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

Determine appropriate analytical techniques

1.1

Liaise with key stakeholders to determine objectives of operations strategy

1.2

Examine current operations to determine major areas requiring improvement

1.3

Compare possible strategies, techniques and tools against organisation needs

1.4

Select possible strategies, techniques and tools

1.5

Consult with key stakeholders to confirm selected strategies, techniques and tools

2

Develop competitive systems and practices strategies

2.1

Estimate benefit/cost ratio for major stakeholders and the value stream overall

2.2

Determine preferred operations strategy

2.3

Examine and adapt strategy to organisation needs and priorities

2.4

Examine and adapt competitive systems and practices techniques and tools required to implement strategy

2.5

Negotiate with key stakeholders to develop an implementation plan

2.6

Determine key information and performance indicators required

3

Implement strategy

3.1

Determine data collection required

3.2

Identify and evaluate methods of collecting and processing required data

3.3

Determine hardware and other resources required

3.4

Evaluate skill needs required

3.5

Ensure all resources/training are available and completed

3.6

Implement strategy

4

Monitor implementation of strategy

4.1

Compare information/performance indicators with desired levels

4.2

Liaise with key stakeholders regarding strategy issues

4.3

Identify areas requiring adjustment

4.4

Make required adjustments

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

Required skills 

Required skills include:

• undertaking self-directed problem solving and decision-making on issues of a broad and/or highly specialised nature and in a wide variety of contexts
• analysing current state/situation of the organisation and value stream, including appropriateness of strategy, operations and internal and external relationships, including value stream members
• determining appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs) and overseeing data collection
• selecting appropriate competitive systems and practices tools and techniques, such as:

• value stream mapping
• 5S
• Just in Time (JIT)
• mistake proofing
• process mapping
• establishing customer pull
• kaizen and kaizen blitz
• setting of KPIs/metrics
• identification and elimination of waste

• communicating at all levels in the organisation and value stream and to audiences of different levels of literacy and numeracy
• prioritising situations and actions based on:

• customer benefit
• cost/benefit analysis

• reviewing and modifying strategies and KPIs, as required

Required knowledge 

Required knowledge includes:

• competitive systems and practices principles and tools, including:

• value stream mapping
• 5S
• JIT
• mistake proofing
• process mapping
• establishing customer pull
• kaizen and kaizen blitz
• setting of key performance indicators/metrics
• identification and elimination of waste

• methods of estimating costs/benefits
• acceptable benefit/cost ratios
• continuous improvement principles
• principles of motivation and leadership
• characteristics and strengths of different types of strategies, techniques and tools, such as 5S, JIT, six sigma, lean operations and agile operations
• business goals sufficient to match the strategy to the business needs
• strategic thinking
• principles of process equipment and how to improve its reliability
• resources required and how to obtain them

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.

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 their ability to:

• determine appropriate analytical techniques
• develop strategies that deliver the greatest overall benefit
• implement the strategies
• monitor the implementation of the strategy.

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 a 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 Systems Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Materials Resource Planning (MRP) and proprietary systems
• 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
• overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
• 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

Competitive systems and practices techniques and tools 

Competitive systems and practices techniques and tools may include:

• value stream mapping
• 5S
• JIT
• mistake proofing
• process mapping
• establishing customer pull
• kaizen and kaizen blitz
• setting of KPIs/metrics
• identification and elimination of waste (muda)
• standardisation

Value stream 

The value stream begins with the customer and includes all actions (both value-adding and non-value added) by both internal sections/departments and external organisations to meet a customer requirement.

Depending on the operations and the customer requirement stages where value stream actions may occur include:

• sales outlet/representative
• information gathering, data analysis and research
• product design
• raw material sourcing
• intermediate processing
• final assembler/collation/preparation
• support services (e.g. accounting, finance and legal)
• storage and delivery to customer
• after market support

Unit sector

Competitive systems and practices