Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit of competency involves importing seafood product and ensuring that it meets customer needs and Australian food regulations. It covers placing an order for product with an overseas supplier, negotiating product specifications and organising transport, Australian Customs clearance, and storage and/or delivery of product to the Australian customer.

Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements may apply to this unit. Therefore it will be necessary to check with the relevant state or territory regulators for current licensing, legislative or regulatory requirements before undertaking this unit.

Application of the unit 

All enterprise or workplace procedures and activities are carried out according to relevant government regulations , licensing and other compliance requirements , particularly food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures .

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. Communicate with suppliers

1.1. Effective business communication  with suppliers is established, maintained and conducted in a professional manner.

1.2. Contact with suppliers is maintained until sale is completed (or terminated).

1.3. Current product and market knowledge  is demonstrated, in all communications with suppliers.

2. Order product

2.1. Orders for products are placed with approved suppliers.

2.2. Product description is sufficiently detailed so that customer specifications , Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) requirements and state/territory food regulations can be met.

2.3. Price, product description, time of delivery and payment terms are negotiated with supplier.

2.4. Contract to purchase is checked and approved by appropriate person before being forwarded to supplier.

3. Complete documentation

3.1. All documentation  associated with the transaction is completed.

3.2. Documentation shows all information required to identify product, supplier and customer contract and is completed to the satisfaction of AQIS and Australian Customs.

3.3. Contracts to supply product are not signed and dispatched until checked by appropriate person.

3.4. A copy of the full set of negotiable documents is checked to ensure that the terms and conditions are consistent with that agreed to.

3.5. A full set of negotiable documents is signed.

4. Inspect product

4.1. Product is inspected, when appropriate, against customer specification to ensure that it meets customer's requirements as well as those of AQIS and relevant state/territory food regulations.

4.2. Arrangements are made for product that does not meet agreed specifications to be held for re-direction to other uses/markets.

5. Manage records

5.1. Records  of all communications with supplier and customer are maintained and filed against a contract number.

5.2. Records from receival point confirm that the correct product has been picked-up/delivered, product has been checked against manifest, the container number is consistent with that on the documentation and that the container's seal was still intact when delivered.

5.3. Records of inspections of product are maintained and type of product identification marks for traceability are recorded against contract number.

5.4. Records of import documentation are checked for completion before being filed against contract number.

5.5. Records of supplier/customer complaints are maintained and copies forwarded to the appropriate person for resolution.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• assessing seafood quality against a customer's specification
• computer literacy for:

• electronic filing, records and communications
• using internet for market research, ordering and monitoring logistics
• document production and spreadsheets

• developing and maintaining a networking relationship with a range of suppliers
• maintaining records of seafood inspections, transactions and communications with supplier
• researching marketing information
• negotiating price and sales arrangements
• using culturally appropriate communication to establish and maintain relationships with suppliers.

Literacy skills used for :

• completing complex forms
• corresponding in writing
• identifying and tracing product
• preparing detailed specifications and contracts to supply and purchase product
• reading enterprise import procedures.

Numeracy skills used for :

• calculating gross margins, percentage mark-ups and discounts
• calculating foreign exchange rates and currency
• manipulating exchange rate currency variables, buying and selling margins to maintain profit margins.

Required knowledge 

• buying systems used by suppliers
• AQIS regulatory requirements associated with importing seafood
• enterprise import procedures
• international banking procedures
• market intelligence for the species, such as degree of demand, prices, supply conditions and seasonality
• product knowledge, such as species recognition, quality, potential food safety hazards and specifications
• techniques used in business to:

• establish and maintain networks
• negotiate supply arrangements and seafood prices.

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 evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit 

Assessment must confirm the ability to:

• negotiate, arrange and undertake the purchase and sale of imported product that meets both the needs of the supplier and customer as to price, species, specifications and time of delivery, as well as meeting AQIS and other food safety requirements, and at a profit.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:

• AQIS requirements for importing seafood
• food safety requirements imported product
• species likely to be in demand in Australia
• species suitable for import into Australia.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment.

Resources may include:

• a full set of negotiable documents
• access to:

• cold storage facilities
• AQIS office
• seafood processing facilities
• NATA-certified testing laboratory
• central fish markets

• product specifications
• product to be inspected
• samples of contract to purchase
• samples of contract to supply
• temperature recording devices.

Method of assessment 

The following assessment methods are suggested:

• portfolios containing correspondence or records of discussion with customers and suppliers
• preparation of a full set of negotiable documents.

Guidance information for assessment 

This unit may be assessed holistically with other units within a qualification.

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.

Relevant government regulations , licensing and other compliance requirements  may include:

• biodiversity and genetically modified organisms
• biosecurity, translocation and quarantine
• AQIS and other import requirements
• business or workplace operations, policies and practices:

• commercial law, including fair trading and trade practices
• consumer law
• corporate law, including registration, licensing and financial reporting
• disability policies and practices
• equal opportunity, anti-discrimination and sexual harassment
• industrial relations and awards, individual employment contracts and share of catch agreements
• jurisdictional variations
• superannuation
• taxation
• trade practices
• warnings and dismissals
• worker's compensation

• ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles, environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• fisheries or aquaculture regulations, permits, licences, quotas, catch restrictions, and other compliance requirements, including:

• Australian Exclusive Economic Zone
• international treaties and agreements

• food safety, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), hygiene and temperature control along chain of custody
• imports quarantine and inspection, and importing approved arrangements for AQIS, Australian Customs Service (ACS) and Biosecurity Australia (BA)
• occupational health and safety (OHS) hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• product quality assurance
• correct naming and labelling (e.g. country of origin, Australian Fish Names Standard and eco-labelling)
• correct quantities, sizes and other customer requirements
• third-party certification (e.g. Australian Grown and ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management systems).

Food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures  may include:

• Australian Shellfish Sanitation program
• display, packaging and sale of food, including seafood and aquatic products
• equipment design, use, cleaning and maintenance
• handling and disposal of condemned or recalled seafood products
• HACCP, food safety program, and other risk minimisation and quality assurance systems
• location, construction and servicing of seafood premises
• people, product and place hygiene and sanitation requirements
• Primary Products Standard and the Australian Seafood Standard (voluntary)
• processing, further processing and preparation of food, including seafood and aquatic products
• product labelling, tracing and recall
• receipt, storage and transportation of food, including seafood and aquatic products
• requirements set out in Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Food Standards Code and state and territory food regulations
• temperature and contamination control along chain of custody.

Communication  may include:

• email
• face to face
• facsimile
• letter
• telephone and SMS.

Product and market knowledge  may include:

• AQIS requirements
• assessment of spoilage defects and parasites
• Australian Food Standards Code
• correct marketing name
• harvest or fishing area
• local and overseas market situation
• potential food safety hazards
• presentation of product
• prohibited species
• saleability of product
• seasonality
• shelf life of fresh and frozen product
• species' scientific name.

Specifications  may include:

• delivery point
• fresh and frozen, dried, live, salted and pickled seafood
• gross weight or net weight
• mode of transport
• packaging
• product form
• quality
• species
• time of delivery
• weight grade, count grade and grade code.

Documentation  may include:

• contract to purchase
• contract to supply
• enterprise product testing/quality forms
• import documentation in compliance with AQIS requirements.

Records  may include:

• manual/paper file
• computer/computer storage.

Unit sector 

Seafood sales and distribution

Co-requisite units 

Competency field