Calling All Css Operators

[Badwolf]

Thanks for all the info, most of it will help. Shame that the new s.o.p can't be found, would have been handy.

[24601]

OK One last time,if this new SOP exists it must be available to someone.
We always 'double up' over Christmas because we take on 12 extra batches.

The OEE figures are no longer manually recorded,they're taken automatically as a download.No-one bothers to tell us the results anymore so in 2 months we've gone from being badgered about how we compare to other offices on a weekly basis to not even knowing how anyones doing.

Just like everything else they bring in (including World Class Mail hopefully)after a few months its all forgotten.

Now about this elusive new SOP ...............................

[enlish]

you can get all your oee results on the automation site.... your pic/teamleader can get access to this.
as for the sop's .... we have 2 to a machine but its not 100% of the time. it only for putting next batch on and clearing batches down. this is easy and takes the presure off operators.

[enlish]

SOP'S SOP's SOP'S

ok yer its true royal mail had someone come in from outside (how true it is is to be seen) they were meant to do a review on h&s and sop's and the out come was not what they were looking for.
from what ive seen and heard it was recommended they the css machines had 2 operators at set times i.e putting batches on and clearing down.
as a team leader we have been doing this for last year 1/2. working this way ups your oee/performance/quality. and you are not killing yourself or being superman.
working this way we are n.o 1 in london and always in top 3 in uk.
it is possible to get this new sop's but its like gold dust. and hear its being updated.
PLEASE ALSO REMEMBER
the 2hrs on 2hrs off is a guide....... and on your 2hrs of the 318 says other work NOT IPS..... other work is clearing down. printing labels. putting batches on. TPM. and team leaders do reports etc.
hope this helps

[Talell]

2 operators on cleardown degrades your quality

It however boosts your performance since your minor stops are for less.

An idea, if you are that way inclined, would be to clear up to stacker 4-5, then the next person comes along and starts setting up the next batch (if you don't preload trays on pass 3) while you tie down the rest of the machine

That would be only marginally faster than double batching, but alot more managable (if you have a crew who knows what they are doing), and still allows you to get labels on the trays on pass 1

your 2 hours off are manual, you are not allowed to go anywhere near any kind of machine, CSS iLSM CFC, doesn't matter, you may not notice the strain now, but over time it will build up (this is the main reason I refuse to invert ANY mail, twisting my wrist >1000 times a day for the rest off my life, will really build up). tray labels should be printed off the prior day as part of your TPM tasks, and if you have the time, set up yorks for the next day to make your life easier, this is a good tactic to use prior to sequencing wave 2 fully to kill time after spending all night grafting on a machine

upper decile performance is a scam (I know it's said alot on here but seriously), there is not a competition. As long as the mail goes out the door, at the correct quality, you have done your job. SOP's and SSOW's exist for a reason, and yeah, cutting corners in them will boost your OEE slightly, but the automation world does not revolve around AEIOU.

You and your colleagues matter more than some number on a spreadsheet somewhere.

You go into work in one piece. Make damn well sure you come out in one.

[Budfrog]

The CSS Machine should be run and cleared down by a single operator and SOPs and SSOW must be adhered to at all times.

OEE was the original focus but now most units tend to be measured more on DP% and reducing rejects (which in itself improves OEE). Provided that the workplan is being achieved and people are working in a safe but effective manner that's all that can be reasonably expected. Units that were (and still are) achieving very high OEE often did it by doubling up at clear down or falsifying the day input to the OEE spreadsheet when it was done manually. All units and operators are targetted with a 66 OEE and to my knowledge that target is still valid.

[enlish]

in london the oee has moved to 75%

[BettySwollocks]

in london the oee has moved to 75%

They can shift the OEE to whatever they want, but until they get to grips with allowing missorts into the batches, CSS operators shouldn't be (at all times) held accountable for low scores,
very recently, 4 of my first five batches contained a full tray of mail (approx' 250 letters each) for a different city, and the other batches still contained an abnormal amount,
if whoever organises the batches can't put a batched tray of mail onto the correct york, for the correct MPU, what chance have the CSS operators got ?

[Budfrog]

OEE is made up of components inside and outside the control of the CSS operators.

If there are presentation, mis-segregation or missort issues then they should form part of the end of shift report that all MPUs need to complete and which should be sent to the MCM and Mech Mangers of the Mail Centre - whether anyone reads them or not is another matter but at least you will have documentary evidence of these issues.

[24601]

in london the oee has moved to 75%

There's no way a single operator following Safe Systems of Work can possibly achieve 75%

[fishtank]

conference.jpg

Up for debate this year.

[24601]

conference.jpg

Up for debate this year.

At last someone is listening !!!!

[hubbahubba]

Nice to confirm that we have idiots in every area of the business,and not just the "runners" and carboys" on deliveries.
Not that we didn't already know,mind you....

[Budfrog]

Part of the issue is that many Snr Managers and a lot of MPU Manager/DOMs think that running a CSS is easy, in fact many MPU Managers rarely attend the night shift and have no experience of a mech operation.

Whilst the three passes are running through the machine the operator needs to be vigilant to ensure that the items are fed smoothly and everything is kept in sequence whilst keeping an eye on the rejects. If mail is presented well and the machine is working at its optimum then this part of the task is probably the least strenuous in terms of physical activity, the hard work is really at the start when the mail is loaded and at cleardown, the initial tray seg at the start of each Wave of course is a physical task.

In terms of SOPs and SSOW each operator MUST be verified between 4 and 6 weeks after they start on the CSS this is not part of the training which is a pass/fail before they go live. The verification is normally undertaken by a member of the Sortation Automation team and either a paper or electronic record should be held by the MPU manager for each operator. This should ensure that at that time an operator was fully competent (as opposed to trained) could attain 66 OEE and follow SSOW and SOPs and also have a working knowledge of the workplan and contingency plan.

I would recommend that a periodic health check along the lines of the verification process needs to be taken to ensure that SOPs and SSOW are being followed, that it is documented and that it involves a CWU safety rep.

[BettySwollocks]

Part of the issue is that many Snr Managers and a lot of MPU Manager/DOMs think that running a CSS is easy, in fact many MPU Managers rarely attend the night shift and have no experience of a mech operation.

Whilst the three passes are running through the machine the operator needs to be vigilant to ensure that the items are fed smoothly and everything is kept in sequence whilst keeping an eye on the rejects. If mail is presented well and the machine is working at its optimum then this part of the task is probably the least strenuous in terms of physical activity, the hard work is really at the start when the mail is loaded and at cleardown, the initial tray seg at the start of each Wave of course is a physical task.

In terms of SOPs and SSOW each operator MUST be verified between 4 and 6 weeks after they start on the CSS this is not part of the training which is a pass/fail before they go live. The verification is normally undertaken by a member of the Sortation Automation team and either a paper or electronic record should be held by the MPU manager for each operator. This should ensure that at that time an operator was fully competent (as opposed to trained) could attain 66 OEE and follow SSOW and SOPs and also have a working knowledge of the workplan and contingency plan.

I would recommend that a periodic health check along the lines of the verification process needs to be taken to ensure that SOPs and SSOW are being followed, that it is documented and that it involves a CWU safety rep.

Another part of the work we do that managers/staff don't appreciate, is that if it's a really quiet day, i'm talking about batches of mail where there are approx 1200 items or less, it is far far harder than dealing with batches 4 times the size, it's virtually impossible to keep the machine fed with that amount or less, i don't try, i admit when i started on nights, i was a "runner", but not anymore,
last night was as above, around 1k per batch, i'd finish a sequence, box up everything upto stacker 16-17 at least, then start next batch,
i'm no spring chicken anymore