Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to identify, monitor and participate in strategies to improve production efficiencies.
It applies to experienced personnel, such as experienced operators, team leaders or supervisors, who are required to provide input into process improvement initiatives for a team or work area.
This unit of competency applies to all work environments and sectors within the industry. It applies to a wide range of processes and equipment. In large plants with multiple processes, it may apply to more than one process if those processes interact with each other. It applies to all operators across all functions.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element | ||
1 | Determine issues that affect process efficiency | 1.1 | Investigate issues affecting output and quality |
1.2 | Determine potential/actual sources of wastage | ||
1.3 | Identify or develop appropriate performance measurement indicators | ||
1.4 | Identify hazards and required controls associated with the process |
2 | Monitor and measure process efficiency | 2.1 | Monitor performance of process/equipment/raw material usage |
2.2 | Identify variations and divergence from trends | ||
2.3 | Identify factors inhibiting process efficiency |
3 | Participate in developing methods for improving process efficiencies | 3.1 | Analyse problems/areas for improvement in process efficiencies |
3.2 | Utilise appropriate problem-solving tools and techniques for identifying areas for improvement | ||
3.3 | Identify and take into account external factors | ||
3.4 | Identify required changes to process, standards and procedures | ||
3.5 | Recommend strategies for improvement to relevant personnel |
4 | Participate in implementing process improvement strategies | 4.1 | Implement developed strategies to improve process efficiency. |
4.2 | Monitor performance of changes | ||
4.3 | Evaluate results of changes | ||
4.4 | Report results to relevant personnel |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and must include the ability to:
read and interpret information from a range of sources to identify production inefficiencies and strategies to minimise them
complete workplace forms and production reports
use problem-solving tools to identify strategies for improvements
apply operational knowledge to non-routine problems
communicate effectively with relevant personnel at all levels to:
identify and recommend improvement strategies
implement the strategies
evaluate and report the results of implementation.
Evidence of Knowledge
Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:
duty of care
organisation procedures
information systems and data collation
measures of process efficiency
hazards that may arise in the job/work environment, including:
their possible causes
potential consequences
appropriate risk controls
relevant equipment and operational processes.
Assessment Conditions
The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence based on a holistic assessment of the evidence.
The collection of performance evidence is best done from a report and/or folio of evidence drawn from:
a single project which provides sufficient evidence of the requirements of all the elements and performance criteria
multiple smaller projects which together provide sufficient evidence of the requirements of all the elements and performance criteria.
A third-party report, or similar, may be needed to testify to the work done by the individual, particularly when the project has been done as part of a project team.
Assessment should use a real project in an operational workplace. Where this is not possible or practical assessment must occur in a sufficiently rigorous simulated environment reflecting realistic operational workplace conditions. This must cover all aspects of workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.
Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence (provided a record is kept) or through an independent process, such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews (provided a record is kept).
Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.
Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.
The regulatory framework will be reflected in workplace policies and procedures and is not required to be independently assessed.
Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.
As a minimum, assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 assessor requirements.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. | |
Regulatory framework | The latest version of all legislation, regulations, industry codes of practice and Australian/international standards, or the version specified by the local regulatory authority, must be used, and include one or more of the following: legislative requirements, including work health and safety (WHS) industry codes of practice and guidelines environmental regulations and guidelines Australian and other standards licence and certification requirements |
Procedures | All operations must be performed in accordance with relevant procedures. Procedures are written, verbal, visual, computer-based or in some other form, and include one or more of the following: emergency procedures work instructions standard operating procedures (SOPs) safe work method statements (SWMS) formulas/recipes batch sheets temporary instructions any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant |
Sources of information | Sources of information include one or more of the following: yearly, monthly, weekly and daily production targets business objectives and goals control charts, run charts and graphs enterprise manuals and procedures equipment specifications |
Identifying process inefficiencies | Identifying process inefficiencies requires consideration of one or more of the following: equipment downtime spillages leaks contamination raw material quality utilities usage production quality, rejects and re-work wasted materials and other resources productivity issues incorrect work allocation/priorities/planning incorrect processes/procedures |
Problems | Routine problems must be resolved by applying known solutions. Routine problems are predictable and known solutions are drawn from one or more of: procedures training remembered experience Non-routine problems must be reported according to according to relevant procedures. Non-routine problems must be resolved by applying operational knowledge to develop new solutions, either individually or in collaboration with relevant experts to: determine problems needing action determine possible fault causes develop solutions to problems which do not have a known solution follow through items initiated until final resolution has occurred report problems outside area of responsibility to designated person Non-routine problems are unexpected problems, or variations of previous problems and include one or more of the following: non-routine process and quality problems equipment selection, availability and failure teamwork and work allocation problems safety and emergency situations and incidents Operational knowledge includes one or more of the following: procedures training technical information, such as journals and engineering specifications remembered experience relevant knowledge obtained from appropriate people |
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