Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to maintain the effectiveness of business technology in the workplace. It includes maintaining existing technology and planning for future technology requirements.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to individuals with a broad knowledge of business technology who contribute well developed skills in creating solutions to maintenance and upgrade issues with existing technology. They may have responsibility to provide guidance or to delegate aspects of these tasks to others.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Maintain performance of hardware and software

1.1. Monitor and evaluate system effectiveness to ensure it meets organisational and system requirements 

1.2. Use operating system, drive and disk structure, reports and files to identify performance problems

1.3. Maintain disk drives and peripherals  according to manufacturers' and organisational requirements

1.4. Replace consumables  in accordance with manufacturers' and organisational requirements

2. Provide basic system administration

2.1. Carry out system back-up procedure at regular intervals according to organisational and system requirements

2.2. Install and operate software  applications in accordance with developers' and organisational requirements

2.3. Maintain and update security access procedures in line with organisational requirements

2.4. Ensure that licence for use of software is used, checked and recorded in accordance with organisational requirements

2.5. Regularly maintain and update virus programs in accordance with organisational requirements

3. Identify future technology requirements

3.1. Maintain knowledge of current and new technology  by regularly accessing sources of information 

3.2. Identify and develop improved technology systems  using feedback from clients and colleagues

3.3. Assess existing technology against newly available technology to determine future needs and priorities

3.4. Identify and select new technologies to achieve and maintain continuous organisational development

3.5. Obtain management and budget approval for new selected technologies

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• communication skills to explain the operation and troubleshooting of technology in the work environment
• literacy skills to interpret and evaluate the purposes and objectives of various uses of technology; to display logical organisation of written information
• problem-solving skills to address routine and non-routine faults with hardware and software
• research and analytical skills to analyse and identify organisation's future technology requirements.

Required knowledge 

• costs and benefits of technology maintenance strategies
• general features and capabilities of current industry accepted hardware and software products
• importance of back-up and security procedures; maintenance and diagnostic procedures; licensing, installation and purchasing procedures
• key provisions of relevant legislation from all forms of government that may affect aspects of business operations, such as:

• anti-discrimination legislation
• ethical principles
• codes of practice
• privacy laws
• environmental issues
• occupational health and safety (OHS).

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 

Evidence of the following is essential:

• installing software and hardware
• organising and accessing software, materials and consumables
• maintaining technology security and maintenance systems
• knowledge of costs and benefits of technology maintenance strategies.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• access to an actual workplace or simulated environment
• access to office equipment and resources
• access to examples of technology maintenance and security procedures.

Method of assessment 

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

• direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
• analysis of responses to case studies and scenarios
• demonstration of techniques
• oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of general features and capabilities of current industry accepted hardware and software products.

Guidance information for assessment 

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

• other information and communications technologyor general administration units.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Organisational and system requirements  may include:

• back-up procedures
• Code of Conduct
• ethical standards
• legal and organisational policy/guidelines and requirements
• maintenance of customised software
• OHS policies, procedures and programs
• quality assurance and/or procedures manuals
• register of licenses
• restore procedures
• security and confidentiality procedures
• software licence documentation
• storage of information technology documentation
• storage retrieval and type of product licenses
• updating of virus protection systems

Disk drive and peripherals maintenance  may include:

• backing up files before major maintenance
• checking hard drive for errors
• cleaning dust from internal and external surfaces
• creating more free space on the hard disk
• defragmenting the hard disk
• deleting unwanted files
• reviewing programs
• using up-to-date anti-virus programs

Consumables  may include:

• disks
• magnetic tape and cassettes
• print heads
• print media
• printer ribbons and cartridges

Software  may include:

• accounting applications
• commercial software applications
• database applications
• internet/intranet/extranet related programs
• organisation-specific software
• presentation applications
• spreadsheet applications
• word processing applications

Technology  may include:

• client services
• computers
• data transfer devices
• modems
• peripherals, including:

• printers, scanners, tape cartridges
• speakers, multimedia kits
• personal computer, modems
• input equipment such as mouse, touch pad, keyboard, pens
• mobile phones, palmtops and personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptops and desktop computers
• Bluetooth devices, universal serial bus (USB), Firewire (IEEE 1394)

• photocopiers
• printers
• scanners
• software

Sources of information  may include:

• computer hardware manufacturers
• computer magazines and journals
• computer software designers
• industry associations
• internal/external clients
• internet
• retail outlets
• seminars, workshops and training sessions
• trade fairs

Improved technology systems  may include:

• access protocols
• cable data transmissions
• delivery and installation systems
• hardware upgrades
• implementing a new system
• maintenance options
• multimedia
• networking options
• new hardware
• new software
• resource usage monitoring
• software upgrades

Unit sector 

Competency field 

Information and Communications Technology - IT Support

Co-requisite units