Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to facilitate team implementation of discrete targeted improvement activities to achieve breakthrough improvements in selected office processes. Typically this approach is used for improvements in areas of muda (waste) identified through value stream mapping.
The unit applies to team leaders or others in a competitive systems and practices implementation role who need to provide guidance and support to assist a team to identify improvements in office processes that can be implemented in a brief intensive project while still producing the required deliverables. They also assist in ensuring that the improvements are sustained.
Office processes may include administrative, transactional or service-based processes in, or attached to, a manufacturing organisation, within their value stream or similar environments, such as health care, education, financial, construction or Defence services.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Prepare for improvement event | 1.1 | Engage team members, sponsors and other stakeholders in the event. |
1.2 | Identify process to be targeted in the improvement event. | ||
1.3 | Assist team to identify how their own roles contribute to value to the customer. | ||
1.4 | Assist team to identify the boundaries of the event, including any imposed exclusions. | ||
1.5 | Identify information and skill needs of the team and arrange for any required training. | ||
1.6 | Establish communication processes with sponsors and stakeholders. | ||
2 | Identify improvements | 2.1 | Assist team to review current process and identify options for radical improvements. |
2.2 | Facilitate team activities to evaluate the options and agree on improvements to be made. | ||
2.3 | Assist team to plan the activities and identify metrics to be monitored. | ||
2.4 | Facilitate allocation of resources and strategies to manage impact on routine work. | ||
3 | Facilitate the event | 3.1 | Assist team to gather baseline data on the selected metrics. |
3.2 | Assist team to identify and address barriers to making the improvements. | ||
3.3 | Monitor team dynamics and facilitate team focus and cooperation. | ||
3.4 | Liaise with sponsor to communicate progress and maintain their support. | ||
4 | Evaluate improvements | 4.1 | Assist team to gather and interpret data on the metrics. |
4.2 | Facilitate team activities to evaluate the outcomes of the event. | ||
4.3 | Identify causes for areas of poor performance from changes and identify any additional changes to address them. | ||
4.4 | Report to sponsor and other stakeholders on the outcomes of the event. | ||
5 | Embed improvements | 5.1 | Establish mechanisms to ensure new systems and/or practices are communicated to relevant personnel. |
5.2 | Motivate team to apply the new systems and/or practices and sustain improvements. | ||
5.3 | Ensure the new systems and/or practices are reflected in relevant procedures. | ||
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 include the ability to facilitate one (1) or more breakthrough improvement activities in an office and to:
prepare for the event
facilitate the event
facilitate the identification of improvements
facilitate the embedding of improvements.
Evidence of Knowledge
Must provide evidence that demonstrates knowledge relevant to their job role sufficient to fulfil their job role independently, including:
kaizen blitz (breakthrough improvement) facilitation
facilitation of brain storming events
office value stream and muda (waste)
reasons for and impacts of exclusions
setting of boundaries and their impacts
collection and use of metrics
methods of embedding improvements.
Assessment Conditions
The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence shall be 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 kaizen blitz (breakthrough improvement) event for an operational workplace.
Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence 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.
Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.
Assessors must satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment as set by the VET regulator.
The assessor must demonstrate both technical competency and currency.
Technical competence can be demonstrated through:
relevant VET or other qualification/Statement of Attainment AND/OR
relevant workplace experience
Currency can be demonstrated through:
performing the competency being assessed as part of current employment OR
having consulted with an organisation providing relevant environmental monitoring, management or technology services about performing the competency being assessed within the last twelve months.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) 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. | |
Competitive systems and practices include one or more of: | lean operations agile operations preventative and predictive maintenance approaches 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 takt time process mapping problem solving run charts standard procedures current reality tree. |
Team includes one or more of: | a permanent formally identified team a sub-group of a team a specially established group for the breakthrough event (e.g. a combined production/administration/ logistics group convened for a breakthrough event addressing delivery issues). |
Boundaries defining the extent/limits of the improvement activity include all of: | the start and end point of the process being targeted the steps of the process to be included and excluded specific job roles or related processes to be included or excluded timeframe for the event. |
Breakthrough improvement activity (kaizen blitz) is all of: | a formal process a discrete targeted activity that is achieved in a relatively short timeframe delivers significant level of improvement. such as a better ratio of value-add to non-value add from the customer perspective. |
Mechanisms to communicate and sustain improvements include one or more of: | scheduled audits regular monitoring and/or reporting activities use of visual aids, such as targets and progress boards, process charts and procedure posters communications, such as standing items for team meetings, email reminders or updates. |
Imposed exclusions include one or more of: | muda that is required but does not add value equipment excluded from efficiency or layout review because of budget constraints, licences, and so on regulatory requirements that do not add value organisation requirements, policies or procedures beyond the influence of the team. |
Sectors
Not applicable
Competency Field
Competitive systems and practices