RM announces major investment in hand-held technology

[Pinky 1]

Luis Alvarez, Chief Executive Officer of BT Global Services, said: “We’re passionate about helping leading organisations like Royal Mail blend the latest technologies with their people's skills and experience to get the best business results - something we call the art of connecting. The new hand-held devices, provided and managed by BT, will transform parcel tracking, helping Royal Mail create an even better connection with its customers.”

So are we, the foot soldiers, going to have any input into this ?
Will there be any trialling of new pda's before it's finalised ?
Or will it just be foisted on us ........ like it or lump it.

[enskied]

I want one that does not waste my time and its battery by telling me every 3 minutes that the battery is critical at 14% then bobbing back up to 34% and diving back down to 2%.

[Chelseablue]

I want one that gives me a new body ,years of Royal Mail have took it's toil

[woodpecker]

How about investing in some more staff to use the new scanners?

[The_Wax_Man]

The technology exists for the scanners to print out a '739'

It would require every single packet to have a barcode that would carry data from the sender to the customer including service sent adaptation - again this technology exists.

RM won't introduce this as can already see an issue with posties not checking the pda to make sure there's paper to print, then complaining about the time it takes to fill, then complaining that someone else should do it blah blah.

As it revolves around users having to look at the equipment and a lot of people can't even manage stuff like van checks etc it won't happen.

Let's just hope the technology serves as an aid to the postman instead of a hinderence.

Expect it to be used as a full tracking, gps, speed/time logging software guide also so managers will know every step you walk.

RM will demand this to be built it and may even feed the union more cakes to insist it as a business requirement for 'coaching, training' puropses....

[framusjsx]

In this day and age if an item is tracked I can't see the point in having to write out 739 anyway.
If the item is tracked or whatever, the message gets sent by email or text to the persons phone saying it has been taken to the office, so why can't they use that as there ID and is basically a digital 739.
In turn this saves paper, writing out notes and time for us.
I do like the idea of a 739 being printed automatically but this goes a stage further, and maybe in said message to the customer, it contains a barcode we can scan at the office so we just scan the persons barcode and boom all the details are there (obviously they can check the ID at the counter too if needed by law etc)

[Treacle12]

Tracking us is probably high on the priority list ,customers will be informed of our likely arrival time

[Postie45]

In this day and age if an item is tracked I can't see the point in having to write out 739 anyway.
If the item is tracked or whatever, the message gets sent by email or text to the persons phone saying it has been taken to the office, so why can't they use that as there ID and is basically a digital 739.

youre assuming everyone has a mobile phone, probably large numbers of the elderly dont have one.

[Glenno]

Luis Alvarez, Chief Executive Officer of BT Global Services, said: “We’re passionate about helping leading organisations like Royal Mail blend the latest technologies with their people's skills and experience to get the best business results - something we call the art of connecting. The new hand-held devices, provided and managed by BT, will transform parcel tracking, helping Royal Mail create an even better connection with its customers.”

So are we, the foot soldiers, going to have any input into this ?
Will there be any trialling of new pda's before it's finalised ?
Or will it just be foisted on us ........ like it or lump it.

The trials have already happened M8, about 20 offices were selected and the server used for this trial could only handle 17 lets hope with all BT's experience they get it right for the full roll-out

[Glenno]

Tracking us is probably high on the priority list ,customers will be informed of our likely arrival time

And there you have it Treacle, the next generation PDA's WILL track you around your delivery sending out a ping about every 20-30seconds, compared to the 90 or so it does now, so all the tools used in trying to make your revision work will be blown out the window when this happens (only my opinion) but watch this space

[Treacle12]

Tracking us is probably high on the priority list ,customers will be informed of our likely arrival time

And there you have it Treacle, the next generation PDA's WILL track you around your delivery sending out a ping about every 20-30seconds, compared to the 90 or so it does now, so all the tools used in trying to make your revision work will be blown out the window when this happens (only my opinion) but watch this space

What about my quick coffee stop ;) Will have to park in a high density area !

[bustedflush]

I want one that does not waste my time and its battery by telling me every 3 minutes that the battery is critical at 14% then bobbing back up to 34% and diving back down to 2%.

That's because the battery IS critically f*cked!! The output pulses and won't remain consistent in NiCad rechargeables as their capacity starts to wane after around a 1000 charging cycles or in our terms approx. 3 years' usage.

[answer=42]

I hope they involve users in what should be procured and not just a bunch of graduates with a load of techno theory but no practical experience of what is needed at the workface. Personally I'd go for something postie proof (as in hard as nails waterproof and drop proof). Batteries that last a day. Software with smarter options that can be locally modified to include, for example, walk logs with route mapping? customer preferred delivery to neighbour options? hazard warnings? navigate to a postcode?
GPS tracking is almost a given. Personally I'd welcome it, the ever increasing demand on DTN will show what we have to do and how much more time it takes to 'deliver first time every time', not that useful data to us will be taken notice of! in addition if you are doing your job honestly and not making time most of the time you have nothing to fear. Bring it on, the jobs with spare capacity can be given bits of the jobs that constantly struggle.

[rubberbond]

I want something lighter and ability to print out P739 instead of writing it out.

Thinking on, although I think this is a good idea , are there data protection issues ,buried in there somewhere,especially if it involves addresses etc.
How about the sender having a tear off, perforated, pro forma card, attached to the packet, save us the time. Mind you, they would find us something to do with the time we might save.

[saddlerposty]

DPDs pda's have a built in camera, so if you leave parcels with neighbours you take a photo of the card saying " parcel left at No 6 or wherever, so when they track it on line they see the photo of the card and know where the said parcel is.
could have some fun with that.