While it is impossible to apply one counter measure that will prevent procedural errors, we have found that some standardization in the design of the environment reduces the possibility of failure. The concept of human-centric design for telecommunications products and documentation has potential for reducing the impact and/or frequency of procedural errors. This design approach is presently being implemented on new network elements. For the existing network, universal applications of Good ("Best") Practices provide a valuable solution for reversing the rising trend of outages attributed to procedural errors. Although as an industry we are moving in the right direction, our efforts need to be more aggressive. Best practices, generic requirements and existing legislation should be embraced and implemented to minimize procedural errors and improve network reliability.