LTB609/16 - Price Waterhouse Cooper - Opportunity Model

[TrueBlueTerrier]

LTB609/16 - Price Waterhouse Cooper - Opportunity Model

No. 609/2016

17th October 2016

For the Immediate Attention of All:

Postal Branches

Divisional Representatives

Area Processing Representatives

PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPER – OPPORTUNITY MODEL

Dear Colleagues

Branches and representatives will be aware that Royal Mail has recently engaged Price Waterhouse Cooper (PWC) to advise their managers in activity utilising the "Opportunity Model" in Mail Centres. Royal Mail has developed the Opportunity Model to assist managers in identifying opportunities to re-establish standard layout and operating procedures and apply business as usual (BAU) processes to improve the efficiency of the plant.

This business decision to engage a third party was not a matter of consultation or agreement with the union. However, following a number of enquiries from the field in regard to the role of PWC the department has sought clarification on the nature of the PWC activity and assurances that their involvement does not affect nationally agreed processes for the consultation and negotiation of workplace change.

The department therefore wrote to the business and following a subsequent meeting received written assurances that PWC’s remit is solely to assist Royal Mail in identifying where the application of the Opportunity Model may be of benefit. Any projects or proposals identified by the plant team after reviewing the spreadsheet will become part of the unit’s business plan, which will be the subject of consultation with the CWU in line with the terms of the IR Framework.

The business has also confirmed in correspondence that the following is the advice that has been communicated to their managers in relation to the role of PWC:



1. To help educate team in understanding the opportunity model
To help coach your team in how to use the outputs from the model to focus
attention in the right work areas

To coach your team in how to review the selected work areas, observe the
operation and undertake root cause analysis to help identify the causes of

loss. This activity is supported by Industrial Engineers and other RM

operational managers



Alongside the IEs, to coach the plant team in the undertaking of activity and
observation sampling

To help you and your team to turn the root cause analysis into meaningful
action plans which can be deployed in a relatively short space of time.

The PWC team are not in your plant to undertake any of the following:



Manage either your management team or front line staff
Direct your management team or front line staff
Lead on team briefings or huddles, although they can be called upon to
assist these

Lead consultation with the staff representatives
Provide industrial engineering skills and/or advice.
If members of your front line team do not wish to engage with the PWC team members when on site that is their choice and they will not be forced to engage. Similarly if staff representatives do not want to engage that is also their prerogative. However, if either members of the front line or their representatives do approach the PWC team they will respond in a positive and cooperative manner.

Throughout the process, the Mail Centres will have support from the IEs and the support from CWU IEs is also welcomed as with all BAU activity.

Any recommendations that come out of this process will form part of the unit’s business plan and will follow the BAU process and discussion with the CWU, in line with established IR arrangements and agreements.

It is anticipated that the activity will be rolled out to all Mail Centre sites and at the time of writing we have been informed that Opportunity Model activity has commenced at the following:

Manchester Edinburgh

Warrington Home Counties North

Birmingham Southampton

Medway Glasgow

Romford Bristol

Leeds Northern Ireland

Swindon Newcastle

London Central

Activity is due to commence this week at Jubilee, Nottingham and Chester.

The department would recommend that representatives engage with the business and PWC in the Opportunity Model, in order that the nature of the specific activity at each site is fully understood and can be monitored, ensuring that all relevant agreements are being adhered to. We would reiterate however that any workplace changes that are identified or proposed as part of the Opportunity Model should be progressed in line with the IR Framework and existing agreements.

Should any Branches or representatives require the assistance of a CWU Industrial Engineer you are requested to contact the department in order that the relevant arrangements can be made.

Branches and representatives should note that additional activity involving PWC under the banner of ZBB or AVA in relation to the review of non-operational functions is separate from this activity. At present the ZBB/AVA activity is the subject of National discussions.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 052

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

[rubberbond]

From what I can understand of this gobbledegook,it sounds like World Class Fail,by another name, and that went well didn't it. It also sounds like another colossal waste of money,try claiming 30 minutes overtime and you get the Spanish Inquisition,yet they throw thousands and thousands of pounds at senior management vanity projects,like this. Here's an idea, try making some pat time staff up to full time with the money instead,that way , you will get the jobs covered and efficiency will rise naturally.
Just a thought.

[yellowbelly]

From what I can understand of this gobbledegook,it sounds like World Class Fail,by another name, and that went well didn't it. It also sounds like another colossal waste of money,try claiming 30 minutes overtime and you get the Spanish Inquisition,yet they throw thousands and thousands of pounds at senior management vanity projects,like this. Here's an idea, try making some pat time staff up to full time with the money instead,that way , you will get the jobs covered and efficiency will rise naturally.
Just a thought.

Rubberbond - couldn't have put it better myself.

If they bothered to ask the people who do the job everyday on how could
things be done better they might get somewhere rather than some clipboard
carrying geek wandering about sticking their nose in suggesting stuff to fit in with a 'model'.

From the Japanese theory of 'kaizen':

As the ideas come from the workers themselves, they are less likely to be radically different, and therefore easier to implement

and

The ideas come from the talents of the existing workforce, as opposed to using research, consultants or equipment – any of which could be very expensive

[yellowbelly]

Just watched a programme on BBC2 saying what an absolute waste of money and massive con these consultations are and are just a
foot in the door to charge councils millions for stating the bleeding obvious further down the line. Guess which consulting company was named and shamed......

Who's Spending Britain's Billions http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0803b0s

[rubberbond]

Just watched a programme on BBC2 saying what an absolute waste of money and massive con these consultations are and are just a
foot in the door to charge councils millions for stating the bleeding obvious further down the line. Guess which consulting company was named and shamed......

Who's Spending Britain's Billions http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0803b0s

Exactly, and who pays for it? We do. They would never risk their own money on crap like this,but it's only public money and there seems to be a limitless supply of that. From mugs like us. Someone once said , a consultant is someone who borrows your watch and then charges you for telling you the time. Sounds about right.