Collections on Delivery - Blue Pouch Trial

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Letter to Branches No. 39/16
Ref: 532
Date:22nd January 2016







To: Branches with POSTAL Members

Dear Colleague

Collections on Delivery - Blue Pouch Trial

As part of the ongoing work of the Collections Joint Working Group regarding the Postbox Strategy, we have been in dialogue with Royal Mail regarding a process for dealing with items which are now collected on Delivery.

Since the Postbox Strategy was deployed circa 812 Collection on Delivery revisions have been deployed. However deterioration in Quality of Service performance has been identified. This became apparent during 2015 and has continued to worsen into 2016. There is no doubt this is not solely down to the Postbox Strategy and is linked to other issues namely the situation the Business got into regarding recruitment and resourcing problems.

As a result we have jointly agreed to examine the potential reasons for this quality issue in a number of offices via a trial taking on board the best practise process that has been adopted in Kilmarnock Delivery Office, which has had no detrimental effect on quality since the introduction of the Blue Pouch.

By trialling the Blue Pouch in 11 Delivery Offices it will enable the issues below to be considered and should assist in deciding whether the Blue Pouch should be extended for full National Deployment.

1. The introduction of a Blue Pouch for collectors to consolidate all Collection mail collected whilst on delivery.
2. All equipment required to perform collections on delivery to be consolidated into the pouch. (keys, Route card, Route header)
3. Provide visibility in the unit that all Collections on delivery post boxes are covered on a daily basis.

All OPGs will receive the appropriate training before the Blue Pouch is introduced into their office. Following the trial all relevant information and data collated will be shared with the CWU, which will then be jointly reviewed at national level. Discussions will then take place to agree the next steps.

Any enquiries to Bob Gibson’s Office, quoting reference 532
Email address: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org


Yours sincerely

Bob Gibson
CWU Assistant Secretary

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Blue Pouch for Collections made on Delivery Trial

Background

In 2014 both Royal Mail & CWU agreed to deploy Collections on Delivery, this was intended to move circa 45,000 low volume (less than 50 items) post boxes onto delivery routes. There have already been circa 812 Collection on Delivery revisions deployed.

Analysis has revealed that quality of service performance for items posted into post boxes has reduced throughout 2015 and continued to worsen into 2016.

As a result we have jointly agreed to review the reasons in a number of Offices and trial the best practise process that has been adopted in Kilmarnock Delivery Office, which has demonstrated that there has been no quality loss for items posted into post boxes since July 2015.

Aims

1. The introduction of a Blue pouch for collectors to consolidate all Collection mail collected whilst on delivery.
2. All equipment required to perform collections on delivery to be consolidated into the pouch. (keys, Route card, Route header)
3. Provide visibility in the unit that all Collections on delivery post boxes are covered on a daily basis.

What are the benefits of using a blue pouch?

Currently indoor duties and managers have no visibility of when mail has been collected and returned to the unit to connect with feeder services. The benefit of using a blue pouch is:

1. Indoor duties can visually identify that all pouches have been collected and are out for delivery / collection.
2. OPG’s performing collections whilst on delivery can keep collected mail separate from delivery mail, making it easier to identify and unload on return to the unit.
3. Indoor duties can identify when mail has been returned to the unit to ensure the mail connects with the feeder service / consolidation box.
4. Identify knowledge gaps for further coaching/training

Training

In line with Royal Mail’s current revision process for Collection on Delivery, all OPG’s will receive the necessary training required to adopt the use of blue pouches.

The training will take the form of a WTLL, which will be taken by the Hub Manager and the Workplace Coach. Materials to support the WTLL will be:

Standard Operating Procedure / Job element sheet
OPG Checklist
A Blue pouch for all delivery routes with Collection post boxes.
Video


Trial Locations

11 Offices will form part of the trial and the locations below will be supported by members of the central quality and customer team.

MOSELEY DO
HULL CENTRAL DO
DENTON DO
ABINGTON DO
GREAT YARMOUTH DO
BURTON ON TRENT DO
BOLTON WEST DO
WHITSTABLE DO
CHORLEY DO
RADSTOCK DO
HASTINGS DO

Timescales:

w/c 25th January 2016 Contact with unit and commencement of activity
5th March 2016 Trail complete
w/c 7th March 2016 Review and Analyse trial data.

Review

Upon conclusion of the trial (6 weeks) all the relevant information and data collated will be shared with the CWU and will be jointly reviewed at national level.

Further discussions will then take place to agree the next steps.





S Skitt
Signed…………………………………………. Signed…………………………………………
Sue Skitt, Royal Mail Bob Gibson, CWU




Date: 18th January 2016

[fishtank]

We've done this since day one. To be honest it doesn't take a genius to work out that mixing mail for delivery with collection mail might throw up an issue and proper segregation method is required. Now issue number two...a collection duty has time built in at the end for presenting the collected mail whereas a delivery duty hasn't.....Bob?....Bob?..where's he f****d off to now?

[centenaryman]

same here,,,,,had the blue poches for everything for sometime now?

we only collect 1 box sooo cept for xmas were never overwhelmed with mail.

all keys an dog pegs and any other junk goes in the blue pouch as we sign for regs and van in a morn you get the pouch.

its no big deal....

now they trialed the trainers....yds an anvil,,,we all reported them as rubbish and they still brought them in,,,

[k979aaa]

Beware of the blue pouch and where do they go when we get back? behind the green door or you go to the office behind the red door it's like play school group huddle with bungle the manager anyone.

[doorstepped]

we have yellow pouches with the keys attached which are kept in the Locker on the wall.

did this since day one on our office and it's taken the pen pushers a few months to work it out!!! SMH!

[hans solo]

the big issue with the blue pouches is
1 does everyone return to office
2 do you trust your p&l partner to safely return your collection if you do not return to office
3 times for collection vary on delivery ie one box cleared at 10am the next one at 14.00

[peedofpostie]

We collect from small red post boxes and then we post them through BIG RED POSTBOXES

[dav1524]

We collect from small red post boxes and then we post them through BIG RED POSTBOXES

I hope the big red box you post them in has a later collection time if not you could be found out if they drop a test letter in for wilful delay.

[peedofpostie]

We collect from small red post boxes and then we post them through BIG RED POSTBOXES

I hope the big red box you post them in has a later collection time if not you could be found out if they drop a test letter in for wilful delay.

Yep they have latter collection time, we were meant to return the collections to office but that kept failing ,another well thought out plan

[fishtank]

If I were you I would be careful of that setup unless you have something in writing covering you, If anyone sees you posting mail in a box they could report you and if a test letter is posted in the little box and for some reason the big box fails there will be awkward questions to answer.

At the end of the day if you're hoping your managers will hang themselves to save your ass...just lol and even if they did it still might not save you, you know it's wrong and there's such a thing as individual responsibility when it comes to mail integrity.

[DGP1]

In my office all the failures are down to PDA failures, either the machine or the postie.