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

Obtain required data

1.1

Identify process for study

1.2

Obtain/organise process to obtain required data/information

2

Analyse information

2.1

Analyse data and determine assignable causes

2.2

Develop possible improvements to eliminate assignable causes

2.3

Incorporate own experience and learning into proposed process improvement proposals

2.4

Develop process improvement proposals

3

Improve process capability

3.1

Obtain required authorities to implement improvements

3.2

Liaise with relevant people to implement improvements

3.3

Obtain/organise required data for improved process

3.4

Recalculate process capability

3.5

Implement revised data collection/processing and new capability information

3.6

Monitor improvement actions and make adjustments, as necessary

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

Required skills 

Required skills include:

• performing relevant mathematical operations
• identifying and using relevant statistical methods
• communicating and explaining data- related changes and procedures to individuals and groups
• negotiating with other employees and managers on proposed improvement actions
• analysing procedures and data to establish variation
• solving problems to root cause where assignable cause of variation is not obvious
• working in a team
• using computer software relevant to required analyses and process

Required knowledge 

Required knowledge includes:

• data collection methods
• data processing techniques required
• variability and normal distribution
• three sigma or six sigma processes, as relevant
• random and non-random results (recognition of assignable causes)
• causes of different types of non-random results
• causes of random variation
• process understanding sufficient to translate the data into variations in the process and determine methods of controlling 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 the ability to:

• analyse process information
• calculate process capability/trial limits
• improve process capability (or organise for it to be improved)
• analyse revised process information and recalculate process capability.

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 the industry sector

Process capability 

Process capability is:

• the measurable ability of a process to reliably produce within calculated limits (the limits depend on the variation of the process)

Variation 

All processes have variation. The approach in this unit is to separate random variation (no assignable cause) from non-random variation (which has an assignable cause). By finding and eliminating assignable causes, total variation is reduced and process capability will be improved

Six sigma 

Six sigma refers to:

• a statistical tool for recording defects and determining capability. Six sigma limits equate to 3.4 defects per million opportunities for each product or service transaction. Six sigma is also used as a general term covering a competitive systems and practices approach. Six sigma training typically covers several units of competency in this Training Package

Three sigma 

Three sigma refers to:

• a traditional statistical process control. Three sigma limits equate to 3 defects per thousand opportunities for each product or service transaction

Required data 

The calculation of three sigma or six sigma limits requires process data. The data required depends on the nature of the limits being calculated

Assignable cause 

Any non-random variation is said to have an ‘assignable cause’. The methods of data analysis common to statistical capability analysis as well as other methods of root cause analysis should be used to determine the cause of this non-random variation

Improved process capability 

Improvements to process capability result from eliminating the causes of non-random variation. The improvements made may be:

• as a result of continuous improvement with the process capability being recalculated periodically
• as a result of an improvement project with the process capability recalculated as part of that project

Procedures 

Procedures may include:

• work instructions
• standard operating procedures
• formulas/recipes
• 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)
• government regulations

Procedures may be:

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

Unit sector

Competitive systems and practices