Elements and Performance Criteria

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
Six sigma
Six sigma is a process improvement methodology based on statistical process control with six sigma limits which equates to 3.4 defects per million opportunities for each product or service transaction
Six sigma is also often used as a general term covering a competitive systems and practices approach. Six sigma training typically covers several units of competency in this Training Package
Three sigma
Three sigma includes:
statistical process control with three sigma limits which equates to 3 defects per thousand opportunities for each product or service transaction
Procedures
Procedures may include:
work instructions
standard operating procedures
formulas/recipes
batch sheets
temporary instructions and similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant
good operating practice as may be defined by industry codes of practice (e.g. good manufacturing practice (GMP) and responsible care)
government regulations
Procedures may be:
written, verbal, computer-based or in some other form
Random variation
Random variation is the term used in statistical control to refer to those variations for which no cause can be found
Identifiable cause

Identifiable cause (also referred to as assignable cause or special cause) refers to:
those variations for which a cause can be found and so the cause of the variation eliminated
Process capability
Process capability means the capability of the process to deliver to customer defined requirements. Process capability includes process stability against standardised practices and documentation to eliminate variation against customer requirements

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
Evidence should be available of data collected and processed. There may also be evidence of assignable causes recognised and action taken. There should not be evidence of assignable causes being ignored.
A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence of the ability to:
identify the scope of operations, including required performance parameters in their work area
collect, enter and process data, including normal performance and variations
read and interpret data, including identifying variation to set parameters
determine where assignable causes can be allocated to variations and take appropriate action
participate in data collection, when required, for process capability trials
contribute suggestions for improvement.
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 oracy, language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.