MSS407013A
Review continuous improvement processes

This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to undertake the local level review and further development of an existing continuous improvement process.

Application

This unit is intended for team leaders and people with a similar sphere of influence/scope of authority and responsibility. It applies to individuals who are already familiar with change leadership in a competitive systems and practices environment through either previous study or industry experience. Where this is not the case MSS403010A Facilitate change in an organisation implementing competitive systems and practices may be completed to supply the necessary skills.

Skills covered by this unit apply to the review of existing continuous improvement processes in a team, area or department environment, or a small or medium sized enterprise (SME). This unit may also be applied to service organisations applying competitive systems and practices principles.


Prerequisites

Not applicable.


Elements and Performance Criteria

1

Review continuous improvement practice

1.1

Review performance against current key performance indicators (KPIs)

1.2

Review KPIs for ongoing relevance

1.3

Review current state of continuous improvement processes

1.4

Audit health, safety and environment (HSE) changes as a result of continuous improvement activity

1.5

Analyse problems to determine root cause

1.6

Identify areas for improvement to KPIs and continuous improvement processes

2

Develop plan for enhancing improvement processes

2.1

Prioritise areas requiring action

2.2

Develop a range of possible solutions, including taking into account the impact of the solution on any codes of practice, standards, contracts, commercial or industrial agreements

2.3

Discuss possible solutions and implications with stakeholders

2.4

Compare outcomes from possible solutions to competitive systems and practices philosophy

2.5

Choose actions which are most compatible with competitive philosophy

2.6

Draft implementation plan for chosen action

2.7

Obtain required approvals and modify plan, as required

3

Implement enhanced improvement process

3.1

Communicate changes to improvement processes to team members

3.2

Resolve issues and problems identified by team members

3.3

Obtain sign off from process/system owner

3.4

Arrange for skills development as necessary

3.5

Arrange for required resources to be available

3.6

Establish and implement KPIs for modified continuous improvement process

3.7

Implement planned changes

3.8

Check the planned improvements have occurred

3.9

Take action to sustain improvement by standardising

Required Skills

Required skills

Required skills include:

reviewing continuous improvement in a variety of contexts (e.g. supportive and non-supportive team environments)

undertaking self-directed problem solving and decision-making

communicating across all levels in the organisation

analysing current state/situation

analysing workplace strategy and vision statements and principles and linking these to current processes, performance and indicators

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

competitivesystems and practices tools, including:

value stream mapping

5S

Just in Time (JIT)

mistake proofing

process mapping

establishing customer pull

kaizen and kaizen blitz

setting of KPIs/metrics

identification and elimination of waste (muda)

methods of determining competency gaps in team members

continuous improvement processes, including implementation, monitoring and evaluation strategies

types of KPIs and their impacts on performance

relationship between service departments (e.g. maintenance and continuous improvement in a production or operational environment)

difference between breakthrough improvement and continuous improvement

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:

critically review existing or proposed continuous improvement processes

establish ongoing review processes, including setting and monitoring of KPIs

develop consensus for implementation of improvement plans

implement improvement plans.

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 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

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

Codes of practice/standards

Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, the latest version must be used

HSE

All changes implemented should be at least neutral, or preferably beneficial, in their impact on HSE

Relevance

Relevance of KPIs includes:

appropriateness (did they lead to/encourage desirable performance?)

currency (are they still encouraging desirable performance?)

unintended consequences (do they lead to outcomes which are not desirable, even if some performance is desirable?)

signal/noise (is the balance between desirable and undesirable outcomes strong and positive?)

Compare outcomes

Outcomes include comparing:

cost/benefit

timing

value stream implications

HSE issues

process reliability issues

benefit to customer/perceived customer benefit

Required resources

Required resources include:

plant

materials (e.g. raw materials, components, work in progress and other consumables)

energy (e.g. heating, cooling and fuel)

people

skills

finances

feedback/visual enterprise resources

measuring equipment

Sustaining improvement

Improvement may be sustained by including it in:

standard procedures and work instructions

standard practice

other relevant documents and practices

Team leader

Team leader may include:

any person who may have either a permanent or an ad hoc role in facilitating the function of a team in a workplace


Sectors

Unit sector

Competitive systems and practices


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.


Licensing Information

Not applicable.