Assignment Problem: Plan and Lead Continuous Improvement
Assignment Task 1:
Performance objective:
You will demonstrate the management and leadership skills and knowledge required to plan and lead continuous improvement systems and processes.
Assessment description:
Using the simulated business information provided and in response to a scenario, you will prepare and deliver a presentation to the management team on proposed continuous improvement strategies to be deployed in work teams; proposed systems to communicate to stakeholders; proposed approaches to meeting sustainability requirements; proposed approaches to coaching continuous improvement; and strategies for knowledge management. You will then submit a summary report. You will also prepare a monitoring strategy to monitor progress on the implementation of the continuous improvement system, a communication strategy, and several relevant procedures.
Procedure:
Part A: Prepare and deliver a presentation:
Research, plan and deliver a 20-minute presentation to a peer group of managers on proposed continuous improvement (CI) systems and processes.
Problem 1: Review the following scenario.
You are a continuous improvement consultant. Australian Hardware has contracted you to analyze the business in order to propose an overall approach to continuous process improvement, including a general methodology such as Lean or Six Sigma.
The approach will be used across the business, including application to areas such as:
a) Sustainability across the organisation
b) Revenue per customer interaction
c) Operational costs
d) Customer service satisfaction across product areas such as timber, plumbing and electrical, garden products, hardware, tools and homewares
e) Delivery leads times for customers.
You will need to consider the appropriateness and applicability of different continuous improvement methodologies in order to find the best fit for Australian Hardware.
In your overall approach, you will need to develop several supporting strategies and procedures.
You intend to trial your proposed quality systems and processes at the Wollongong store.
You will need to gather feedback from the management team on your proposed continuous improvement approach. In accordance with organizational practice, you will need to prepare a summary report incorporating feedback and suggestions for amendments and refinements.
Problem 2: Review Australian Hardware documentation, including strategic plans and operational plans. Note what the organisation does, how it does it, what its goals and objectives are, and who its stakeholders and customers are.
Problem 3: Research or review continuous improvement methodologies and tools and identify strategies for improving quality and performance in targeted areas. You will need to select and prepare for discussion in your presentation:
a) Continuous improvement methodology, such as TOM, Lean and Six Sigma to apply to the organisation
b) Problem/opportunity identification and decision-making tools, such as value stream mapping, root cause analysis and brainstorming.
c) Strategies for including and encouraging participation by the right individuals and teams
d) Strategies for building ownership and a work culture that is conducive to improving quality, reducing waste and high performance.
Problem 4: Analyze the impact of your proposed introduction of continuous improvement measures on the organisation as an integrated whole. In particular consider, for discussion in your presentation, the impact on:
a) Communications to various stakeholders
b) Knowledge management and information flow, including information technology relevant to document storage and sharing
c) Sustainability and sustainability objectives
d) Performance management, including setting goals and KPls, monitoring, training and coaching, and rewards and recognition
e) Legislative compliance.
Problem 5: Arrange a time and location to deliver a presentation to the management team with the results of your findings in steps 2-4.
Problem 6: Deliver the presentation to the management team. Ensure you:
a) Seek input for improvements or additions to your approach to be incorporated into your summary report and portfolio documents. Ask questions and use active listening techniques.
b) Deliver your presentation in accordance with the deliverables and quality specifications outlined below.
Part B: Prepare a summary report
Problem 1: Summarize the contents of your presentation in a one- to two-page written report, including recommended changes or additions. Ensure you:
a) Use an appropriate style and tone for business reporting
b) Use headings, paragraphs and full sentences (except in illustrations or bulleted lists).
Problem 2: Submit your summary report in accordance with the deliverables and quality specifications outlined below.
Part C: Portfolio of work
Problem 1: Develop a communications strategy for implementing your proposed continuous improvement initiatives that includes:
a) Two to three communications objectives
b) At least two audiences, for example, senior management, work teams, or individual employees
c) At least two methods of communication or media.
Problem 2: Develop a short (less than one page) procedure for informing teams of the outcomes of continuous improvement activities.
Problem 3: Develop a monitoring strategy for an area of team performance identified in the scenario. Include:
a) Targets (aligned with or consistent with organizational goals)
b) Standards (compliant with relevant legislation, policies and procedures)
c) KPIs
d) Responsibilities for recording and reporting
e) Timelines
f) Technology and systems used for capture, storage and reporting of performance information.
Problem 4: Develop a short (less than one page) procedure for managers and special continuous improvement teams to run continuous improvement sessions; for example, if poor performance is observed through monitoring systems.
Your procedure should:
a) Outline how to run a team session to capture opportunities for improvement and share required knowledge
b) Include at least one measure to ensure adherence to legislative requirements such as health and safety, privacy, or anti-discrimination.
Problem 5: Submit your portfolio deliverables in accordance with the deliverables and quality specifications outlined.
Deliverables: You must:
i) Deliver a 20-minute presentation on continuous improvement strategies in response to the scenario
ii) Submit a summary report
iii) Submit a portfolio of work: monitoring strategy, communications strategy, and procedures for communications and continuous improvement team processes.
Quality (presentation):
Your assessor will be looking for evidence of your ability to:
a) Seek feedback on your approaches to continuous improvement processes and outcomes
b) Relate your CI approaches to meeting sustainability objectives
c) Relate your CI approaches to mentoring, coaching and other support to enable people to participate effectively in continuous improvement processes
d) Describe how insights will be incorporated into the organization's knowledge management systems and future planning
e) Demonstrate reading skills through:
- Identifying and extracting relevant information from texts on CI
- Locating, interpreting and analyzing workplace documentation to gather information relating to continuous improvement
f) Demonstrate oral communication skills through:
- Presenting information to management audience
- Listening and comprehending information
- Confirming understanding through questioning and active listening techniques
g) Navigate the world of work, through:
- Developing CI strategies to enable compliance with legislative requirements and achievement of the organization's goals
h) Interact with others, through:
- Identifying and using appropriate conventions and protocols when communicating with peer managers
- Collaborating with others to achieve joint outcomes, playing an active role in facilitating effective group interaction and influencing direction
i) Get the work done, through:
- Using analytical and lateral thinking to review current practices and develop ideas for improvement
- Reflecting on the ways in which digital systems and tools are used, or could be used, to achieve work goals.
Quality (summary report and portfolio):
Your assessor will be looking for evidence of your ability to:
a) Demonstrate writing skills, through:
- Developing a complex text (report) related to CI processes according to organisational requirements
- Ensuring the vocabulary, grammatical structures and conventions of the report are appropriate for the context and target audience
b) Navigate the world of work, through:
- Developing strategies and procedures to enable compliance with legislative requirements and achievement of the organization's goals
- Monitoring adherence to organizational policies, procedures and protocols through a monitoring strategy.
Assignment Task 2: Performance objective
You will demonstrate the management and leadership skills and knowledge required to lead and implement continuous improvement systems and processes, particularly in the context of working with teams to identify improvement or solutions to performance or quality issues.
Assessment Description:
Using the simulated business information and scenario provided, along with your own planning and procedural documentation produced in Assessment 1, you will prepare for and lead a team in identifying improvements using an appropriate continuous improvement (CI) tool. You will follow communication protocols for recording and communicating continuous improvement performance and outcomes. You will then prepare a written reflection on the process of implementing continuous improvement in a team setting, and outcomes and ideas for further improvement.
Procedure:
Part A: Plan and participate in a continuous improvement session (role-play)
1. Review the following scenario:
You are a continuous improvement consultant. Australian Hardware has contracted you to analyze the business in order to propose a continuous process improvement approach, including systems and processes to improve quality and performance number of areas.
The approach will be used across the business, including application to areas such as:
a) Sustainability across the organisation
b) Revenue per customer interaction
c) Operational costs
d) Customer service satisfaction across product areas such as timber, plumbing and electrical, garden products, hardware, tools and homewares
e) Delivery lead times for customers.
You intend to trial your proposed quality systems and processes at the Wollongong store. As part of this trial, you intend to facilitate a continuous improvement session with a product area team to identify areas of possible improvement.
Depending on the continuous improvement approach you selected in Assessment Task 1, you will use an appropriate tool to identify, for example, issues, root causes, or possible solutions. Follow procedures for conducting such sessions, including recording outcomes for later communication to stakeholders in the relevant process.
During the session, you will need to help the team to look at performance issues and coach the team to identify improvements to feed back into future planning.
After you run the session, you will need to reflect on the session, the session outcomes and your process of learning through interacting with the team.
Also, after the session, you will need to follow communication processes you developed in Assessment Task 1 to communicate outcomes to the team and relevant stakeholders.
2. Plan your facilitation of the continuous improvement session.
3. Talk to you assessor, who will provide you with a team scenario and coordinate team allocations.
Conduct the continuous improvement session as per the procedure you developed for Assessment Task 1. Ensure you coach the team effectively:
a. Explain the purpose of the session. Refer to performance information and relate the session to business operations and organizational/team goals.
b. Keep the session positive and build enthusiasm for the process.
c. Seek input for improvements using an appropriate tool and record the outcomes.
d. Conduct session in accordance with relevant legislation, for example, safely in accordance with WHS legislation and in a non-discriminatory manner.
e. Conduct the rote-play in accordance with the deliverables and quality specifications outlined below.
Part B: Follow-up communications
1. Develop a document or set of related documents to evidence following up from the session to communicate outcomes to relevant stakeholders. For example, you may create, depending on communication processes and strategies developed in
Problem 1:
a) An email to the team or relevant management group or supplier
b) A document, such as a flow chart, to be uploaded to the organizational in tranet.
Submit your follow-up communications documentation in accordance with the deliverables and quality specifications outlined below.
Part C: Written reflection
Problem 1: Prepare a written reflection. Ensure you include:
a. A description of the planning process you undertook to run the session and follow-up communication, including reference to the procedures followed, such as for running the session and communicating to the team.
b. A discussion of how such a planning process should lead to effective knowledge management and incorporation of improvement into organizational future planning.
c. A reflection on what you learned through the process of planning and running the session. What did you learn through running a team session and using CI facilitation tools that you couldn't have learned as effectively through individual work?
d. A reflection on your own role as a facilitator of CI through effective planning, implementation, monitoring and taking action to effect improvements.
Problem 2: Submit your reflection in accordance with the deliverables and quality specifications outlined below.
Specifications
Deliverables:
You must:
a) Plan and deliver a team continuous improvement session (e.g. rapid improvement event)
b) Submit follow-up communications documentation, for example:
c) Submit a written reflection.
Quality (team continuous improvement session):
Your assessor will be looking for evidence of your ability to:
a) Facilitate effective contributions to and communications about continuous improvement processes and outcomes
b) Incorporate mentoring, coaching and other support to enable people to participate effectively in continuous improvement processes
c) Capture insights, experiences and ideas for improvements and incorporate them into the organization's knowledge management systems and future planning
d) Demonstrate reading skills through interpreting and analyzing workplace documentation, such as policies and procedures to facilitate session
e) Demonstrate oral communication skills by:
- presenting information to a team of employees
- listening and comprehending information as it arises in the team session o confirming understanding through questioning and active listening
f) Navigate the world of work through:
- implementing strategies to enable achievement of the organization's goals
- considering own role in terms of its contribution to broader goals of the organisation
g) Interact with others through:
- Identifying and using appropriate communication processes
- Collaborating with others to achieve joint outcomes, playing an active role in facilitating effective group interaction and influencing direction get the work done through:
- Taking responsibility for achieving organizational outcomes in session
- Using analytical and lateral thinking to review current practices and develop ideas for improvement during session.
Quality (written reflection):
Your assessor will be looking for evidence of your ability to:
a) Learn through coaching, mentoring or training others
b) Get the work done through:
- taking responsibility for achieving organizational outcomes in the session
- using analytical and lateral thinking to review current practices and develop ideas for improvement during session.
Quality (follow-up communications):
Your assessor will be looking for evidence of your ability to:
a) Demonstrate writing skills through:
- Developing communication texts related to continuous improvement processes and according to organizational requirements
- Ensuring the vocabulary, grammatical structures and conventions of the communications are appropriate for the context and target audience.
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