RatedG said:
Your first two steps are good. As a reminder, if your wheels are really dirty, A2Z is best sprayed on a dry wheel to avoid whatever diluting effect water may have. Also, removing the wheels to do their interiors will usually reap great benefits. You don't realize how much cleaner they look until everything shining through from behind is also sparkling. While they're off, it's a good time to really get the wheel wells done, too. A nice clean black wheel well will show the rims off even more, and add to the overall "concours detailed" look.
After claying, a second quick wash is usually recommended to remove any clay residue.
After that's done, clean & dress all your trim with a quality product. Doing this at this step serves 2 purposes: It allows the rest of the car to dry completely; and it protects your trim from stains when you move on to polishing and waxing. When doing the trim, pay attention to anything that is black rubber or plastic on your car. This can include the windshield and window moldings, rearview mirrors, wiper cowl, roof or trunk rack, grille slats, side or lower moldings, headlight or taillight seals, antennae seal, and door handles and key hole surrounds. I prefer gels like GC Trim Dressing (which will clean & protect in one step) or a combination of #39 to clean and #38 to dress.
Next, move on to any abrasive polish you intend to use. If you have swirls or marring, DACP can be effective by hand, but probably won't get rid of everything. Do a search for Scottwax's postings under "Removing Swirls By Hand." If you experience hazing from the DACP (which I have not), then step down to a less aggressive polish like SFP.
Once you are satisfied with the results, clean the paint with a chemical cleaner like your AIO. This should get rid of any remaining paint impurities and give you the brightness you want.
Your protectant steps sound great, and adding a nice clear caranauba topper might also be something to try.