Unit of competency details

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.

1

Contribute to planning improvement events

1.1

Identify own role and functions and those of the broader office and how they contribute to value to the customer

1.2

Make suggestions for changes that might lead to improvements in the targeted process

1.3

Participate in team activities to identity breakthrough improvements to be implemented

1.4

Identify own project tasks and task sequencing for improvements

2

Assist in making improvements

2.1

Identify metrics relevant to own role in the target process

2.2

Gather baseline data on these metrics

2.3

Undertake tasks as allocated in the project plan

2.4

Communicate with team and project leader on progress, achievements and difficulties

2.5

Contribute to making adjustments and finding solutions to problems

3

Contribute to evaluating improvements

3.1

Gather comparative data on the metrics once changes have been made

3.2

Participate in team activities to evaluate the outcomes of the event

3.3

Make suggestions for additional changes and/or improvements for areas of poor performance

4

Sustain improvements

4.1

Consistently apply the new procedures/processes in own work area

4.2

Apply monitoring mechanisms

4.3

Report non-conformances and suggestions for further improvements

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

Required skills 

Required skills include:

• communicating with others to clarify scope of breakthrough improvement activity, contribute suggestions for improvement and review results
• visualising normal office procedures in terms of flow and contribution to customer benefit
• planning and prioritising own tasks in implementation of breakthrough team activity
• identifying office waste (muda)
• reading and interpreting documents describing office procedures
• recording activities and results against templates and other prescribed formats
• working with others to solve problems

Required knowledge 

Required knowledge includes:

• how the targeted process contributes to value for the customer
• standard office procedures within the targeted process for own activities and others in team
• difference between continuous improvement and breakthrough improvement
• breakthrough improvement techniques as is relevant to own job area
• competitive systems and practices tools and techniques as applied in the office, for example:

• value stream mapping
• 5S
• Just in Time (JIT)
• process mapping
• establishing customer pull
• key performance indicators/metrics
• identification and elimination of waste (muda)
• problem solving
• A3 reporting
• Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA)

• methods of making/recommending improvements

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 

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence of the ability to:

• identify the role of own and other team members’ activities in delivering value to the customer
• contribute ideas in team activities to identify options to improve the value to the customer
• identify and undertake own tasks and responsibilities in a breakthrough team activity
• participate in team activities to measure and evaluate the results.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment of performance must be undertaken in a workplace using or implementing one or more competitive systems and practices.

Access may be required to:

• workplace procedures and plans relevant to work area
• specifications and documentation relating to planned, currently being implemented. or implemented changes to work processes and procedures relevant to the assessee
• documentation and information in relation to production, waste, overheads and hazard control/management
• reports from supervisors/managers
• case studies and scenarios to assess responses to contingencies.

Method of assessment 

A holistic approach should be taken to the assessment.

Competence in this unit may be assessed by using some combination of the following to generate evidence:

• demonstration in the workplace
• workplace projects
• suitable simulation
• case studies/scenarios (particularly for assessment of contingencies, improvement scenarios, and so on)
• targeted questioning
• reports from supervisors, peers and colleagues (third-party reports)
• portfolio of evidence.

In all cases it is expected that practical assessment will be combined with targeted questioning to assess underpinning knowledge.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

Guidance information for assessment 

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

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.

Competitive systems and practices 

Competitive systems and practices may include, but are not limited to:

• lean operations
• agile operations
• preventative and predictive maintenance approaches
• monitoring and data gathering systems, such as customer relationship management (CRM) database, accounting packages, business intelligence or other office process-related database programs
• statistical process control systems, including six sigma and three sigma
• JIT, kanban and other pull-related operations control systems
• supply, value, and demand chain monitoring and analysis
• 5S
• continuous improvement (kaizen)
• breakthrough improvement (kaizen blitz)
• cause/effect diagrams
• takt time
• process mapping
• problem solving
• run charts
• standard procedures
• current reality tree

Competitive systems and practices should be interpreted so as to take into account:

• the stage of implementation of competitive systems and practices
• the size of the enterprise
• the work organisation, culture, regulatory environment and the industry sector

Office 

Office may include:

• a physical location or a remote or virtual location where information/administrative/transaction/service based functions are conducted

An office typically produces information and/or services as deliverables to internal or external customers and stores records in hard copy or electronically

Breakthrough improvement 

A breakthrough improvement is one that delivers a better ratio of value-add to non-value add from the customer perspective. It is characterised by:

• using a formal process
• being a discrete targeted activity that is achieved in a relatively short timeframe
• delivering significant level of improvement

Monitoring mechanisms 

Monitoring mechanisms may include:

• scheduled audits
• regular monitoring and/or reporting activities
• communications, such as standing items for team meetings
• tracking and visual display of performance measures

Waste 

Waste (also known as muda in the Toyota Production System and its derivatives) includes:

• errors in documents or data
• transport of documents
• doing unnecessary work
• waiting for the next process step
• process of getting approvals
• unnecessary motions
• backlog in work queues
• under utilised employees
• too many signature/approval levels
• unclear job descriptions
• obsolete databases/files/folders
• collecting unnecessary data
• interruptions that do not add value
• purchase orders not matching quotation
• full or bulk printouts when partial printout would do
• printing out when electronic files could serve the purpose
• holding unnecessary stock of office supplies
• generating reports that are not read
• other activities which do not yield any benefit to the organisation or any benefit to the organisations customers

Unit sector

Competitive systems and practices