My PDA thoughts to Ask.Allan

[trythat]

I thought I'd let our out going leader know what I think of the PDA's, I look forward to what he has to say, if anything, and I'd be interested if any of you agree or disagree with what I've written.


After using the new PDA's for a couple of months now, 'd like to share with you some of my thought s on this device. Most of it is of course, criticism, but I'll try and justify each of them, with what I think may be of benefit or a better way of doing the same or similar action.
Of course there are good things about them, and I'll mention them too.

Here we go then, they are in no particular order, or how much of a pain in the ass they are :-

1. The unit is to big and heavy, there are now mobile phones that can process bar codes.

2. No way of displaying how many items have been signed for, or how many P739's have been left, I'm not on about when scanning in items, I'm on about the total of each, with the paper form, you knew how many specials etc, you had, and how many items you P739'ed, so at the end of the day, you could check that all tallied up. This info could be shown at the bottom of the screen or when a user logs off.

3. The date is not displayed, I know I can get the date by pressing a few buttons, but that takes time, as we use this thing more, then who needs to wear a watch. You could show at least the day and month next to the time. Or at least on the top menu bar.

4. Having to keep entering your passdigits so often is a real pain, it would be better say every hour or even better only having to enter it when logging on.

5. The backspace symbol is in different places on the onscreen number display and the onscreen keyboard. Change where the open braces '()' are placed, I'd imagine we use the backspace more often that the braces.

6. The onscreen number display is laid out differently to the physical keyboard.

These last 2 items may sound petty, but its much more time efficient, when things are constant, and we know how you like us to be efficient.

7. When rebooting the system (very often) having to enter delivery number manually into PDA, or scan it in if you have the bar code. Now if you do lots of different duties, why should you have to carry around bits of paper with duty numbers on them. A much better way would be to have a menu with duty numbers or duty names, this can be a drop down menu similar to the 3 options for delivery/indoor etc.

8. When you first have to enter your logon details, a better layout would be to enter all 3 parts of info needed on the same screen, not the 2 screens needed at the moment. Add name first, then enter duty, via the above method, and then add password. If password is correct go straight to scanning screen, not a in-between screen.

9. Logging off, there should be a easier and quicker way to loggoff. At the moment, you may have to enter password, then cancel that screen, then click on option, then click 'exit' and finally click loggoff. I don't see why you have to enter a password to loggoff to start with. There is room on the scanning screen between the 2 bottom buttons to have a loggoff button there, this could then go on to display how many P739's etc, need to go back and a confirmation button.

10. We've been bollocked for not logging off (but as number 9 points out, it is a pain). Why not have the PDA loggoff when put into the cabinet, or if thats to hard to program, then have a timed loggoff - say midnight, unless of course you have us delivering at midnight when we are privatized.

11. They don't work with foreign bar codes, I had a French code the other day, it would scan it, but not except it, so I had to resort to the paper form.


all of the above could of been avoided if you'd have asked the customer, who in this instant is me and fellow post people. Typical Royal Mail, 2 steps forward one step back. Thats why we have a union, to help in trials like this.

I expect I've missed some out, if so, I'll send them when I think of them.

Oh and the good things. There are 2 I've found, one I don't have to worry about missing stickers, or hopefully writing out the code numbers. Secondly the 15 - 30 minutes a week, overtime they have created, it takes longer when at the door, and of course the reboots take sooooo looong.

[banner18]

The greatest floor I've found with them is that the signature box is too far up the touch screen. The customer then tends to rest part of their hand on the lower part of the screen which it registers and stops their writing registering properly. This is really basic design floor.

[nelson]

I have to agree with you trythat. The other day on the bulk round I took out 23 specials, but I lost count after about 9 or 10. Normally I recount off the paper copy, but with the PDA you have know way of knowing if you mislay one. When you return the PDA the PHG has no way of checking so if one has been missed or lost it could be a month later you are asked to explain. How the heck are you to then know what happened to the missing special or if it did not register correctly?

[johnnyp]

I have to agree with you trythat. The other day on the bulk round I took out 23 specials, but I lost count after about 9 or 10. Normally I recount off the paper copy, but with the PDA you have know way of knowing if you mislay one. When you return the PDA the PHG has no way of checking so if one has been missed or lost it could be a month later you are asked to explain. How the heck are you to then know what happened to the missing special or if it did not register correctly?

This is the main concern with the PHGs at our place.The answer given to us by the guy on the training course was you just have to trust everyone Also some good points for Alan to think about trythat

[TeeferTiger]

I agree with some of the points but as I've done a lot of the training I've just got a few things to say....

1) Entering the pin number is a pain but it's a security feature in case it gets nicked. At the end of the day, it's £1500 of equipment you're carrying around.
2) There should be a key lock on it so that if you have it in your pocket it doesn't go wonky because there are loads of different buttons being pressed. I believe this is going to be in a software update
3) I was informed when I had my training that there would be smaller ones coming out next year for the guys on delivery walks. Why didn't they just wait until they could get 30,000 small ones and everybody uses one of those? We only have a few duties in our office where you work straight from the van and therefore don't need to carry the PDA around. Every other duty basically uses the van as a bag drop and therefore has to use a shoulder strap thing to carry their PDA which is just an extra thing to carry and why should they be carrying a big bulky thing when the guys who don't have a van will get a smaller one?! They're also meant to be used for collections eventually so I'm guessing the smaller ones will be easier to handle while you're trying to empty a postbox and carry a bag(s) from SPSOs etc.
4) I agree that there should be a way for you to see what you've scanned but to be fair, you should really know what you have/haven't delivered. It would be nice as a back up though.
5) Logging off ensures that anyone else who needs to use that PDA can just log in. It's a pain for them if they have to reboot the PDA first just to get you logged off.
6) The date can be found by just pressing the clock at the top. I have a terrible memory but once I've found out what the date is, I can generally make it through the day without having to look at it again.
7) I've heard of problems with foreign codes but never actually experienced it. Apparently this will also be sorted in a software update.
8) In my office, I took the time to cut out and stick the barcodes needed to scan for the walks onto the vans allocated for that walk. On the PDAs that don't have allocated vans, I stuck the code onto the back of the PDA. However, the walk has to be on Pegasus to get a barcode so some of our duties (AGs) don't have barcodes full stop so we've had to use other people's walk barcodes for them which kinds defeats the point and leads me onto...
9) Why have the barcodes in the first place? I know they're meant to be for customer services to know what walk etc the item was delivered from. However (and I didn't tell you this) the space where you scan the barcode will accept any 10 digit number. SO.... Why didn't they just let us use our 6 digit site ID number, and the 4 digit walk numbers we used to use to allocate specials to on the RMGTT guns i.e. 0141. 6+4=10 last time I checked so it could be 0001110111 and customer services would know the first 6 digits were the site ID and they could look that up easily and then they could just look at the last 4 digits to find the walk number. I also don't see why it's that important given that your log on is specific to you and therefore it doesn't really matter what walk you're on because they still know it was you who delivered it. If they just used the 10 digits as previously stated, if they did have to reboot or (as in many of the cases I deal with) accidentally log themselves off, they should know the site ID and the 4 digit walk number and it's very quick to input.
10) I have enough trouble with people phoning me up saying they've accidentally logged off, why would you want to make it any easier?! lol

My main gripe is the size of the things. I just don't understand why we're going to have 2 different types. I can understand that maybe the larger ones might be used for the collections and have to be larger for the increased functionality but I don't think that's a valid reason at all. I think it's unfair to expect the "driving" duties to carry on using the bricks they've been given when the smaller ones come out.

[DGP1]

1) Entering the pin number is a pain but it's a security feature in case it gets nicked. At the end of the day, it's £1500 of equipment you're carrying around

Anyone who knows how to crack a mobile phone lock will have no trouble cracking the PDA's.

4) I agree that there should be a way for you to see what you've scanned but to be fair, you should really know what you have/haven't delivered. It would be nice as a back up though

How are you supposed to 'know'? It's difficult enough to remember all the other parts of the delivery without trying to remember specials and recordeds.

5) Logging off ensures that anyone else who needs to use that PDA can just log in. It's a pain for them if they have to reboot the PDA first just to get you logged off.

There should be one handset per delivery and surely it's easier for the new user to log in on a different number (works on my computer for different users).

I agree with you about the weight/dimensions of the PDA and I'll add that ours barely hold the charge for the needed 5/6 hours (the cradles are all broken so you cannot charge from them) so what happens as the batteries start to wear down and they only hold their charge for 1-2 hours.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

4) I agree that there should be a way for you to see what you've scanned but to be fair, you should really know what you have/haven't delivered. It would be nice as a back up though

How are you supposed to 'know'? It's difficult enough to remember all the other parts of the delivery without trying to remember specials and recordeds.

One day last week one of Drivers had 100+ specials to deliver not sure how you would keep track of all of them on a PDA.

[k979aaa]

4) I agree that there should be a way for you to see what you've scanned but to be fair, you should really know what you have/haven't delivered. It would be nice as a back up though

How are you supposed to 'know'? It's difficult enough to remember all the other parts of the delivery without trying to remember specials and recordeds.

One day last week one of Drivers had 100+ specials to deliver not sure how you would keep track of all of them on a PDA.

You cannot just hope you don't lose one!.

[hooniebagoonie]

used one for the 1st time today...what a pile of shite.....wouldnt recognise barcodes on specials recordeds or tracked items by scanning and only half by manually imputting the numbers....had to go back to the old paper way
if this is progress R.M can stick it

[Stormproof]

The screen on my PDA is rubbish, it misses out big chunks of the customers signature whether they press hard on the screen or not and do we really need all those buttons when just a touch screen PDA is all thats necessary.

[trythat]

I agree with some of the points but as I've done a lot of the training I've just got a few things to say....

1) Entering the pin number is a pain but it's a security feature in case it gets nicked. At the end of the day, it's £1500 of equipment you're carrying around.

Who wants them, or have any use for them, TBH they're pretty crap.

3) I was informed when I had my training that there would be smaller ones coming out next year for the guys on delivery walks. Why didn't they just wait until they could get 30,000 small ones and everybody uses one of those? We only have a few duties in our office where you work straight from the van and therefore don't need to carry the PDA around. Every other duty basically uses the van as a bag drop and therefore has to use a shoulder strap thing to carry their PDA which is just an extra thing to carry and why should they be carrying a big bulky thing when the guys who don't have a van will get a smaller one?! They're also meant to be used for collections eventually so I'm guessing the smaller ones will be easier to handle while you're trying to empty a postbox and carry a bag(s) from SPSOs etc.

I've seen the straps, something else to get caught on gates etc, as you say, why not wait for the smaller ones.

4) I agree that there should be a way for you to see what you've scanned but to be fair, you should really know what you have/haven't delivered. It would be nice as a back up though.

I can't remember on the day how many I scanned and how many I should take back.

5) Logging off ensures that anyone else who needs to use that PDA can just log in. It's a pain for them if they have to reboot the PDA first just to get you logged off.

Yes, but my point is make them loggoff when being shoved into the cabinet. Plus make easier to loggoff.

6) The date can be found by just pressing the clock at the top. I have a terrible memory but once I've found out what the date is, I can generally make it through the day without having to look at it again.

Yes I know that, but as there is room on the top row, why not have it displayed?

7) I've heard of problems with foreign codes but never actually experienced it. Apparently this will also be sorted in a software update.

I have, and had to resort to the paper form, if the thing wasn't ready for service, and as you say smaller ones are coming why not wait.

8) In my office, I took the time to cut out and stick the barcodes needed to scan for the walks onto the vans allocated for that walk. On the PDAs that don't have allocated vans, I stuck the code onto the back of the PDA. However, the walk has to be on Pegasus to get a barcode so some of our duties (AGs) don't have barcodes full stop so we've had to use other people's walk barcodes for them which kinds defeats the point and leads me onto...

Yes, after some arguing, I got our DOM to stick the codes in the van, but again, much easier to have a menu.

9) Why have the barcodes in the first place? I know they're meant to be for customer services to know what walk etc the item was delivered from. However (and I didn't tell you this) the space where you scan the barcode will accept any 10 digit number. SO.... Why didn't they just let us use our 6 digit site ID number, and the 4 digit walk numbers we used to use to allocate specials to on the RMGTT guns i.e. 0141. 6+4=10 last time I checked so it could be 0001110111 and customer services would know the first 6 digits were the site ID and they could look that up easily and then they could just look at the last 4 digits to find the walk number. I also don't see why it's that important given that your log on is specific to you and therefore it doesn't really matter what walk you're on because they still know it was you who delivered it. If they just used the 10 digits as previously stated, if they did have to reboot or (as in many of the cases I deal with) accidentally log themselves off, they should know the site ID and the 4 digit walk number and it's very quick to input.

I found out recently that any 10 digit number would work, I said the same about delivery number, but I suppose if you do lots of deliveries, then they wouldn't know what item was on what delivery.

[axeman]

These were not given to walking men because of weight / size issues so why are you carrying it around with you if it's to cumbersome for a wlking man then ditto for a driver unless he uses it as he should and not cut corners deliver your walk and then the items that require signatures (unless you've a 9:0) then drive to that before your start and then carry on ..do the job properly !!!!

[ar26]

Hi
There is a way to count the items delivered, however it prob isn't Royal Mail approved. Suspend the comms function and all the items are then stored waiting to be sent. It won't count all items if you have more than one for the same address only counts that as one item however so you would need to scan each item individually. I personally don't see a problem with doing this but I believe management would have a dim view of doing it on purpose. I only discovered it by accident as mine frequently goes off line on the journey to my delivery and I don't notice it till after I've done a few. The only other suggestion is peeling of the barcode as we used to and putting it on a card marking them as delivered however this is giving us more work again. We are still using cards with the barcodes at the post office for failed items as proof they have been dropped off are others doing the same ?