MSS402051A
Apply quality standards

This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to apply quality standards to work operations in an organisation. The unit is designed to complement competitive systems and practices units.

Application

This unit applies to an individual who is expected to take responsibility for the quality of their own work, and to take actions specified in the procedures and within the scope of their job and authority to ensure that quality standards are met.

This unit requires the application of skills associated with interpreting and applying workplace standards and identifying and addressing problems that interfere with quality outcomes. The unit requires initiative, enterprise and self-management to ensure quality standards are achieved.


Prerequisites

Not applicable.


Elements and Performance Criteria

1

Assess own work

1.1

Continuously check completed work against workplace standards relevant to the operation being undertaken

1.2

Demonstrate an understanding of how the work activities and completed work relate to the next production process or processes and to the final products or services concerned

1.3

Identify and isolate faulty components, products or processes

1.4

Record and/or report faults and any identified causes to the supervisor concerned, where required, in accordance with workplace procedures

2

Assess quality of received components, parts or materials

2.1

Continuously check received components, parts, materials, information, service or final products against workplace standards and specifications for conformance

2.2

Demonstrate an understanding of how the received components, parts or materials, information or service relate to the current operation and how they contribute to the final quality of the product or service

2.3

Identify and isolate faulty components, parts, materials or information that relate to the operator's work

2.4

Record and/or report faults and any identified causes in accordance with workplace procedures

2.5

Identify causes of any identified faults and take corrective action as specified in workplace procedures

3

Measure components, parts or materials

3.1

Measure materials, component parts, information, service or products, as required, using the appropriate measuring instruments in accordance with workplace procedures

4

Record information on production indicator

4.1

Record basic information on quality and other indicators of process performance in accordance with workplace procedures

5

Investigate causes of quality deviations

5.1

Investigate and report causes of deviations from specified quality standards for components

5.2

Recommend suitable preventative action based on workplace quality standards and the identified causes of deviations from specified quality standards of materials

Required Skills

Required skills

Required skills include:

interpreting work instructions, specifications, standards and patterns appropriate to own work

carrying out relevant visual inspections of materials, component parts and final products

carrying out relevant physical/chemical measurements or tests

maintaining accurate work records in accordance with procedures

carrying out work in accordance with occupational health and safety (OHS) policies and procedures

meeting work specifications

communicating effectively within defined workplace procedures

interpreting and applying defined procedures

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

relevant quality standards, policies and procedures

relevant production processes, materials and products

basic characteristics of materials used in the relevant production processes

safety and environmental aspects of relevant production processes

relevant measurement techniques and quality checking procedures

workplace procedures

reporting procedures

Evidence Required

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:

interpret, relevant work instructions, standards and specifications appropriate to own work

check and measure relevant quality parameters

interpret results of quality checks in terms of specifications, patterns and work standards

take required action where standards of materials, component parts, final product or work processes are found to be unacceptable

maintain accurate records.

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.


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.

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

Quality parameters

Quality parameters may include:

finish

size

durability

product or process variations

materials

alignment

colour

damage and imperfections

time

Quality checks

Quality checks are against set parameters for the process or product. Examples include:

visual inspection

physical measurements

chemical tests

checks against patterns, templates and guides

processing time

Materials

Materials may include:

physical raw materials

orders, forms and other documentation

services required for undertaking an operation (e.g. power, water, compressed air and fuel)

Measure

Measure includes:

those measurements which may be taken by the employee in the workplace/at their work station

Procedures

Procedures may include:

work instructions

standard operating procedures

formulas/recipes

batch sheets

temporary instructions and similar instructions provided for the operation 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

Indicators of production performance

Indicators of production performance may include:

number of items/production rate

delays and causes of delays (where known)

other information as specified in the procedures

Data entry/recording

Data entry/recording may include:

keyboard

written (including ticks or signs)

verbal

Sources of information/ documents

Sources of information/documents may include:

quality and Australian standards and procedures

work instructions, patterns, designs and recipes

organisation work procedures

manufacturer instructions for materials and equipment

organisational or external personnel

customer requirements

Investigate and report

Investigate and report includes:

following set procedures defined for such investigations

Set procedures may include:

verbal instructions

documented procedures

other quality procedures as implemented within an organisation or work environment

Workplace context

Workplace context includes:

work organisation procedures and practices relating to the manufacture and quality outcomes for products

conditions of service, legislation and industrial agreements, including:

workplace agreements and awards

federal or state/territory legislation

standard work practice

Reporting/communication

Reporting/communication may include:

verbal and written communication in accordance with organisational policies and procedures

oral, written or visual communication and may include simple data

Being responsible for the maintenance of own work quality

Being responsible for the maintenance of own work quality may include:

contributing to the quality improvement of team or section output, where necessary, in accordance with workplace procedures

following safety, environmental, housekeeping and quality procedures as specified by materials/machine/equipment manufacturers, regulatory authorities and the organisation

Applicable regulations and legislation

Applicable regulations and legislation may include:

OHS legislation relevant to workplace activities

workers compensation legislation


Sectors

Unit sector

Competitive systems and practices


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.


Licensing Information

Not applicable.