Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to facilitate the implementation and operation of a Just-in-Time (JIT)/kanban system in the organisation.

Application of the unit 

In a typical scenario, the team leader will need to monitor the operation of the JIT system and facilitate its working. This will involve liaison with stakeholders as well as examining the data generated. They will need to be alert to potential problems and areas for improvement. This unit comes from the Competitive Manufacturing Initiative group of competency standards.

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. Monitor the operation of the JIT system

1.1. Track value of key measures 

1.2. Recognise indicators of poor performance

1.3. Take appropriate quick fix  action

2. Liaise with relevant stakeholders

2.1. Regularly communicate with team members regarding the operation of the JIT  system

2.2. Communicate with relevant personnel up and down the value chain  regarding the operation of the JIT system

2.3. Identify issues with stakeholders and take appropriate quick fix action

3. Improve the JIT system

3.1. Identify areas requiring improvement in the JIT system

3.2. Recognise competency gaps in team members and other stakeholders

3.3. Recognise attitudinal issues in team members and other stakeholders

3.4. Develop appropriate improvement solutions

3.5. Liaise with relevant people regarding these solutions

3.6. Implement/assist with the implementation of the solutions

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• OHS in relation to operating machinery such as safely switching off machinery before cleaning is started
• communication of ideas and information by regularly communicating with team members regarding the operation of the JIT system
• collecting, analysing and organising information by monitoring the operation of the JIT system
• planning and organising activities by implementing/assisting with the implementation of the solutions
• teamwork when regularly communicating with team members regarding the operation of the JIT system
• mathematical ideas and techniques by monitoring the operation of the JIT system
• problem-solving skills by identifying issues with stakeholders and taking appropriate quick fix action
• use of technology by monitoring the operation of the JIT system

Required knowledge 

• reading
• recording
• communicating
• planning
• analysing
• problem solving
• negotiating
• JIT principles relevant to job(s)
• procedures for making/recommending improvements
• reasons for delays/storages/inventories in that section of the value chain under their control and methods of reducing/eliminating them
• competency gap analysis and methods of filling competency gaps
• principles of the manufacturing process relevant to the section/team
• production data generated by the process and its application to JIT

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 ability to:

• The competent team leader will at all times know the state of the JIT system in their area and will take actions to ensure its smooth operation on a day to day basis as well as recommend/undertake actions to improve it long term. Evidence should be available of the team leader's facilitation of the operation of the JIT system and their recommendations for making improvements
• Evidence should be gathered from an extended period showing routine support for the JIT system and regular improvements made or recommended.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• this unit will need to be assessed in an organisation operating JIT
• access to an organisation using JIT.

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.

Guidance information for assessment 

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

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.

Key measures  may include:

• key measures may include inventory levels, lead time, IFOTIS delivery, productivity/production rate, other measures of pull through the value chain, quality
• IFOTIS refers to delivery of product In Full, On Time and In Specification.

Quick fix  may include:

• quick fix is action taken to immediately and cheaply control a problem, prevent it getting worse and/or ameliorate its impact, but which does not necessarily solve it long term.

JIT  - Just -in -Time  may include:

• JIT - a production scheduling concept that calls for any item needed at a production operation, whether raw material, finished item, or anything in between, to be produced and available precisely when needed, neither a moment earlier nor a moment later.

Value chain  may include:

• competitive manufacturing organisations encompass the entire production system, beginning with the customer, and include the product sales outlet, the final assembler, product design, raw material mining and processing and all tiers of the value chain (sometimes called the supply chain). Any truly "competitive" system is highly dependent on the demands of its customers and the reliability of its suppliers. No implementation of competitive manufacturing can reach its full potential without including the entire "enterprise" in its planning.

Kanban  may include:

• Kanban - a card or sheet used to authorise production or movement of an item; when fully implemented, kanban (the plural is the same as the singular) operates according to the following rules:
• all production and movement of parts and material take place only as required by a downstream operation, ie all manufacturing and procurement are ultimately driven by the requirements of final assembly or the equivalent
• the specific tool which authorises production or movement is called a kanban. The word literally means card or sign, but it can legitimately refer to a container or other authorising device. Kanban have various formats and content as appropriate for their usage; for example, a kanban for a vendor is different than a kanban for an internal machining operation
• Kanban is typically applied to batch type operation and the production is measured in units produced. In continuous manufacturing organisations, production is measured in terms of production rate (eg kg/h, tonne/day) and rate is increased/decreased according to the flow authorisation which may be a kanban (eg ticket, order from a supplier) or may be a SCADA signal from a remote facility (eg customer tank) saying that resupply is required or similar.

SCADA  may include:

• SCADA (System Control and Data Acquisition) is a general term applied to a number of systems which automatically collect critical process data, perform required mathematical manipulations on it and then make control decisions and/or give required information to personnel for action.

Pull system  may include:

• a manufacturing planning system based on communication of actual real-time needs from downstream operations ultimately final assembly or the equivalent; as opposed to a push system which schedules upstream operations according to theoretical downstream results based on a plan which may not be current.

Unit sector 

Competency field 

Support

Co-requisite units