Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to ensure that the gains which have been made by using improved methods, processes and equipment are sustained as the new standard for the team's area of work and so prevent regression to former practices or digression to less efficient practices.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to an environment where continuous improvement in a manufacturing enterprise is being undertaken.

The team leader or other responsible person facilitates and implements methods of ensuring that these improvements are sustained.

Improvement initiatives can be made by any number of methods and by teams or individuals. The unit assumes that desired levels of performance or quality are known to the team leader.

The unit covers ensuring that team members implement the modified processes so that improvements are sustained and opportunities are taken to suggest further improvements. 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. Ensure corrective actions are implemented

1.1. Liaise with relevant people

1.2. Negotiate solutions to allow implementation

1.3. Ensure the supply of resources (equipment, modifications, consumables, people)

1.4. Ensure workforce has relevant competency levels

1.5. Monitor implementation of corrective action

1.6. Make required adjustments

2. Analyse physical effort requirements of job

2.1. Ensure procedures  reflect improvements 

2.2. Ensure training and assessment systems  reflect improvements

2.3. Liaise with relevant people to ensure their support of the new modified system(s)

3. Determine time/effort components of physical effort

3.1. Determine an appropriate audit period/cycle

3.2. Agree on relevant measures/indicators for the improvement

3.3. Measure performance  at agreed time(s) using agreed measures

3.4. Investigate the cause(s) of underperformance

3.5. Take appropriate corrective action to improve performance

3.6. Re-audit the improvement on an agreed basis

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 negotiating solutions to allow implementation
• collecting, analysing and organising information by auditing the change
• planning and organising activities by measuring performance at agreed time/s using agreed measures
• teamwork when liaising with relevant people to ensure their support of the new modified system
• mathematical ideas and techniques by ensuring procedures reflect process improvements
• problem-solving skills by ensuring procedures reflect process improvements
• use of technology by analysing performance and auditing the change

Required knowledge 

• communication skills
• teamwork
• basic mathematics
• planning
• problem solving
• analysing
• existing procedures
• modified procedures
• overall process of manufacturing relative to improvements being made
• appropriate measures of performance
• business performance goals sufficient to determine best measures of improved performance

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 be able to point to improvements which have been made where they have been active in designing and implementing systems for sustaining the improvement. Evidence should be available of having sustained improvements in the workplace and of reviewing these improvements for their real impact
• evidence should be available from multiple small changes or from a large change which has had multiple facets implemented over a period of some months.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• assessment will need to occur in a workplace where improvements are occurring, or where specific improvement projects are undertaken for the purpose of providing evidence of competency (among other aims)
• the unit may also be assessed on a project basis in a simulated environment
• access to a workplace implementing competitive manufacturing strategies, or where improvement project(s) can be conducted and relevant records are required.

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.

Procedures  may include:

• all work instructions, standard operating procedures, formulas/recipes, batch sheets, temporary instructions and similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant. They may be written, oral, computer-based or in some other form
• good operating practice as may be defined by industry codes of practice (eg Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Responsible Care) and government regulations.

Improvement  may include:

• improvement procedures in some enterprises are also known by the term baka-yoke which is a manufacturing technique of preventing mistakes by designing the manufacturing process, equipment and tools so that an operation literally cannot be performed incorrectly; an attempt to perform incorrectly, as well as being prevented, is usually met with a warning signal of some sort; the term poka-yoke is sometimes referred to as a system where only a warning is provided
• improvements may be sustained by use of technology so that it is impossible to do the job any other way. However, improvements may also be sustained by changes to process or procedures or other changes to the manufacturing system which, if followed, will sustain the change and this unit may be applied to all these situations.

Systems  may include:

• any/all of the equipment, process, procedures and work practices that are used to produce the product
• a term often used in this context is Kaizen - the philosophy of continual improvement, that every process can and should be continually evaluated and improved in terms of time required, resources used, resultant quality and other aspects relevant to the process.

Measuring performance  may include:

• measuring performance is not used literally and may mean the personal taking of measurements, or it may mean arranging for measurements to be taken/made by appropriate personnel. The interpretation of the measurements however is to be undertaken personally.

Unit sector 

Competency field 

Support

Co-requisite units