LTB 251.17 RM & CWU JOINT STATEMENT – COVERING THE PHASE ONE USE/STUDY OF PDA OUTDOOR ACTUALS

No. 251/2017

Wednesday 3rd May 2017

RM & CWU JOINT STATEMENT – COVERING THE PHASE ONE USE/STUDY OF PDA OUTDOOR ACTUALS

Dear Colleague,

Branches and Representatives will be aware as part of the Agenda for Growth Agreement, the 20 Delivery Units visited as part of the National Delivery Review were party to the Joint Statement covering the use of PDAs (Service View) contained within LTB 296/14.

As a result of the use of Service view within the PDAs further discussions took place between both RM & CWU on how the information would be used in the future, and as a result the company decided in order to use the technology they needed to further invest in new PDAs as well as the software functionality that supports the data usage.

Now that this has been completed there is an opportunity to gather more data from these devices in order to more accurately predict time of delivery for customers. Current research using existing GPS data, has shown that Royal Mail need to gather more GPS position data in between existing door step track events, to improve predicted time of delivery. Customers have high expectations for reliability and accuracy given the current service offerings already available in the market place by other competitors.

From a CWU frontline member perspective, outdoor data capture will help Royal Mail to understand actual workloads and provide a platform, in order to ensure that all outdoor activity is planned more efficiently and balanced to provide a fair and manageable workload. This is a key area of concern that has been expressed by the Union to Royal Mail and also by our members through various engagement channels that have taken place.

Both parties fully commit to further joint national discussions regarding this element in terms of how this can be applied and how it is taken forward, whilst also taking into account the future national agreement and deployment of final mile optimisation and geo route replacement. Other areas of software development that are being considered alongside this initiative, including updating the PDA software to enable delivery OPG’s to record when items are delivered to a neighbour, moving the walk log to an electronic equivalent to help delivery staff to identify and potentially record hazards on their delivery, and also examining how an electronic manifest for the PDA can be built in order to help delivery staff prepare and complete parcel delivery and how these initiatives will be applied.

As a result of the above we have agreed the attached Joint Statement which is split into two phases.

Phase one will start from week commencing 15th May 2017 and will be limited to a small number of delivery / collection units (Annex One). The units listed at Annex one have been selected to provide a good cross section of the collection and delivery environments including, delivery type and method, building density, geographical spread and landscape.

During phase one, the minimum number of devices that will gather additional GPS route data at any one time is circa 600 routes. This means that only a subsection of the units listed at annex one will be gathering GPS data on any given day.

It is expected that data reports will be available showing:

  • Start and end time of outdoor activity
  • Location and mapping showing route taken, overlaid with all event transactions i.e. collection and delivery event scans.
  • Identify the correct use of delivery equipment and compliance with methods
  • Identify first time delivery success rate and variability
  • Identify consistency of route taken versus planned route
  • Identify whether meal reliefs have been taken correctly
  • End of shift reporting/data

The exact composition of the reports will be developed between both parties based on the learning/outputs obtained.

We have also agreed to promote openness and transparency about the fact that this data is available from the PDA devices, all Royal Mail employees in the phase 1 units will receive a standard WTLL briefing on this subject from their manager, with the support of the local CWU rep about PDA Outdoor Actuals data gathering, before the software update goes live in their unit.

It is also important to note that we have agreed that the information/data is not about catching people out or using the technology in an inappropriate way, for conduct or capability purposes, it is about improving Royal Mail’s performance and the service provided to customers.

As part of the review into the data from phase one, talks will continue regarding how phase two – full National deployment to all Royal Mail Collection and Delivery units will take place and the timescales for expected completion, along with resolving any issues experienced and raised during phase one.

The review will also discuss, establish and jointly agree who will be able to access the data gathered and how this data will be used following the completion of this first phase and subsequent national rollout.

Whilst it could be understood that Branches and Representatives may have concerns regarding the use of this technology, it is important we use this opportunity to influence what the device can do going forward, along with the data it generates and to also ensure the necessary safeguards and protections are put in place before any national deployment.

Any queries to the content of the above please contact the Outdoor Department reference 530

Yours Sincerely,

Mark Baulch

CWU Assistant Secretary Elect