DATA CLEANSING EXERCISE – MAIL CENTRE NETWORK

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Letter to Branches




No. 221/14
Ref: 711.07
Date: 7th April 2014


To All: Postal Branches with Processing Members
Divisional Representatives
Area Processing Representatives


Dear Colleague

DATA CLEANSING EXERCISE – MAIL CENTRE NETWORK

Branches and representatives will be aware that LTB 160/14, circulated on the 11th March 2014, contained a Joint Statement which supplied an update in respect of the first meeting that had taken place of the National Processing Group (NPG) since the endorsement of the Agenda for Growth, Stability & Long Term Success Agreement.

The Joint Statement provided information in respect of the positive meeting that had taken place and the agreed principle of establishing a greater understanding and consensus on the direction of the Processing function, which would enable the CWU to be actively involved in the development of a strategy that compliments a mutual interest joint vision for the Mail Centre Network and its operation going forward.

Against this backdrop the Union have been advised and are aware that the business has commissioned activity aimed at ensuring that the hours allocated to work load etc on P318’s in Mail Centre/Plants is an accurate reflection of the actual Business Reporting of Hours spent.

The business has explained that pressure in the past in regard to costing and pricing data for the Regulator saw emphasis being given to a reapportionment process, i.e. re-allocating hours spent against reported traffic volumes by product streams and this they feel has led to a suspected deterioration in production/hours control data in Mail Centres.

Transparency, standardisation and agreed joint processes are all areas covered by our on-going policy and this joint exercise should provide a clear understanding of how the data held on elements of the current production control programmes and P318’s, actually relates to the day to day operation.

We have also raised how hours aligned to WCM will be captured or identified in this process and management have explained that incredibly WCM does not have a sub-heading. Therefore, where WCM activity necessitates someone leaving their work area or individuals are released on WCM activity it will be shown in the ‘off the floor training sub-head’. However, normal training should be shown in the ‘on the floor training sub-head’ so this should be useful in assisting the identification of spend in respect of hours on WCM activity, an area in which transparency is long overdue. This audit exercise will also cover Work Time Listening & Learning which will be clearly shown in the duty content.

All Area Processing Representatives are therefore requested to ensure that any activity in regard to this process is undertaken jointly. Where activity has already commenced without the involvement of the CWU representatives it will either need to restart, or ensure that continued activity is joint and that the representative has been satisfactorily appraised of any elements of the audit that have already taken place.

Management have also confirmed that this data cleansing exercise is effectively an admin audit for ‘Book Room/Resourcing Unit’ data and not ‘back door’ revision activity or a process to identify potential savings. Equally, it should also be noted that none of the activity taking place will result in changes to current attendance patterns, conditioned hours, duty start and finish times etc.

Any revision activity should continue to be progressed via current policy, current agreements and the IR Framework.

A summary of the audit/cleansing activity taking place is detailed below.

What will be taking place in your Mail Centres/Plants in relation to duty codes on P318’s
 
The audit/data cleaning will make sure that the total Authorised Working Duty (AWD) Hours, including Scheduled Attendances (SA) are identified on all P318’s against the specific code allocated to the actual function/work scheduled to be performed so that this information balances with that currently held on the balance reporting systems e.g. Mail Information SysTem (MIST), People System Portal (PSP), Resource Control System (RCS).

It will check that the duty codes are accurate and reflect the work currently being performed by the duty holder e.g. current P318 indicates time allocated in a duty to Meter Preparation but actual work being performed is identified as Packet/Parcel Sorting, P318 indicates LSM Operation when the automation operation has been replaced by an iLSM or CSS machine.

It will ensure paid Meal Breaks, Relaxation Breaks and Time Bonus Breaks (where applicable) are coded correctly, accurately and reflect the times the actual duty holder takes their breaks.
 
 Why is the Audit/Data Cleaning of P318’s being carried out?

It will help ensure that the duty chart hour’s information that is reported centrally, is an accurate account of the available duty hourage spent and where it is allocated to within the Mail Centre/Plant operation.

It will provide a more accurate understanding of the costing of the products and services provided to Customers.
It will assist in the production of more accurate and standardised, Signing On sheets and support the alignment to correct work areas within the Mail Centre/Plant.

Provide the Work Area Manager with accurate Staff Hour information, to assist them effectively manage their element of the MC/P operation as well as provide accurate information which will be used to facilitate local resourcing arrangements in discussion with CWU representatives.
 
What will this activity mean in your particular Mail Centre/Plant?

Members of the local Production Control Teams will be arranging to meet with all Operational Work Area Managers and CWU Reps to discuss and actively engage with them in respect of the Audit/Data Cleaning Activity so that a collaborative approach will be applied to this activity.

At the conclusion of the activity the cleansed data will then be used to update the P318’s and balance systems accordingly.

In conclusion it is envisaged that this activity will help develop a better understanding across the Mail Centre/Plant Network of duty hourage alignment and to some extent will aid in addressing the knowledge gap and the development of a more structured and transparent approach to resourcing in the Mail Centre/Plant environment.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 711.07.

Yours sincerely


Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary