IMPQI233 – Contribute to the development of an improvement strategy in food operations

Overview 

This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to contribute to the development of an improvement strategy to support your organisation's drive to improve food operations. This is important to increasing productivity and success of manufacture, processing and supply within the food supply chain. It is vital that an improvement strategy is driving the vision, change and improvement goals of your organisation. Contribution is typically provided through working in a team, although this does not exclude individual contributions from outside of close working teams.

You will need to show and understand how you can contribute systematically to the development of the improvement strategy. You also need to show and understand that you can identify opportunities for improvement, communicate effectively, consult with others, and make objective observations about improvement and progress in relation to your role and your organisation. You will need to comply with your company policy for contributing to strategy development, take responsibility for your contribution, and refer any issues outside of the limit of your authority to others.

This standard is for you if you contribute to the development of an improvement strategy working in food or drink operations including manufacturing, processing, packing or supply chain activities. You may have responsibilities for aspects of organisational improvement in a team leadership or management role. This standard will also be applicable to consultants assisting food or drink organisations with an improvement strategy.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

Contribute to identifying improvement opportunities

  1. consider organisational performance data to determine the potential for improvement
  2. review the success improvement targets with the relevant personnel
  3. identify the potential benefits to the organisation that can be achieved through improvement activities
  4. suggest potential opportunities for organisational improvement
  5. identify potential barriers to the implementation of improvement programmes

Contribute to improvement strategy development

  1. respond to requests for information, advice and comment on the emerging vision and strategy for organisational improvement
  2. suggest mechanisms to overcome barriers to the improvement strategy and its implementation
  3. assist in planning arrangements for the improvement strategy consultation process and promotion of the vision
  4. contribute to identifying what monitoring and review arrangements are necessary in an improvement strategy

Support the consultation of the strategy

  1. inform the relevant personnel about the importance of change and improvement to your organisation
  2. provide guidance on the benefits of an improvement strategy and its implementation to the relevant personnel
  3. provide feedback about your own concerns and those of others, about the content of the improvement strategy to the relevant personnel
  4. promote the improvement vision and its key objectives in accordance with procedures

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand

  1. what the purpose and objectives of an improvement strategy are
  2. the current state of organisational progress with or development of an improvement strategy
  3. who is leading, managing and implementing improvement in your organisation
  4. what the process is and arrangements for involvement in strategy building within your organisation
  5. what the outline risks and benefits associated with implementation of organisational change and improvement are
  6. how the actions of others within the supply chain can influence improvement opportunities
  7. the importance of targets for improvement including the use of benchmarking
  8. what types of improvement opportunities exist within your organisation
  9. what the typical barriers to change and an improvement strategy are
  10. how to make observations about potential improvements and opportunities for improvement
  11. how to provide information and comment in a supportive and positive way
  12. what type and arrangements are appropriate for effective strategy consultation within your organisation
  13. stakeholder and line management expectations and how they influence the process
  14. how to promote and inform others about the importance of the improvement vision and strategy
  15. the formal and informal communication channels used
  16. the range of information sources available to support improvement
  17. how to give and receive feedback about the organisational change management process in support of improvement
  18. sources of advice and guidance on improvement in food manufacture and/or supply
  19. the benefits of improved business performance to the organisation and its stakeholders
  20. the resource requirements associated with the implementation of an improvement strategy
  21. how to gain stakeholder commitment to an improvement strategy
  22. the influences which impact upon improvement programmes
  23. how to establish targets for improvement including the use of benchmarking
  24. how the actions of others within the supply chain can influence improvement opportunities
  25. potential barriers to improvement programmes and how these can be overcome
  26. how improvement opportunities impact on all the component functions of an organisation
  27. how to review performance data and determine the scope of potential improvements
  28. how continuous improvement supports sustainability
  29. how to report on performance and improvements

Keywords: Food operations; Manufacturing; Excellence; Improvement; Organisational development; Change; Management; Strategy