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

Examine previous improvements

1.1

Identify impact of previous process improvements to equipment, operations, services or products in own work area

1.2

Identify improvements where objectives have not been met

2

Implement corrective actions

2.1

Identify corrective actions that can be taken by self on process improvements that have not met objectives

2.2

Obtain any required approvals

2.3

Identify any additional, personal skill gaps and seek skill development

2.4

Adopt improved processes

3

Check changes

3.1

Identify claimed improvements

3.2

Identify methods of observing and measuring claimed improvements in own work area

3.3

Check if claimed improvements are occurring and report problems in accordance with procedures

4

Check for further improvements

4.1

Look for areas of possible further improvement

4.2

Discuss further improvements with peers and supervisors

4.3

Take action to implement improvements in accordance with procedures

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

Required skills 

Required skills include:

• communicating with others to clarify scope and stage of implementation of competitive systems and practices and contribute suggestions for further improvements in implementation
• visualising normal operational procedures in terms of flow and contribution to customer outcomes
• planning own tasks to support competitive systems and practices implementation
• implementing competitive systems and practices in own work area according to instructions
• identifying waste (muda)
• monitoring competitive systems and practices performance indicators in own work and work area

Required knowledge 

Required knowledge includes:

• internal and external customers and the value they derive from own work area operations
• suppliers to own work area, their capabilities and contribution to customer benefit
• waste (muda)
• relevant competitive systems and practices for own job and how to apply and monitor the outcomes
• factors impacting on product, operations and waste, particularly those wholly or partially under their control (and how to control 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.

Overview of assessment

A person being assessed against this unit will be able to demonstrate their willing adoption of new equipment, processes, procedures and practices as well as their expertise at implementing them and making critical reviews of their performance in line with their level of competence and authority.

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:

• implement and monitor process improvements in own work area against objectives
• contribute suggestions for further improvement/s
• apply procedures for seeking approvals and reporting non-conformances.

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
• Just in Time (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 industry sector

Customers 

Customers may be:

• internal or external customers and should be sufficiently close to the individual’s work as to be easily identifiable
• final customers used as the basis for the identification of value and waste

The individual does not need to interface directly with the external customer, but should be provided with sufficient information to enable them to identify customer benefits and customer features

Suppliers 

Suppliers may be:

• internal or external suppliers and should be sufficiently close to the individual’s work as to be easily identifiable

The operator does not need to interface directly with external suppliers, but should be provided with sufficient information to enable them to identify supplier contribution to their own work and to customer benefit

Measuring improvements 

Measuring improvements may include:

• personally taking measurements
• arranging for measurements to be taken/made by appropriate personnel

Procedures 

Procedures may include:

• work instructions
• standard operating procedures
• formulas/recipe
• batch sheets
• temporary instructions and similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant
• good operating practice as may be defined by industry codes of practice (e.g. good manufacturing practice (GMP) and responsible care) and government regulations

Procedures may be:

• written, verbal, computer-based or in some other format

Improvements 

Improvements include:

• techniques for preventing mistakes by designing the operations process, equipment and tools so that an operation literally cannot be performed incorrectly (e.g. baka-yoke)
• techniques that generate warning signals were a mistake is about to be performed (poka-yoke)

Unit sector

Competitive systems and practices