Anybody Have any Success Stories?

JackStraw

Well-Known Member
So far all the stories I've heard about Orion is bad. Surely there must be someone out there whose job has been made easier by it and UPS's investment in this is substantiated. Anybody?
 
Whenever I ask my 30 something On Road Sup about ORION, all she says is how she has heard so many wonderful comments about ORION. We do not have ORION yet.
 

HEFFERNAN

Huge Member
Orion isn't the problem. It's how it's being implemented and the godly importance of a number (Orion trace percentage) that doesn't prove it's worth.


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JL 0513

Well-Known Member
Is does some clever things in my experience, but there are a lot of flaws.

It works best when everything lines up just right with all the timing being just right. That's the challenge. The biggest problem is pickups. If we didn't have a pickup schedule, such a system would work seamlessly. If you're ahead of schedule or behind schedule then it blows up. I find I have to adjust lunch periods in order to have things line up right. Sometimes I take 30 minutes, sometimes 45 minutes (for my afternoon lunch). Then the rest of my lunch at the end of the day. If I were to take my full hour together, I'd be behind. What I mean by all this is that Orion creates a path that efficiently leads you closest to your first P/U. And then, depending on other p/u's, bases stops along that path.
Every route and situation is different so it's hard to explain.

Every day is worked very differently. Before Orion, each day would follow a similar delivery order. With Orion, every day is a new adventure.

The algorithms of Orion are based on determining the shortest distance between stops. The computer doesn't consider much else. You MUST back a lot to achieve the mileage it has estimated for your day. It expects you to change directions often (not proceeding around the block). Thus using driveways. It has you walking across a lot more roads. main ones too.

The flaws will be very difficult to ever overcome because computers don't consider the millions of real world variables that we as human beings were adjusting for before.

It's easy to come up with the shortest distances when all you're doing is connecting dots on a map which is essentially what Orion is doing, it's another story when you're in a big truck in an ever changing environment with changing circumstances.
 

Brownslave688

You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
Our center doesn't have it but I know other drivers that have it in other places.

One guy has a rural route that delivers to a small town. He said Orion set up that town in a way he had never thought of running it. Been on the route for 15+ years. He said it works really well but does not come close to making up for how bad it screwed up the rest of his route.
 

thessalonian13

Well-Known Member
Is does some clever things in my experience, but there are a lot of flaws.

It works best when everything lines up just right with all the timing being just right. That's the challenge. The biggest problem is pickups. If we didn't have a pickup schedule, such a system would work seamlessly. If you're ahead of schedule or behind schedule then it blows up. I find I have to adjust lunch periods in order to have things line up right. Sometimes I take 30 minutes, sometimes 45 minutes (for my afternoon lunch). Then the rest of my lunch at the end of the day. If I were to take my full hour together, I'd be behind. What I mean by all this is that Orion creates a path that efficiently leads you closest to your first P/U. And then, depending on other p/u's, bases stops along that path.
Every route and situation is different so it's hard to explain.

Every day is worked very differently. Before Orion, each day would follow a similar delivery order. With Orion, every day is a new adventure.

The algorithms of Orion are based on determining the shortest distance between stops. The computer doesn't consider much else. You MUST back a lot to achieve the mileage it has estimated for your day. It expects you to change directions often (not proceeding around the block). Thus using driveways. It has you walking across a lot more roads. main ones too.

The flaws will be very difficult to ever overcome because computers don't consider the millions of real world variables that we as human beings were adjusting for before.

It's easy to come up with the shortest distances when all you're doing is connecting dots on a map which is essentially what Orion is doing, it's another story when you're in a big truck in an ever changing environment with changing circumstances.
I would take my lunch between 1pm and 2pm every day and screw that Orion crap. Who cares if you are ahead or behind. Chopping up your break in 2 or 3 pieces is ridiculous.
 

brownmonster

Man of Great Wisdom
Talked with my On-Car about Orion on my yearly ride. We don't have it yet. He said it sounds like what what our drivers so every day. Pick out stops to save miles.
 

jaker

trolling
I love Orion , they can't get my trace to stop making huge mistakes

So I run it the way I always have and keep beating their miles
 

Rainman

Its all good.
Orion does a great job 75-80% of the time. I wish I could get away with doing my job right 80% of the time.


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JL 0513

Well-Known Member
I would take my lunch between 1pm and 2pm every day and screw that Orion crap. Who cares if you are ahead or behind. Chopping up your break in 2 or 3 pieces is ridiculous.

Well, I usually like to split my lunch in 2 anyway. I pack 2 lunches (one lunch, one dinner). So I eat at around 1, and then around 5:30.

But Orion dictates a very specific timetable. Being 10 or 15 minutes off will add 10 miles to my day. Because if I have to break away from a neighborhood to go to my first p/u on the other side of my route and then return to where I left off after p/u's it blows up my mileage and I hear about it. If the timing is right, then there is no huge break away.

I know I shouldn't care but it just makes my day smoother for me. When I first started Orion and didn't manage the timing, I was an hour over everyday and way over mileage. I just find it less of a hassle to work with the system instead of against it.
 

slappyhappy

Well-Known Member
Orion is terrible. Some days it sends you to your 5,6,7 or 8000 shelves first thing in the morning when you can't even get back there. Usually Orion saves about 3-5 miles per day, but you end up an extra 45 minutes per day in the back searching for packages.
 

giggity

Active Member
ORION is garbage. left turn, left turn, walk across the street, resi stop, U-turn, back track, driveway, left turn, skip biz, back track, U-turn, left turn, walk across street .... all friend'n day to save ZERO miles!! it actually adds miles to my day and puts me in dangerous driving situations. until my job is actually threatened I wont run it. I beat their miles every day being safe and by driving/delivering how we were trained.
 

MethodsMan

Well-Known Member
ORION is garbage. left turn, left turn, walk across the street, resi stop, U-turn, back track, driveway, left turn, skip biz, back track, U-turn, left turn, walk across street .... all friend'n day to save ZERO miles!! it actually adds miles to my day and puts me in dangerous driving situations. until my job is actually threatened I wont run it. I beat their miles every day being safe and by driving/delivering how we were trained.

Giggity!
 

Future

Victory Ride
Part time car washers supervisor. If she 30 she might be hot. I was just wondering that's all.
We recently got a few hot PT female sups wandering the building (21-30yrs old) I have nooooo idea what they do, but it does ease the morning boredom!!!
 
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