Leading the creation of flexible production and manpower systems
Overview
This standard covers the competences required for leading the creation of flexible business systems. It involves leading the application of the principles and processes of creating flexible production and manpower systems to the chosen activity. This will include obtaining and approving the schedule and batch size for the parts in the work area, and leading the creation of level schedules for those parts. The activities will require you to identify and evaluate improvement opportunities, and waste which needs to be removed, in order to achieve Takt time and flow processing. You will also be required to direct the production of a visual representation for identifying which resources do not meet the Takt time requirements. This would typically cover areas such as standard work in progress, consignment stocks, part routers, physical control signals, number of people required and their flexibility, and the rules and disciplines of the pull system.
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 full responsibility for your own actions, and the actions of others under your responsibility 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 creating flexible production and manpower systems, and their application, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required criteria.
Applying and advising on 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
- lead the creation of flexible production and manpower systems to the chosen activity
- obtain and approve the schedule and batch size for the parts or materials in the work area
- lead the creation of level schedules for the parts in the work area
- identify and evaluate improvement opportunities, and waste which needs to be removed, in order to achieve Takt time and flow processing
- lead the production of a local workforce flexibility matrix
- direct the production of a visual representation, identifying resources that do not meet the Takt time requirements
- implement and monitor a visually controlled system ensuring that it improves the overall process effectiveness
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, directives and guidelines
how to plan the resources and time needed to carry out the agreed activity
the information required to create level schedules, load and capacity, Takt time and batch sizes
- the meaning of 'level schedules', and how to create them
- how to create a load and capacity diagram
- Takt time, and how this is calculated
- the application of standard work in progress
- the application of visually controlled systems and signals, based on the demand of subsequent processes
- the application of skills matrices
- the application of consignment stocking
- how to simplify working practices and reduce the human error risk
- the consequences of introducing a new improved part/process/material router
- problem solving and route cause analysis
- wastes (over-production, inventory, transport, over-processing, waiting time, operator motion, bad quality, failure to exploit human potential), and how to eliminate them
- how to stabilise and then optimise equipment effectiveness
- how to conduct a review of asset care/best practice effectiveness, and establish a robust routine of asset care and correct operation
- the appropriate techniques that provides value to the customer
- the techniques used to visually communicate the work done
- how to lay out an effective workplace, utilising recognised techniques
- 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
1. Lead the activities within your area of responsibility to include all of the following:
- set out an communicate the purpose of the improvement activities
- involve the team in planning how the improvement activity will be achieved
- ensure each team member has individual objectives and understands how these objectives contribute to the overall improvement objective
- provide advice and support the team to achieve both team and individual improvement objectives
- motivate the team to present their own improvement ideas
- encourage the team and/or individuals to take the lead where appropriate
- agree the implementation of the improvement ideas
- negotiate any physical and/or financial resources required to implement the improvement activity (where appropriate)
- monitor the progress of improvement activities
- deal with any organisational problems identified during the improvement activity
2. Lead the selection of three parts or materials in the work area, and approve the calculations for the following:
- workload
- capacity of resource (equipment, people)
- Takt time
3. Direct the production of a visual communication of the schedule, which includes:
- workload
- resource capacity
- Takt time for the work area
4. Implement the creation of a visually controlled system, based on the demand of subsequent processes for the chosen parts or materials, which includes four of the following:
- standard work in progress
- safety stocks
- part or material routers
- physical control signals
- rules and disciplines of the implemented control system