WSMs Operating Systems

[POSTMAN]

Depends what size the offices are

Good point.

[dvbuk55]

Thanks all for the info.

There won't be any more than 2 offices, that is a given - or at least as it stands at the moment

Tbh i'm only going with a rough draft of offices having WSM's down my way and there deffo aint enough for just 2 offices plus parent office.

I'm not sure I know what you mean when you say there ain't enough - is that people or work or machines? - or am I being thick

Machines,what i mean is if there was one machine for 2 offices and the parent office there aint enough machines for the amount of DO's in my area.
That's why i feel that 1 machine would do more than the 3,not sure if that is possible though.

But i'm basing it from a PM i got over a year ago and can not rem the full figures tbf.
But it does sound like a lot of money spent per machine if it only does 3.

Right, I get you. I would like to see these machines operating, how many passes for a sequence, how the sequenced mail is cleared down but I suppose I'll have to wait til they get here - that's if they get here before I go of course, some would say it's feck all to do with me ......and of course they would be right but I can't help myself

[POSTMAN]

Thanks all for the info.

There won't be any more than 2 offices, that is a given - or at least as it stands at the moment

Tbh i'm only going with a rough draft of offices having WSM's down my way and there deffo aint enough for just 2 offices plus parent office.

I'm not sure I know what you mean when you say there ain't enough - is that people or work or machines? - or am I being thick

Machines,what i mean is if there was one machine for 2 offices and the parent office there aint enough machines for the amount of DO's in my area.
That's why i feel that 1 machine would do more than the 3,not sure if that is possible though.

But i'm basing it from a PM i got over a year ago and can not rem the full figures tbf.
But it does sound like a lot of money spent per machine if it only does 3.

Right, I get you. I would like to see these machines operating, how many passes for a sequence, how the sequenced mail is cleared down but I suppose I'll have to wait til they get here - that's if they get here before I go of course, some would say it's feck all to do with me ......and of course they would be right but I can't help myself

I'm sure it does 12 walks at a time,no doubt someone will ya or na it.
And yes chances are you'll be in a home for bit..................................

[dvbuk55]

I'm sure it does 12 walks at a time,no doubt someone will ya or na it.
And yes chances are you'll be in a home for bit..................................

Would that be an old folks home by any slim chance - d'you know I may retire to London in an old folks home, with a bedroom overlooking the front door and when the postie comes to deliver................you know that thingy under the bed................please PM me your delivery route if there's an OAP home on it

[Martin Walsh]

It will depend on how many satellite offices the MPU is serving. The rule is that the offices who are furtherest from the MPU will have their work sequenced first. If you have two machines then it is normal for one machine to do the same satellite offices and the other machine to do others.

It is normal for the MPU office to have their work sequenced last.

The process is that a batch of work which is can be up to 12 walks depending on delivery points will need 3 passes 18 x 18 x 18 is the number of addresses the sequencing machine can do normally within 30 mins providing there are no breakdowns.

The normal start up is for 7000 per hour but the Gatwick site is doing about 8500. Equally remember there are two batchs the first wave is done by the sequencing machine from as early as 11 at night and the second wave clears a mail centre from appox 4 .40 in the morning. The waves are meant to be a 60/40 split but not all mail centres have deployed the one outward pass or have started doing their dsa mail on the early shift and some machines still do not have the automation in place. So the 60 /40 split can be as much as 40 /60 the other way. However Gatwick is now at 75 /25.

[pinstripe]

Spot on Dingo. That is what we've been told.
The 60/40 split is entirely dependant on the shifts at the MC's getting through their work on time, if they have an extra load of DSA that will slow the operation, increasing the amount of mail on the 2nd wave.
We change to a MPU (mail processing unit) in 2 weeks, and will be doing 2 other offices as well as our own, although we will probably end up doing another 2 small offices as well. The up-side is that we have new jobs in the office, the down side is that we will be out much later. I think we are looking at 3.00 finishes every day, from longs and shorts of 1.00 to 2.30.

DVB, don't worry about the lack of information at this early stage,it does get fed through in time. Well it did in my office anyway.

[dvbuk55]

It will depend on how many satellite offices the MPU is serving. The rule is that the offices who are furtherest from the MPU will have their work sequenced first. If you have two machines then it is normal for one machine to do the same satellite offices and the other machine to do others.

It is normal for the MPU office to have their work sequenced last.

The process is that a batch of work which is can be up to 12 walks depending on delivery points will need 3 passes 18 x 18 x 18 is the number of addresses the sequencing machine can do normally within 30 mins providing there are no breakdowns.

The normal start up is for 7000 per hour but the Gatwick site is doing about 8500. Equally remember there are two batchs the first wave is done by the sequencing machine from as early as 11 at night and the second wave clears a mail centre from appox 4 .40 in the morning. The waves are meant to be a 60/40 split but not all mail centres have deployed the one outward pass or have started doing their dsa mail on the early shift and some machines still do not have the automation in place. So the 60 /40 split can be as much as 40 /60 the other way. However Gatwick is now at 75 /25.

Well I thank you for that information dingo. The 18x18x18 is that the figure of sequenced letters in 30 minutes? Would that mean that the 7k & 8.5k is less than the projected figure? The reports on here suggest that the second tranche is being done manually in some locations to speed up the time the delivery officers get the mail to prep and bundle - so is that an option and if it is would the IWT not have to be altered to make due allowance for that on the second revision. On a 4.5/5 hr delivery it wouldn't make sense to wait for sequencing if the delivery time is delayed until 11 a.m. for obvious reasons.


Thanks for that pinstripe - we have the first revision going live on 8 Nov and then the new machines Feb March - so we shouldn't be too bad all things considered.

[pokos27]

most senior guys got the wsm posts.
you get trays of sequenced mail to your frame then the 2nd wave its unsequenced, which is a nuisance.
it doesnt speed up people who stay on the same duties but floaters it does.
the people who took the job look knackered, i dont think its as brilliant as people think it is.
we have had no news of a bonus yet, and no news when 39 hour week starts our revision begins in january.

[pinstripe]

most senior guys got the wsm posts.
you get trays of sequenced mail to your frame then the 2nd wave its unsequenced, which is a nuisance.
it doesnt speed up people who stay on the same duties but floaters it does.
the people who took the job look knackered, i dont think its as brilliant as people think it is.
we have had no news of a bonus yet, and no news when 39 hour week starts our revision begins in january.

The jobs "should" have been allocated on suitability not seniority. I was told that is what the union and RM agreed.

[Martin Walsh]

The reality is most are suitable so the rule is than seniority. However in a few MPUs a few have now decided the job is not them and want to come off. Remember it is 2 hours on and 2 hours off and whilst your on the machine it is non stop.

[dvbuk55]

The reality is most are suitable so the rule is than seniority. However in a few MPUs a few have now decided the job is not them and want to come off. Remember it is 2 hours on and 2 hours off and whilst your on the machine it is non stop.

That's not really a problem - in the past we have just swapped with someone who wants to change as long as it's mutual the managers have to approve it as long as the suitability criteria is met.

[AnnexeB]

Remember it is 2 hours on and 2 hours off and whilst your on the machine it is non stop.

Ha Ha....... i agree , its non stop, but thats cos we`re stuck on it for 8-9 hours. As for cover ?? well they tend to be taken from the machines to throw walks out.

[PhilthyPhil]

A quick question for anyone in an MPU...do MPUs distribute the WS mail directly to satellite DOs or is it returned to the MC and distributed from there?

[POSTMAN]

A quick question for anyone in an MPU...do MPUs distribute the WS mail directly to satellite DOs or is it returned to the MC and distributed from there?

I'm guessing this would vary from offices to offices,some it would make sense some not.

[Martin Walsh]

A quick question for anyone in an MPU...do MPUs distribute the WS mail directly to satellite DOs or is it returned to the MC and distributed from there?

As postman says it does depend on a number of factors. Firstly whether a sattelite office is a night opening office or can be opened. It will also depend on whether a mail centre will want to lay on additional runs in the night to satelitte offices which will have no staff in or if they decide to run the work back to the mail centre and distribute on a latter comms run.

Certainly on the second wave it will depend on how much work their is for each office. Some smaller offices may be able to run call and collect which is basically a delivery van coming from the satelitte office to collect the work. However if you are a middle to larger office than you will need a 7/5 tonne van and will come from the mail centre to the MPU and then may run two or three drops to the satelite offices, can delay what time an office recieves their second batch of mail.