Unit of competency Outline

Date retreived
22/07/2026 10:23 AM AWST

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Review continuous improvement processes

Review continuous improvement processes

Unit of competency
National Code
MSS407013A
State Code
WD591
TGA Status
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Current Release Number
1.00
Current Release Date
02/05/2012
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
29/08/2014
Field of Education
080317 - Quality Management
Original Release Date
29/08/2014
Nominal Hours
70
Description
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.
Notes
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
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
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.
Replaced By
State Code National Code Title Type
BAJ60 MSS407013 Review continuous improvement processes Unit of competency