Carrying out flow process analysis
Overview
This standard covers the competences required to carry out flow process analysis. It involves using the principles and procedures of flow process analysis within a given work area to produce a flow process analysis sheet. You will be required to contribute to the identification of elements of waste, and problems or conditions within the process and make recommendations where improvements can be made. You will use the information gathered to evaluate and prioritise the opportunities for improvements.
You will also be expected to make recommendations for quantifiable objectives and targets for all the identified improvement activities, with an appropriate measure and timescale for their implementation. The flow process analysis will focus on establishing value added and non-value added activity.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the activities undertaken, and to report any problems that you cannot solve, or that are outside your responsibility, to the relevant authority. You will be expected to take responsibility for your own actions within the activity, and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work, and will provide an informed approach to the techniques and procedures used. You will need to understand the principles and procedures of flow process analysis and its application, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required criteria.
Applying safe working practices will be a key issue throughout.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- map the current process flow analysis within a given work area
- make recommendations where improvements can be made by establishing value added and non-value added activities
- evaluate the opportunities for improvement and prioritise these using suitable criteria
- make recommendations for quantifiable objectives and targets for all the defined improvement activities
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- how to work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations and guidelines
- the need to describe a process in its elements/activities of work
- the eight forms of waste within a working environment
- the symbols and abbreviations used for flow process analysis
- how to map out a process or deployment flowchart, using the recognised symbols
- the difference between value-added and non-value added activities
- how to establish which elements/activities in the process are value added or non-value added
- how to identify opportunities for improvements to the process
- the need to use data to eliminate activities that do not add value to the process
- how to construct an action plan that will simplify the value added activities and eliminate the non-value added activities
- the purpose of an action plan
- the extent of your own authority, and to whom you should report in the event of problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
- Make recommendations in relation to both of the following:
- non-value added activity
- value added activity