Key information

  1. Reference: ST0193
  2. Date updated: 13/12/2022
  3. Level: 3
  4. Route: Business and administration
  5. Regulated occupation: No
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Details of the occupational standard

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T-Levels logoT Levels focus on vocational skills and can help students into skilled employment, higher study or apprenticeships. Each T Level includes an in-depth industry placement that lasts at least 45 days. Students get valuable experience in the workplace; employers get early sight of the new talent in their industry.

Occupation summary

Improvement Technicians are responsible for delivery and coaching of improvement activity within an area of responsibility, often associated with Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. They can be found across all industry sectors and functions including automotive, banking, engineering, food products, IT, property, retail, telecoms Local and County Councils, NHS, Voluntary / Charity, Utilities, Pharmaceuticals, Insurance, Hospitality etc. Typically, Technicians work as a member of an operational team to resolve problems - preventing re-occurrence, engaging others in issues affecting them and to support the improvement of performance.

Typical job titles include:

Business Improvement Co-ordinator Continuous Improvement Executive Process Technician Operational Excellence/Lean Engineer Lean Six Sigma Yellow belt and Quality Control Analyst Environmental Compliance Technician Environmental Construction Oversight Environmental Health And Safety Inspector Transportation Planner

KSBs

Knowledge

K1: Compliance: Legislative and customer compliance requirements including environment and health and safety Back to Duty

K2: Team formation & leadership: Improvement team roles and responsibilities in a change environment Back to Duty

K3: Self-development: Different sources for knowledge development Back to Duty

K4: Project management: Project charter, Gantt chart, reporting documentation, Red Amber Green (RAG) status, communication (verbal and non-verbal channels) and implementation plans Back to Duty

K5: Change management: Roles of the manager and leader within change. Influencing, reinforcement and coaching principles Back to Duty

K6: Principles & methods: Six Sigma principles per ISO13053 (International Organisation for Standardisation), interim containment actions, Lean principles Back to Duty

K7: Project selection & scope: Selection matrix, scoping tree Back to Duty

K8: Problem definition: Exploratory data analysis, data collection planning, problem and goal statements Back to Duty

K9: Process mapping & analysis: Supplier Input Process Output Customer (SIPOC), process mapping, value and waste analysis, performance metrics - discrete data Back to Duty

K10: Data acquisition for analysis: Data stratification, sampling theory, data types, variation types and sources, data collection tools, operational definition and principles of measurement error Back to Duty

K11: Basic statistics & measures: Control charts - discrete data Back to Duty

K12: Process capability & performance: Capability analysis - continuous data Back to Duty

K13: Root cause analysis: Histograms Back to Duty

K14: Experimentation: Active analysis versus one factor at a time, Plan Do Check Act Back to Duty

K15: Identification & prioritisation: Brainstorming, selection criteria Back to Duty

K16: Sustainability & control: Process Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Compliance: Work in accordance with organisational controls and statutory regulations Back to Duty

S2: Communication: Share improvement progress through appropriate reporting Back to Duty

S3: Project management: Plan, manage and implement improvement activities. Identify and support management of risks. Develop the business case for improvement activity and implementation Back to Duty

S4: Change management: Engage through communications. Reinforce – positively and negatively. Effectively coach peers Back to Duty

S5: Principles and methods: Use a structured method and appropriate improvement tools engaging with subject matter experts to deliver business benefits Back to Duty

S6: Project selection and Scoping: Identify and scope improvement projects and establish clear measurable objectives Back to Duty

S7: Problem definition: Develop a problem/opportunity statement supported by validated data Back to Duty

S8: Voice of the customer: Apply techniques to identify customers, their requirements and translate these to metrics Back to Duty

S9: Process mapping & analysis: Apply process mapping tools to visualise processes, analyse process performance establishing key insights for performance improvement Back to Duty

S10: Lean tools: Apply techniques such as identification and removal of 8 wastes, 5S (Sort, Shine, Set, Standardise, Sustain), standard work, kaizen, visual displays and controls, error proofing, preventative maintenance Back to Duty

S11: Data acquisition for analysis: Develop data collection plan and validated measurement processes to understand performance Back to Duty

S12: Basic statistics & measures: Establish patterns and trends in data over time using tally, pie, run/trend and pareto charts Back to Duty

S13: Data analysis-statistical methods: Identify common and special cause variation Back to Duty

S14: Process capability & performance: Analyse product/process performance using good quality data Back to Duty

S15: Root cause analysis: Use cause and effect diagrams, technique of 5 whys and graphical analysis to understand and verify root causes Back to Duty

S16: Identification & prioritisation: Identify and prioritise improvement solutions Back to Duty

S17: Benchmarking: Recognise the value of sharing best practice Back to Duty

S18: Sustainability & control: Create control and reaction plans with detection measures, identify opportunities to embed changes to leverage benefit to the business. Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Drive for results: Clear commitment for identifying opportunities and delivering improvements, pays attention to detail Back to Duty

B2: Team-working: Helps when asked, works effectively in a diverse team, considers impact of own actions on others, motivates peers Back to Duty

B3: Professionalism: Acts in a moral, legal and socially appropriate manner, aligns behaviours to the organisations values, trusted to working on own when appropriate Back to Duty

B4: Continuous development: Acts upon feedback, reflects on performance and has a desire for learning Back to Duty

B5: Safe working: Ensures safety of self and others, challenges safety# Back to Duty

T Level in management and administration

Qualification type: T Level

Qualification level: 3

Awarding organisation: City & Guilds

Approval date: 02/12/2021

Available from: 01/09/2022

Occupational specialism: Business improvement

Product page

Aligned occupational standards

ST0193 Improvement technician


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