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Apply statistical process control (SPC) procedures to support improvement in food and drink operations

URN: IMPQI256
Business Sectors (Suites): Achieving Excellence in Sports Performance (Inc Change June 2007)
Developed by: Improve
Approved on: 31 Dec 2021

Overview

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This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed to apply statistical process control (SPC) procedures as part of your organisation's drive to increase the effectiveness and productivity of food and drink operations. It is a method of quality control which uses statistical methods to monitor, control and improve a process. This is important in the achievement of excellence and the success of manufacture, processing and supply across the food and drink supply chain.

You will need to apply and understand the principles and practices of statistical process control within improvement projects. You will need to show and know how to report and recommend improvements to relevant people within the organisation, including management colleagues. You will need to know how to comply with your company policy for improvement, take responsibility for your actions, and refer any issues outside of the limit of your authority to others.

This standard is for you if you work in food and drink operations including, manufacturing, processing, packing or supply chain activities. You may be a process development technologist or have responsibilities for aspects of organisational improvement in a team leadership or management role.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

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Prepare to apply statistical process control 

1. confirm and agree the defined scope of controls with the relevant personnel 
2. check and confirm that statistical process control procedures are most appropriate to support the improvement required in accordance with the improvement plan 
3. obtain information, documentation and resources necessary to support the control in accordance with procedures 
4. communicate the purpose of the controls to the relevant personnel 

Apply statistical process control to support improvement activity
 
5. use approved methodology to monitor and control, and collect performance data on process activities in accordance with the improvement plan 
6. analyse and evaluate performance data in accordance with the improvement plan 

Report improvement opportunities 

7. present the findings of the statistical process control to the relevant personnel 
8. make recommendations about improvement opportunities and targets resulting from the findings to the relevant personnel

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

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  1. the organisation's improvement vision, strategy, objectives and the reasons for implementation of improvement programmes
  2. how the health, safety and hygiene requirements of a work area can influence statistical process control
  3. what is statistical process control
  4. the techniques and procedures used as part of statistical process control
  5. where and why statistical process control is used and the benefits it offers
  6. where process control fits within a continuous improvement environment
  7. the importance of process performance to customer satisfaction and process costs
  8. the importance of standardisation within a process operation
  9. why process performance can only be determined when it is controlled
  10. how process control can improve process performance
  11. the benefits of prevention and detection
  12. common cause variation within food and drink operations, and the impact it can have
  13. special cause variation within food and drink operations, and the impact it can have
  14. the application of data gathering and analysis techniques within food and drink operations
  15. how data can be used to communicate abnormalities within a process
  16. the main types of control charts used for SPC, their features and benefits
  17. the meaning of a population' and asample'
  18. the measurements of central tendency and variability
  19. the properties of a normal curve of distribution
  20. the charts or diagrams available for use
  21. the terms mean, median, mode, standard deviation, range and variance
  22. process capability (Cp and Cpk) and how it is determined
  23. levels of authority linked to problem resolution
  24. how to report and present improvements

Scope/range

Scope Performance

Scope Knowledge

Values

Behaviours

Skills

Glossary

Links To Other NOS

External Links

Version Number

3

Indicative Review Date

31 Jan 2025

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

NSAFD

Original URN

IMPQI256

Relevant Occupations

Food Production Operatives, Manufacturing Technologies, Plant and Machine Operatives, Process Operatives, Process, Plant and Machine Operatives

SOC Code

8111

Keywords

Food operations; Manufacturing; Excellence; Improvement; Organisational development; Change; Management; Statistical process control;