Performance Framework Exercise
Develop a KPI framework for a simulated operation.
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Program 8 of 8Integrated Program
Advanced Process Optimisation and Operational Performance
Develop advanced capability to diagnose, improve and sustain operational performance by integrating process optimisation, reliability, quality, resource efficiency, improvement economics and structured implementation.
Category
Integrated Program
Duration
~70 h
Modules
10
Key areas
Process performanceBottlenecksRoot-cause analysisReliabilityQualityResource efficiencyImprovement economicsContinuous improvementImplementation
10 Modules
About the Program
Advanced Process Optimisation and Operational Performance develops a systems-level approach to improving performance across process-based operations.
The program integrates process analysis, bottleneck identification, variability reduction, reliability, quality, yield improvement, resource efficiency, project economics and continuous improvement into one practical framework.
Participants learn how to move from isolated performance problems toward a structured improvement system that connects technical analysis with operational priorities and business value.
The emphasis is on measurable performance improvement and sustained implementation, rather than optimisation theory alone.
What You Will Learn
- Evaluate operational performance using technical, production, quality, reliability and resource indicators.
- Establish meaningful performance baselines and KPI frameworks.
- Map processes and identify major losses, constraints and inefficiencies.
- Diagnose bottlenecks and develop practical debottlenecking options.
- Analyse process variability and apply structured root-cause methods.
- Identify opportunities to improve yield and quality.
- Interpret reliability and downtime data in an operational-performance context.
- Evaluate energy, utility and resource performance alongside production objectives.
- Quantify the potential value of improvement opportunities.
- Apply basic project economics to optimisation initiatives.
- Prioritise competing opportunities using technical, economic and operational criteria.
- Develop structured implementation plans.
- Establish monitoring approaches to verify improvement.
- Build continuous-improvement systems that help sustain gains.
- Integrate multiple initiatives into an operational-performance roadmap.
Program Curriculum
10 modules · ~70 h indicative total
Integrated Process and Operational Performance~6 h13 topics
- Operational-performance fundamentals
- Throughput
- Yield
- Quality
- Cost
- Resource intensity
- Capacity utilisation
- Reliability
- Availability
- Performance baselines
- KPI architecture
- Leading and lagging indicators
- Performance trade-offs
Process Mapping, Mass Balance and Performance Diagnosis~7 h12 topics
- Process boundaries
- Process-flow mapping
- Inputs and outputs
- Material losses
- Mass-balance fundamentals
- Energy considerations
- Critical process variables
- Data sources
- Baselines
- Gap analysis
- Abnormal performance
- Translating data into operational insight
Bottlenecks, Constraints and Capacity Improvement~7 h12 topics
- Bottleneck identification
- Capacity constraints
- Equipment limitations
- Process constraints
- Utility constraints
- Scheduling constraints
- Constraint interaction
- Debottlenecking
- Throughput improvement
- Capacity utilisation
- Capital expansion versus operational improvement
- Unintended consequences
Variability, Root Cause and Process Stability~7 h12 topics
- Process variability
- Feed variability
- Equipment variability
- Human and procedural factors
- Process stability
- Trend analysis
- Basic statistical thinking
- Pareto analysis
- 5 Whys
- Cause-and-effect analysis
- Root-cause verification
- Symptom versus cause
Quality, Yield and Loss Reduction~7 h12 topics
- Quality-performance relationships
- Yield loss
- Rework
- Rejects
- Product giveaway
- Material losses
- Waste generation
- Quality variation
- Cost of poor quality
- Critical-to-quality variables
- Process capability concepts
- Loss-reduction opportunities
Reliability, Maintenance and Operational Availability~7 h12 topics
- Reliability fundamentals
- Availability
- Downtime
- Planned and unplanned maintenance
- Failure patterns
- Equipment criticality
- MTBF
- MTTR
- Maintenance KPIs
- Reliability-centred thinking
- Operational discipline
- Reliability-performance improvement
Resource, Energy and Utility Performance~7 h13 topics
- Energy intensity
- Water use
- Utility consumption
- Raw-material efficiency
- Waste streams
- Steam
- Compressed air
- Pumping
- Resource-performance indicators
- Utility losses
- Operational improvements
- Capital improvements
- Integrated resource optimisation
Process Improvement Economics and Prioritisation~7 h12 topics
- CAPEX
- OPEX
- Cost savings
- Production-value gains
- Payback
- NPV fundamentals
- Risk and uncertainty
- Feasibility assessment
- Opportunity ranking
- Multi-criteria decision-making
- Improvement portfolio development
- High-impact project selection
Implementation and Continuous Improvement Systems~7 h13 topics
- Improvement charters
- Action planning
- Roles and accountability
- Change management
- Standardised work
- SOP integration
- PDCA
- Performance reviews
- Escalation
- Governance
- Sustaining gains
- Preventing regression
- Improvement culture
Integrated Operational Performance Capstone~8 h10 topics
- Baseline assessment
- Process mapping
- Bottleneck analysis
- Root-cause diagnosis
- Reliability review
- Quality and yield review
- Resource-efficiency analysis
- Improvement economics
- Prioritisation
- Implementation roadmap
Who Should Attend
Process and chemical engineersProduction and manufacturing engineersOperations engineers and managersPlant and facility engineersContinuous-improvement professionalsOperational-excellence personnelMaintenance and reliability professionalsQuality and performance specialistsTechnical supervisors and team leadersProject engineersProcess-improvement consultantsTechnical managers responsible for productivity, efficiency or operational performance
Prerequisites
- Basic familiarity with process-based operations
- General understanding of process variables, KPIs and operational data
- Basic numerical and spreadsheet skills
- Some exposure to production, engineering, maintenance or operations is helpful
Prior formal training in process optimisation is useful but not required.
Practical Learning
Participants apply the program through structured diagnostic, quantitative and decision-making exercises.
Process Mapping Exercise
Map major flows, variables and performance losses.
Bottleneck Analysis
Identify the controlling constraint and develop debottlenecking options.
Root-Cause Investigation
Analyse recurring underperformance using structured diagnostic methods.
Quality and Yield Assessment
Evaluate reject, loss and yield data.
Reliability Assessment
Interpret downtime and equipment-performance data.
Resource Efficiency Exercise
Identify high-value energy, utility and material-efficiency opportunities.
Improvement Economics Exercise
Evaluate and rank competing optimisation projects.
Integrated Capstone Project
Integrated Operational Performance Improvement Plan
The program concludes with a substantial operating scenario containing process-flow information, production data, quality data, downtime records, utility consumption, material losses, cost information, operating constraints and recurring process issues.
Applied workflow
- Baseline assessment
- Process mapping
- Bottleneck analysis
- Root-cause diagnosis
- Reliability review
- Quality & yield review
- Resource efficiency
- Improvement economics
- Prioritisation
- Implementation roadmap
Final deliverable includes
Resources Included
Representative resources for the website (the full internal toolkit may be broader):
Operational Performance Baseline Template
Process Mapping Worksheet
KPI Framework Template
Bottleneck Analysis Tool
Root-Cause Analysis Worksheet
Yield and Loss Assessment Template
Reliability Performance Tracker
Resource Efficiency Assessment Tool
Improvement Economics Worksheet
Opportunity Prioritisation Matrix
Implementation Roadmap Template
What You Will Gain
Develop a systems-level approach to diagnosing and improving process and operational performance while connecting technical improvement opportunities with reliability, quality, resource use and business value.
- Stronger process-performance analysis capability
- Practical bottleneck and root-cause skills
- Improved understanding of quality, yield and reliability
- Greater confidence interpreting operational data
- Ability to evaluate resource-efficiency opportunities
- Stronger improvement-economics capability
- Structured project-prioritisation methods
- Implementation and monitoring tools
- Experience developing an integrated operational-performance roadmap
Industry Applications
ManufacturingChemicals and petrochemicalsFood and beverageMining and mineral processingWater and wastewaterEnergy and utilitiesOil and gasPharmaceuticalsMaterials processingOther process-based operations
Delivery Options
Live Virtual Training
Interactive instructor-led delivery incorporating exercises, analysis and discussion.
Instructor-Led Classroom Training
Face-to-face delivery with practical activities, case work and direct instructor interaction.
Corporate Cohorts
Organisation-specific delivery with examples and scenarios adapted to relevant operational or technical contexts where appropriate.
Blended Delivery
A combination of instructor-led sessions and structured independent activities or applied project work.