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
Features or occurrences indicative of a problem
Examples of features or occurrences indicating problems include:
variation to normal plant or equipment operation
unplanned or non-conforming process or operations outcomes
out of specification products
excess scrap
accidents and emergencies
regulatory breaches
customer returns and complaints
reduction or loss of sales
Root cause
There are many possible causes of any problem. The root cause contrasts with other possible causes of a problem which when eliminated have no impact or only ameliorate the problem. Elimination of the root cause permanently eliminates the problem. There should only be one root cause for any problem and so the analysis should continue until this one cause is found.
Cause tree
The series of causes is referred to as the cause tree. Not all root causes are accessible and able to be eliminated. Breaking the cause tree is such a way that the problem cannot recur is an acceptable alternative.
Not all situations can wait for the RCA and eventual elimination of the root cause as there may be serious current impacts. The quick fix will control these immediate impacts, but does not eliminate the root cause.
Quick fix
A quick fix is not a short cut or side step for a permanent solution to the root cause. It is a necessary step designed to control the immediate impacts of a problem, for example, to prevent ongoing errors or to ameliorate damage.
Appropriate techniques/charts

Appropriate techniques/charts may include:
control charts
Pareto charts
run charts
flow charts
cause and effect diagrams
tree diagrams
5 Whys analysis

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:
undertake problem identification
use appropriate processes to achieve root cause identification
prioritise solutions
recommend solutions and implementation procedures to problems within own area and range of technical skills and knowledge
evaluate implementation of solutions.
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 response 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.