MSS405010A
Manage relationships with non-customer external organisations

This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to identify and manage relationships with non-customer external organisations, such as community groups, other businesses, training providers, research organisations and government departments.

Application

This unit applies to a person who has policy responsibility in an organisation for managing external relationships that may impact on the performance, community standing or regulatory compliance of the organisation. Examples of the application of this unit include department leaders, managers or similar. The unit covers managing a range of external organisations to the maximum benefit of the organisation and the organisation's customers while also identifying areas of mutual interest and benefit with the external organisations. Relationships may or may not be initiated by the person’s own organisation.

This unit does not cover the analysis and improvement of relationships between members of a value stream, such as suppliers and customers.

This unit primarily requires the application of skills associated with communication in gathering, analysing and applying information and consulting with stakeholders. Problem solving, initiative and enterprise, and planning and organising are also required. This unit also requires aspects of self-management and learning to ensure feedback and new learning is integrated into relationship systems and expectations.


Prerequisites

Not applicable.


Elements and Performance Criteria

1

Identify mutual interest

1.1

Clarify the reason contact was/is to be made for each relevant external organisation

1.2

Gather information on extent of past contact and any positive or negative outcomes for own and external organisation

1.3

Identify expectations of initiating organisation

1.4

Analyse the breadth, depth and complexity of external organisations’ expectations

1.5

Discuss expectations, ability to meet those expectations, and areas of mutual interest with relevant internal and external representatives

2

Determine contribution of relationship

2.1

Identify any value contributions from relationship

2.2

Identify waste arising from relationship

2.3

Classify waste as necessary or unnecessary

2.4

Set key performance indicators (KPIs) for future relationship

3

Manage the relationship

3.1

Measure current performance of relationship against expectations and KPIs

3.2

Develop systems to enhance mutual benefit and value contributions from relationship

3.3

Develop systems to minimise and control necessary waste without causing harm

3.4

Eliminate unnecessary waste, where possible, without causing harm

3.5

Monitor KPIs and determine future strategy for the relationship

3.6

Continue to manage terminate the relationship in a manner which enhances the organisation

Required Skills

Required skills

Required skills include:

using formal problem solving procedures, such as root cause analysis (RCA)

analysing contributions to value from external relationships

identifying waste (muda)

developing formal and informal communication procedures with other individuals and organisations

establishing sources of assistance in own organisation for external individuals and organisations

interpreting documents, procedures and instructions for others

establishing KPIs for relationships

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

strategic requirements of own organisation

strategic benefits to the organisation from liaisons with external organisations

possible external organisations which may offer benefits

benefits which can be offered to the external organisations

customer benefits/features from products and processes of own organisation

waste (muda) elimination

formal problem solving procedures (e.g. RCA)

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:

analyse the value and waste in relationships

implement changes to relationships to improve outcomes for their organisation and its customers

monitor outcomes of a relationship against KPIs

communicate complex information to external representatives using a variety of methods and mediums.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment of performance must be undertaken in a workplace that is engaging with one or more non-customer external organisations.

Access may be required to:

historical information on the relationship with external organisation and the involvement of the assessee

workplace procedures and plans

specifications and documentation relating to planned, currently being implemented, or implemented changes to relationships with non-customer external organisations

reports from supervisors/managers on interaction with external non-customer organisations

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

Reasons for contact

Reasons for contact may include:

research

innovation

mutual cooperation

strategic alliances

computer (or other) technology

emergency response

Waste

Waste (also known as muda in the Toyota Production System and its derivatives) is any activity which does not contribute to customer benefit/features in the product. Categories of waste include:

excess production and early production

delays

movement and transport

poor process design

inventory

inefficient performance of a process

making defective items

activities which do not yield any benefit to the organisation or any benefit to the organisation’s customers

Necessary waste

Necessary waste includes:

any activity or cost which does not contribute directly to customer benefit/feature in the product, and which cannot be avoided (e.g. regulatory compliance and fixed costs)

Necessary waste cannot be eliminated but should be managed

Unnecessary waste

Unnecessary waste includes:

any activity or cost which does not contribute directly to customer benefit/features in the product and can be avoided

Unnecessary waste should be eliminated as quickly as practical


Sectors

Unit sector

Competitive systems and practices


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.


Licensing Information

Not applicable.