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 current visual management activities and information needs

1.1

Identify current visual management activities and provided information

1.2

Establish extent of linkage of visual management activities and provided information to other competitive systems and practices strategies and techniques

1.3

Identify problems and improvements which could be made

1.4

Determine root cause of problems

1.5

Determine visual management techniques and information needs for improvement to occur

1.6

Determine benefit which would accrue from improvement and cost of providing the information

2

Choose which things to display visually

2.1

List all valuable information identified

2.2

Rank possible information based on benefit/cost or other agreed basis

2.3

Agree on the critical information and possible information sources which should be included in the visual management system

2.4

Negotiate the provision of this critical information to an adequate precision and in a timely manner

3

Choose display method

3.1

Choose the most appropriate display method for each item of critical information

3.2

Determine the most appropriate location for the visual display of each item of critical information

3.3

Determine the appropriate source and approving authority for display information

3.4

Review the chosen information, information source, display method and location to ensure the right display of the right information

3.5

Validate data/information as required by methodology

4

Review the results of visual management

4.1

Review actual benefit gained and the actual cost of providing the information

4.2

Validate the appropriateness of the information provided for delivering the intended outcome

4.3

Initiate appropriate improvements to the visual management system

4.4

Follow through on improvement actions to ensure they are fully implemented

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

Required skills 

Required skills include:

• cooperating and working with others, both internally and externally to the work group
• determining the information to be displayed and location of displays through:

• discussions with users
• discussion with generators of information (e.g. sales, marketing, production planning or maintenance departments to determine available information)
• comparing current state with future state
• identifying information-related causes of current problems and non-conformances

• determining and communicating to others the purpose of visual management techniques and indicators in the operation, including:

• making the problems, abnormalities or deviations from standard visible to everyone and thus corrective action can be taken immediately
• displaying the operating or progress status in a easy to see format
• providing instruction
• conveying information
• providing immediate feedback to people
• support and create structure and links in process
• improving health, safety and environment (HSE) performance

• developing agreement on standards and indicators to be used
• analysing and planning
• communicating across all levels in an organisation using a variety of techniques and media
• solving problems to root cause
• prioritising improvements and problems according to impact on value creation

Required knowledge 

Required knowledge includes:

• concept of value and value add in terms of the customer
• understanding of the organisation’s operations and processes subject to visual management
• visual management techniques, including:

• comparators, status and indicators
• colour standards and standard signalling tools
• and-on lights (visual alarm of a problem – manual or automatic actuation, may also include audible alarm)
• the use of tags, labels and similar

• visual management strategies to provide information to employees, including:

• to provide status at a glance (normal versus abnormal conditions/quality)
• to reinforce standard work
• to predict quality/productivity problems
• to provide instructions, directions and reminders
• to inform, alert and motivate workers
• as a safety and environmental tool

• the application of visual management as part of:

• 5S and, 5S audits
• quick changeover
• proactive maintenance
• kanban
• flow
• waste walks
• kaizen and kaizen blitz events

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:

• assess current visual management displays, strategies and effectiveness
• determine visual management improvement strategy
• undertake visual management improvement
• implement (or initiate and follow through on the implementation of) the actions which flow from the visual management project
• examine the outcomes and identify improvements.

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 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

Method for displaying information 

Method for displaying information may include:

• colour coding
• pictures/graphics
• kanban cards
• coloured lines
• signage
• labelling
• control boards
• area information boards
• gauges and dials
• checklists
• Gantt charts

Where to display 

Information may be displayed:

• at the machine or cell/on the plant or equipment (e.g. performance feedback and process conditions)
• at a workstation (e.g. work instructions)
• on a control panel
• centrally (e.g. general plant or team information)
• visible to all (e.g. and-on lights and HSE alarms)

Unit sector

Competitive systems and practices