Delivery Planning Value Maintenance Programme + National TOR

Branches will be aware of the ongoing validation exercise of existing planning values used in delivery, which has been carried out using fully trained Industrial Engineers. The main reason for this is the ongoing efficiency review that is taking place on behalf of Ofcom the regulator and the purpose of this maintenance programme is to carry out checks on the national planning values, which are being used for product costing purposes and efficiency.

The Industrial Engineers will carry out work studies to collect data on the operational tasks, including measuring distances, times for tasks, container fills and other flows of work to ensure the Royal Mail figures used for traffic weighting and product costing is reliable and up to date. This current exercise is a maintenance exercise of existing PVs etc that were updated as a consequence of previous validation exercises, and will include at some point those currently being validated. A fair amount of this maintenance work will have no impact on our members or the operation whilst it is being carried out.

The maintenance will be a rolling programme of work and this current phase will continue through to 2016 when it is likely that there will be a further rolling programme agreed. The TOR will remain the same for the entire programme and it will only be the offices included in the programme that will change. These changes will be notified via a LTB.

We will have full access to all outputs/data generated and the CWU will be fully involved at all sites and at national level. The TOR for the programme and the initial list of sites to be included is attached (Annex A).

The maintenance has already commenced with our agreement but there was a mistake with some of the offices which have now been removed and is the reason for the timing of this document.

Any enquiries to Bob Gibson’s Office, quoting reference 230.03

Email address: hnutley@cwu.org or Mstewart@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Bob Gibson

CWU Assistant Secretary

Terms of reference – Industrial Engineer Observations

Planning Values Maintenance  

 

Introduction

Industrial Engineers (IE’s) will be visiting a number of Delivery Offices between March 2015 and March 2016. (The initial list off offices is attached at annex A)

The purpose of this is to carry out checks on the national planning values which are being used for product costing purposes and efficiency. The industrial engineers will carry out work studies to collect data on the operational tasks, including measuring distances, times for tasks, container fills and other flows of work to ensure the Royal Mail figures used for traffic weighting and product costing is reliable.

This will enable Royal Mail to confirm that the approach taken by them is valid and that work measurement has been accredited by trained experts, which will help demonstrate to the regulator that products are priced appropriately relative to cost and that the operation is working efficiently. This is about maintaining the existing planning values and to identify if there is a need for new planning values due to operational changes. This underpins the work on regulatory and commercial pricing.

This activity may also involve filming, and employees will be asked in advance if they don’t mind, if they decline they will not be filmed. The information and data is primarily designed for national use.  Local feedback on the methods, layout, equipment etc. (not individuals), may be discussed with the DOM and the CWU representative where there are opportunities for improvement. Where this is the case then the full terms of existing national agreements, joint statement and guidelines will apply including the IR Framework.

This maintenance activity will be undertaken on an annual basis, with a 12 month rolling programme of maintenance work being discussed and agreed with CWU each year going forward.

Operation & Scope

Prior to the Industrial Engineers visiting an Office all employees will be briefed to make them aware of the visit and the purpose. That they are not being monitored as individuals, it is about working out what the workload is for different tasks/activities.

When the Industrial Engineer(s) arrive they will be met by the DOM who will introduce them to the CWU Representative and other managers where applicable. They will then be shown round the office to familiarise them with the layout and processes at the unit concerned.

All IE’s will wear Royal Mail ID and PPE appropriate to the work area at all times.

Examples of the things to be looked at include:-

• Distances between work areas
• Container fills, traffic flows and percentages
• Times to carry out all associated tasks

All observations will be made on compliant processes and, the Industrial Engineers will be issued with a checklist of common non-compliances that might save time, which needs to be included in the time allowed to do the job to the required method and standards. People should follow the Standard Operating Procedures and Safe System of Work and that is what will be observed and accounted for. Checklists are being provided to the IEs in case some people do cut corners so that the results are not distorted.

This is not about checking the performance of individuals against standards or assessing the performance of units against standards or other units. This is about assessing how long the task takes, not how well individuals are working.

Involvement

Local CWU reps will be invited to observe Industrial Engineers carrying out their work and to also ask questions. Adequate release will be provided for this to be done.

All information/data will be shared with the CWU during and following the exercise.

During and following the maintenance work there will be a joint review and  the information/data will be jointly analysed to see what affect if any this may have on current standards, which may in turn require further discussions about the use and application of the information/data.

P Bates

Signed………………………………………………..                Signed………………………………………………………..

Royal Mail                                                      CWU

Date 08^th April 2015

Delivery Offices PV Validation Exercise

The list below is the offices that they want to sample the frequency data; box fills, clearance data, etc

New Cross                          Lewisham

Coventry South                  Retford

Leicester Central                Burslem

Kidsgrove                           Sheffield N

Burton on Trent                Bromsgrove

Manor Park                                 Rotherham

Sutton Coldfield                  Congleton

Sheffield SE                       Derby

Stafford                           Southwark

Swadlincote                                Lichfield

Rugby