Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit covers the process of facilitating client orders for products and the receiving and dispatching of plants and other nursery products from a production or retail nursery and defines the standard required to: communicate with client and advise on product; select and evaluate individual product quality; fulfil orders for nursery products in quantity and meet client quality requirements; maintain stock inventory; advise on nursery product availability and record sales quantities of product; record financial details of transactions.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to the process of selection and collection of product for the purpose of dispatch, delivery or pickup by client and the process of receiving and processing of products from suppliers. Some discretion and judgement may be required in relation to the selection, presentation and preparation for transportation of particular nursery products. Receiving and dispatching involves the application of a diverse range of knowledge in horticulture, warehousing, storage and transportation techniques.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Select product for an order

1.1. Materials, equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required for the job are selected and used.

1.2. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) hazards are identified and reported and suitable risk controls implemented.

1.3. Product is selected from stock batches in accordance with order forms or by client request.

1.4. Clients onsite are assisted with selection or directed to particular product or display areas.

1.5. Quality of product is evaluated visually to meet the standard order requirements for quality.

1.6. Special order requirements are detailed on the order forms or requested verbally.

1.7. Stockholding areas are blocked up for presentation.

1.8. Volume of product remaining is observed and information is retained to inform other clients.

2. Maintain the stock inventory

2.1. Orders are collated in the sales/dispatch area.

2.2. Orders are checked for enterprise quality of a sales product and for accuracy in quantity.

2.3. Records are kept of outgoing sales in the product inventory by manual or electronic means.

2.4. Adjustments are made in the inventory about the quantity of nursery stock available for sale.

3. Prepare for dispatch or delivery

3.1. Product is checked for correct labelling and incorrect labelling is replaced.

3.2. Product is packaged for delivery and presentation to the client.

3.3. Product is packed into containers for ease of handling.

3.4. Delivery of product is assisted by loading and stacking product according to the configuration of the transportation vehicle.

3.5. Product quality is checked at each stage in the delivery process.

3.6. Sales/dispatch areas and packing/packaging materials are maintained and tidied.

4. Receive products

4.1. Incoming product is received and checked for quality and correct quantities.

4.2. Product is transferred to stock holding areas with appropriate manual handling techniques.

4.3. Incoming documentation, receipts of delivery and invoices are transferred to administration.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• communicate with clients, suppliers and work team members
• interpret order forms
• select product for order requirements
• evaluate product quality
• meet client service requirements
• maintain product records accurately, either manually or on a computer
• use a calculator
• use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures
• use interpersonal skills to work with and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge 

• environmental controls necessary for transporting plants
• common sources of cross contamination from transport vehicles
• enterprise quarantine policies and relevant quarantine legislation
• enterprise stock control procedures
• best practice guidelines for nursery hygiene
• enterprise quality standards for the packing, packaging and labelling of products.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

• communicate with client and advise on product
• select and evaluate individual product quality
• fulfil orders for nursery products in quantity and meet client quality requirements
• maintain stock inventory
• advise on nursery product availability
• record sales quantities of product and record financial details of transactions.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Nursery products may include:

• the range of retail products and production nursery stock.

Unit sector 

Nursery

Co-requisite units 

Competency field