Application
This unit applies to senior personnel. It involves researching best practice, setting benchmarks for customer service performance and business operational systems; and developing and implementing auditing, recording and continuous improvement mechanisms. | |
Prerequisites
Nil | |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA | ||
1 | Benchmark best practice performance. | 1.1 | Set benchmarks for operational quality. |
1.2 | Confirm requirement for achieving best practice outcomes. | ||
1.3 | Differentiate customer service and operational quality benchmarks. | ||
1.4 | Use benchmarking exercises to stimulate staff learning and understanding. | ||
1.5 | Compare and contrast internal and external benchmarking processes. | ||
2 | Audit process quality improvement. | 2.1 | Determine key means to measure quality for all wholesale processes and systems. |
2.2 | Determine measures for benchmarking quality in a given process. | ||
2.3 | Establish audit trail for measuring and mapping quality improvement. | ||
2.4 | Audit compliance with quality targets and benchmarks. | ||
3 | Improve wholesale processes. | 3.1 | Determine measures for quality improvement. |
3.2 | Regularly brief staff members on work goals, plans and operational issues to minimise role ambiguity and uncertainty. | ||
3.3 | Establish analytical tools for measuring quality improvement within a business context. | ||
3.4 | Use quality problem-solving tools to promote qualitative and quantitative solutions. | ||
3.5 | Structure existing training to support service standards that improve department supply, display and post-sales support. | ||
4 | Monitor quality improvement for a wholesale process. | 4.1 | Allocate individual and team responsibilities for achieving quality outcomes. |
4.2 | Allocate responsibilities for improvement and identification of problems with process quality. | ||
4.3 | Establish ongoing monitoring systems for quality improvement programs. | ||
4.4 | Evaluate quality improvement management and implementation strategy. | ||
4.5 | Establish feedback and reporting mechanisms on deviation from target (variation). | ||
5 | Monitor customer service quality for a wholesale business. | 5.1 | Determine information sources on customer satisfaction levels. |
5.2 | Devise strategies for managing customer needs and expectations for business to business and business to end consumers. | ||
5.3 | Ensure customer service strategies deliver business to business and business to end consumer needs and expectations. | ||
5.4 | Map service value chain for a wholesale business. | ||
5.5 | Devise service quality measures for customer retention and retrieval strategies (in terms of cost, time or quality requirements). | ||
6 | Improve service quality. | 6.1 | Improve customer retention and retrieval. |
6.2 | Improve customer satisfaction levels through use of ongoing monitoring systems. | ||
6.3 | Achieve service quality benchmarks. |
Required Skills
This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit. |
The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit: interpersonal communication skills to: brief staff members through clear and direct communication use language and concepts appropriate to cultural differences use and interpret non-verbal communication negotiation skills problem solving planning skills setting benchmarks for operational quality structuring existing training to support standards leadership skills literacy and numerical skills in regard to: feedback and reporting mechanisms ability to acquire and interpret required data data analysis and manipulation researching and resourcing information. |
The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit: current practice systems and structures sources of relevant benchmarking data methods of selecting relevant key benchmarking indicators quality concepts and principles and quality tools relationship between benchmarking, quality improvement and best practice relationship between process improvement, profitability, performance and productivity quality organisations and regimes industry organisations government and regulatory requirements for quality endorsement or certification international quality systems internal and external quality systems relevant sources of information on product and supply arrangements for customers business policy and procedures affecting job role or function OHS aspects of job relevant consumer law, commercial law and legislation. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package. | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: uses benchmark information to improve work group performance and operational systems applies and documents benchmarking and auditing procedures, including consultative processes underpinning quality and best practice systems prepares and executes an audit of work practices and systems within a specific work group context utilises internal and external benchmarks to confirm current performance levels continuous improvement processes within an operational area against agreed benchmarks and an agreed timeframe develops and implements customer satisfaction measurement and monitoring systems effective communication of measurement and monitoring systems to relevant personnel. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure access to: a wholesale work environment relevant documentation, such as: policy and procedures manuals relevant legislative information a range of communication equipment a work team. |
Methods of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of performance in the workplace third-party reports from a supervisor review of portfolios of evidence written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge and understanding review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended. |
Assessing employability skills | Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts. Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically in the context of the job role and with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification. |
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 in the performance criteria is detailed below. | |
Benchmarks for operational quality may include consideration of: | business profitability best practice parameters service standards forecasts. |
Business outcomes may include: | key performance indicators strategic objectives price market and sales indicators brand value quality standards and criteria performance benchmarks milestones. |
Customers may include: | new or repeat contacts businesses or individuals internal and external contacts customers with routine or special requests people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with varying physical and mental abilities. |
Benchmarking exercises may include consideration of: | personnel productivity revenue and expenses services offered production indicators customer demographics customer satisfaction factors compliance factors. |
Means to measure quality may include: | seven tools of quality internal or business-endorsed measurement devises and systems tools associated with an approach that involves quality. |
Staff members may include: | full-time, part-time or casual staff staff under contract people with varying degrees of language and literacy people from a range of cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds people with a range of responsibilities and job descriptions. |
Problem-solving tools may include: | routine procedures manufacturer recommendations lateral thinking referral to operator, manager, specialist or expert. |
Training may include: | formal training or education informal learning coaching and mentoring job rotation information seminars on-line learning conferences. |
Information sources may include: | observation sales data appropriate questioning. |
Customer needs and expectations may relate to: | product type brand size product characteristics customer physical needs price. |
Customer service strategies may include: | add-on or complementary products and services delivery and installation warranties and guarantees returns policies technical support financial products and services customer reward schemes dealing with difficult customers. |
Service value chain may include: | suppliers into the wholesale business: internally to business customers to customers of business customers to individual or direct customers. |
Sectors
Sector | Cross-Sector |
Competency Field
Quality and Innovation | |
Employability Skills
The required outcomes described in this unit contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills requirements. | |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.