AAOM Handbook

3. Support Work – activities that predominantly serve the purpose of improving the effectiveness or efficiency of a Process. For example; analysing the effectiveness of the Process or work design and identifying better alternatives, pre-planning and scheduling work activities to improve the quality and cost of outcomes.

Process Control.

In many mechanised Processes an automatic control system is implemented. The purpose of the control system is to ensure that the equipment applied to transforming, transferring and storing materials consistently performs a defined set of actions, in a specific sequence, and to a set standard. Implementation of a control system involves two distinct phases - design and then operation. The design of the control system involves understanding the expected outcomes, the hardware and raw materials available to the Process, and then defining the actions, sequencing and performance standards required to deliver those outcomes. Operation of the Process involves the repeated and consistent application of the designed work steps and standards, with measurements used to maintain the stability and capability of the process. There are also many Processes where the work is not mechanised or automated, but is either performed or directly controlled by people. Examples include operation of mining equipment, producing accounts and preparing technical analyses and reports. A very large proportion of Service work is also performed by people - eg maintaining equipment. To sustainably deliver the expected outcome of these Processes there will potentially be many Production and Service tasks that must be performed at a specific time, and to a set standard, and that could potentially interact or interfere with each other. These Production and Service tasks, their sequence or timing, and their specifications must be designed. There must also be consistent execution of the designed work, with measurements used to maintain the stability and capability of the process. The BPF is a system design to deliver the requirements outlined in the above paragraph. It is a system for defining and managing the Production and Service work that people perform. The BPF has many similarities with the design and operation of an automatic control system. You should note in the schematic of the BPF below, that while there are separate sub-processes for Set Production Strategy and Set Service Strategy (which define what the Production and Service work is), all of the Production and Service work is thereafter integrated into a single stream of activities. This is in recognition of the fact that both Production and Service work are necessary and, because of potential interaction and interference, should all be integrated in time and space.

© McAlear Management Consultants 2005 – 2012

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