviator sector may need to think more widely. What is ISO9000, and why don’t I know about it? Dairyground?
I'll leave it to Dairyground to explain ISO 9000 quality standards in more detail, but in the interim, it is a set of standards for documentation, communication and establishment of standardized work processes across the organization (Six Sigma is another quality standard used in aerospace manufacturing). These don't come down from on high, but are the result of process mapping and collaboration across work areas over time. More importantly, someone is designated as the owner of each work process, responsible for keeping it up to date and in use. The company must be audited initially and regularly by an outside certified auditor, with discrepancies addressed prior to registration or recertification. If something is happening that is not documented, or not happening that is, or worked around, it is addressed at a collective review meeting (did I get that right, Dairyground?).
This extends to not just well-documented work processes required in aviation authority regs like Part type SOP's and checklists, but also the regular corporate functions where things can fall through the cracks (e.g. communication between finance and maintenance). I don't have the full list of ISO 9000 registered firms, but I know UPS Air is ISO 9001 certified, as is United's Engine Maintenance Division.
In terms of its specific application to this thread: In addressing takeoff performance, under ISO 9000 a company should address the full end-to-end process, including some issues raised here that go beyond the preflight and checklists: e.g. availability and distribution of laptops, information available prior to crew pickup, thrust and weight calculations, speed checks, etc. Would checks have been implemented for catching erroneous figures or calculations under ISO 9000 if that's not addressed? Should be, but depends on the effective feedback and input from the parties involved.
The feedback from the accident review will probably serve as an interesting after the fact "audit."