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Elements and Performance Criteria

  1. Prepare for improvement systems implementation/ adjustment
  2. Implement/adjust improvement systems
  3. Monitor implementation/ adjustment of improvement systems
  4. Institutionalise continuous improvement

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

overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)

takt time

process mapping

problem solving

run charts

standard procedures

current reality tree.

Scope of improvement systems includes one or more of:

target divisions, operations, work processes, products and sites that stakeholders want included in a particular improvement system

levels of targeting for the continuous improvement system, including the system level focusing on the value stream and the overall achievement of customer defined features/benefits

process level focusing on individual processes, teams and team leaders.

Relevance of KPIs includes one or more of:

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?).

Instructions for incremental or breakthrough improvement processes include one or more of:

methods for employees to suggest incremental or breakthrough improvement

criteria for identifying a breakthrough improvement need

approval processes

monitoring and reporting processes.

Procedures (written, verbal, visual, computer based, etc.) include one or any combination of:

work instructions

standard operating procedures (SOPs)

safe work method statements

formulas/recipes

batch sheets

temporary instructions

any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant.

Solving performance issues includes one or more of:

generating improvement ideas (brainstorming/asking experts)

selecting most appropriate improvement ideas to proceed with

conducting experiments where required to test idea

making final selection of improvement ideas

determining most appropriate improvement strategy (i.e. incremental or breakthrough (kaizen blitz) improvement).

Performance Evidence

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, across an organisation or department/section, to:

interpret operations, processes and products in terms of customer features/benefits and then set appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs)

prepare appropriate documentation for continuous and breakthrough improvement processes

establish decision-making processes for considering system level continuous improvement suggestions

encourage and lead others in implementing/adjusting continuous improvement system

problem solve implementation issues with continuous improvement system

lead and motivate others in planning, implementing and sustaining improvements.