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Develop an improvement strategy in food and drink operations

URN: IMPQI303
Business Sectors (Suites): Achieving Food Manufacturing Excellence
Developed by: Improve
Approved on: 31 Dec 2021

Overview

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This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to develop the strategies to support your organisation's drive to improve food and drink operations. This is important in increasing productivity and success of manufacture, processing and supply within the food and drink supply chain. It is about the vision, aims, objectives and delivery arrangements to steer and maintain the momentum of improvement.

You will need to show and understand how you produce and confirm an improvement strategy for your organisation. You will need to comply with your company policies for improvement and take responsibility for your actions. It involves identifying opportunities for improvements and developing a strategy needed to drive through the required organisational improvements with the appropriate levels of management and stakeholder support. It is about ensuring that the tough decisions required during the development of the strategy are sufficiently robust and practical to be followed through in the achievement of objectives and improvement outcomes.

This standard applies to you if you are a manager or consultant who has responsibility for developing strategy to direct and manage improvement in food and drink operations including manufacturing, processing, packing or supply chain activities.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

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Establish improvement opportunities 

1. review organisational performance data and information to determine the scope of business improvement in the context of the overall organisational vision, goals and objectives 
2. establish improvement targets by benchmarking organisational practices against industry best practice 
3. identify potential benefits to the organisation that can be achieved through improvement activities over a specified time period 
4. specify improvement opportunities for your organisation 
5. identify potential barriers to the implementation of an improvement strategy 

Develop an improvement strategy 

6. specify terms of reference, definitions and objectives in respect of an improvement strategy 
7. identify the resources required to support the integration an improvement strategy into organisational activities 
8. develop strategies to overcome barriers to the implementation of an improvement strategy 
9. confirm the relevance of an improvement strategy through consultation with all interested parties 
10. establish processes to monitor and review the implementation of an improvement strategy 

Obtain acceptance of the organisation's improvement strategy 

11. circulate a draft strategy and seek feedback 
12. make amends and update your strategy in response to feedback 
13. seek and gain formal approval for the organisation's improvement strategy 

Support the implementation of the improvement strategy 

14. inform relevant personnel about the importance of improvement to your organisation 
15. provide guidance about the implementation requirements associated with improvement including roles, responsibilities, skills and levels of authority 
16. organise support for the implementation of an improvement strategy 
17. promote the benefits of improvement to management and stakeholders 
18. monitor and review the organisational impact of an improvement strategy 
19. report on the impact and direction of the improvement strategy to management and stakeholders

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

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  1. the principles of improvement in respect to all organisational activities
  2. how to review performance data and information and determine the scope of potential improvements
  3. how to identify relevant business improvement techniques to both analyse current performance and to facilitate improvement
  4. where to source advice and guidance on improvement opportunities to drive improvement
  5. how to identify the benefits of improved business performance
  6. how to identify the potential barriers to the implementation of an improvement strategy
  7. how to determine the resource requirements associated with the implementation of an improvement strategy
  8. how to gain management and stakeholder commitment to an improvement strategy
  9. how to quantify the influences which impact upon improvement
  10. how to establish targets for improvement including the use of benchmarking
  11. how the actions of others within the food and drink supply chain can influence improvement opportunities
  12. how to quantify potential barriers to improvement and how these can be overcome
  13. how to quantify improvement opportunities which impact on all the component functions of the organisation
  14. how to establish the influence of improvement activities on the organisation's sustainability
  15. how to seek and gain feedback regarding the development and drafting of an improvement strategy
  16. how to consult and obtain formal approval for an organisation's improvement strategy
  17. how to report on performance and improvements to meet the organisation's achieving excellence strategy
  18. how to communicate effectively with management and stakeholders on an achieving excellence strategy

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

IMPQI303

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; Strategy;