World Class Mail

[Budfrog]

Rumours circulating around our MC that the professor has been given the boot....

Royal Mail have decided to dispense with the Professor and his team and progress World Class Mail internally.
This means they get to judge their own progress so...of course it will be a success.

So in other words RM will not be accredited by an independent organisation which has been used by all the World Class Manufacturing companies and any medals earned by units will be worth about the same as Colleague Shares. Of course the gravy train will continue for the chosen few until.......

[SpacePhoenix]

I wonder how long it'll be until we see MCMs and DOMs axing WCM

[UnhappyGremlin]

I wonder how long it'll be until we see MCMs and DOMs axing WCM

Not long after privatisation. It'll be a cost cutting measure.
Though, I'd rather see RM axing DOM's.

[Budfrog]

I wonder how long it'll be until we see MCMs and DOMs axing WCM

WCM comes from the top so MCMs and DOMs don't really have much choice. Mark Higson is the guy who really pulls the WCM strings. I think RM bought into WCM mainly to make the business appear to be more professional and inclusive, therefore more attractive to investors but given the enormous cost and the lack of tangible benefits I expect it's days to be numbered.

[Radio]

The best benefit of the WCM in my unit was/ is the reduction in dictatorial powers of managers and specially shift managers. It is so easy to pit one against the other and the (ex)dictators usually back off once WCM jumps in. More power to WCM for this. RM is fooked anyway. It is nice to see the helplessness on the faces of these b@stards when you flag the WCM banner in their faces as they try to cut corners and try to play the old game of "Health & Safety when it suits us" (remember the good old days of closing eyes on H&S breaches when it suited the managers???) Our shift manager had an ugly smirk on his face the other day. They have smelled the blood and the witch-hunt will start as soon as WCM is gone. Nobody can change RM as it is corrupt from the top like a 3rd world dictatorship. Do you think your shift manager will get a 60k job anywhere else once RM is gone? Mine works as a builder/ decorator in his spare time and this is the only job he is qualified for. But for his contacts with big guns above, he would still be a lazy postie like he used to be only a few years ago.

[Puffin]

What a shame if it goes, I'll miss those incomprehensible but aesthetically pleasing charts plastered all over every available scrap of wall space

[Stampy]

What a shame if it goes, I'll miss those incomprehensible but aesthetically pleasing charts plastered all over every available scrap of wall space

As well as all the lazy b tards walking around on the floor with bits of paper and clipboards.....

[rambo1]

I as a work place coach have been asked/told to do a 'presentation' at our audit. I have told the bosses that if asked a question about WCM i will not lie and will say what i think of it. I am not impressed and have a very strong mind of my own. I used to enjoy coaching new starters, but hate being indoors with the 'WCM' team. If more involvement is required of me i have told them i will quit being a workplace coach, as i don't need the stress of teaching what i don't believe (not that i would) for an extra £33 a week less tax. Shame as a think new starters (if there is such a thing now) could do with all the help they can get.

[pink panther]

Cant wait to see wcm kicked into touch the amount of money wasted on it is fraud, it would have been better spent on helping out with colleague shares or the pension.

[jifjoe]

RM made the decision that they no longer required the professor, as RM have gather all the relevant information it need in regards to its WCM Journey. Quite a smart move really, the Professor contract was not a cheap! In regards to RM performing internal audits, this is done within any WCM business. Its only when the is a milestone audit (Bronze, Silver) that an external assessment is made. This will be done by other senior managers and experts from the World Class Manufacturing Global Community (which RM is a member of and will next year be chair by Mark Higson). These include such businesses as Chrysler, Fiat etc. In regards to WCM and privatisation. I don't know of any investor which would put as stop a business model which reduces; accidents, breakdowns, Non value activity. While Increasing; productivity, efficiency. But that just might be me!

Keep On Posting...

[fishtank]

I don't know of any investor which would put as stop a business model which reduces; accidents, breakdowns, Non value activity. While Increasing; productivity, efficiency.

Neither do I but then WCM doesn't achieve those aims it simply redraws the boundaries to facilitate "on paper" savings and reductions.
That in the medium to long term is a colossal waste of resources.

The entire theory of continuous improvement is deeply flawed,eventually everyone runs out of decent ideas but in order to facilitate their own continued protection from real work the WCM team has to come up with more ludicrous ways to justify themselves.

What you get for your money is continuous re-invention of the wheel with different coloured spokes.
It will either shrink to a fraction of it's size or implode.
The choice is yours o mighty "Champion".

[clashcityrocker]

Put spokes in wheel - that's a great idea.
I'll save the different coloured ones for next month.
Job safe.

[Budfrog]

I would have far more time for WCM if there was a structured approach to benchmarking and sharing best practice. As it is everyone appears to be trying to invent the wheel at the same time with units replicating their 'journeys'.

I worked with a firm last year who are involved in the design, development and production of equipment for RM and who have a wealth of experience of lean manufacturering. Whilst the RM contract is lucrative they were highly critical of the capabilities and professionalism of WCM management who are duplicating projects all over the country and coming up with solutions that vary immensely in their effectiveness.

WCM would be fine if it were managed and coordinated properly from the centre.

[fishtank]

The problem with the cost/time savings is that RM has no way to turn these numbers on a board into actual financial savings.

Joe comes up with a way that saves 1 minute on Mick's prep.
This minute is applied across the office of 100 duties saving 100 minutes per day.
This is multiplied by 250 work days and £10/hour to give an annual saving of around £4,200.
This is then put up on a WCM board and the team goes out for a slap up meal.

What can Mick then do with this extra minute?
He scratches his arse and talks to Joe about last night's game.
Where is the £4,200 saving?
Nowhere.
Royal Mail is down a slap up meal on the whole experience.

The bottom line is WCM only works in a very structured manufacturing environment.
It does not work in a mail delivery business when the work comes in "around" this time and the amount is "around" this much and performances might be "around" standard and management resourcing capabilities are "around" mediocre.

[Budfrog]

Spot on Fishtank.

RM Management keep attempting to run the operation along manufacturing lines, but in manufacturing you have adance notice of orders and can plan production accordingly. All RM has are traffic forecasts which are not accurate and workload that fluctuates from day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year.