Lead continuous improvement in mineral processing operations

What is this standard about?
This standard covers the competences required for leading continuous improvement in mineral processing operations. It involves approving the plan for the agreed work area/activity, to include plan, do, check, act, and to agree quantifiable objectives and targets for the improvement activity.

You will need to focus on leading the improvement activities which would give business benefits such as reduced product cost, increased capacity and/or flexibility, improved safety, improved regulatory compliance, improved quality, improved customer service, improvements to working practices and procedures, reduction in lead time and reduction/elimination of waste.

This standard works in conjunction with developing the capability of your team that covers the training and competence requirements.

Who is this standard for?
This standard is applicable to anyone at a managerial or supervisor level authorised and approved to carry out this function.

P1. conduct your work in line with relevant regulation, legislation, company policies, procedures, and industry good practice
P2. identify areas for improvement and develop plans
P3. evaluate plans for the improvements
P4. agree with the team the final plan for improvements
P5. carry out a risk assessment for the improvement work
P6. lead the improvement activities ensuring they meet the plan
P7. lead the production of and approve changes to risk assessments
P8. lead the production of and approve changes to standard operating procedures (SOPs)
P9. agree calculated measures of performance for quality, cost and delivery
P10. monitor improvements
P11. evaluate the impact of improvements made using key performance indicators

K1. relevant regulation, legislation, company policies and procedures, and industry good practice
K2. how to plan the resources and time needed to carry out the agreed activity
K3. the principles which support improvement activities
K4. the eight wastes (over-production, inventory, transport, overprocessing, waiting time, operator motion, bad quality, failure to exploit human potential) and how to eliminate them
K5. problem solving and root cause analysis
K6. the importance of understanding the process/activity under review, and how this will affect the quality of the problem solving
K7. managing improvements using (plan, do, check, act)
K8. how to establish measurable improvements
K9. how to distinguish facts from opinions in order to identify improvement actions
K10. how improvements to the process are achieved by engaging the knowledge and experience of the people involved in the process
K11. how to encourage people to identify potential improvements
K12. how to evaluate improvement ideas in order to select those that are to be pursued
K13. how to set quantifiable targets and objectives
K14. how to produce/propose the creation of or changes to standard operating procedures (SOPs) or other approved documentation
K15. the process of risk assessment
K16. the key performance indicators (KPI)
K17. how the cycle time of a process can be defined
K18. how to calculate the required production rate for a process by using a calculation
K19. how to calculate the optimal resources (including people, equipment, facilities and materials) required for a process
K20. how to monitor the improvements made
K21. how to evaluate the impact of improvements made using key performance indicators
K22. the extent of your own authority, and to whom you should report to in the event of problems that you cannot resolve

Evaluate: to include financial, sustainability, risks, hazards, impacts to the environment and biodiversity.
 
Plan: this may include scope of work, timeframes, deadlines, milestones, targets, objectives, costs, cost benefit analysis, roles and responsibilities.