New DIADs on Tuesday. HELP!

[pretzel_man]

Well, I'm not sure how to respond other than to give you the facts...

750 drivers used this unit for well over a year and provided detailed input.

Another 4,500 used the units for 3 months to provide final validation.

The people that worked on this surveyed many, many of those drivers and I personally speak with drivers regularly.

The opinion that this is not perfect is not unique. The opinion that this is broken is in the vast minority of the drivers.

You can choose to do what you will with this information, but those are the facts.

As far where this was built, and by whom, the information I gave was accurate, but here is some more info:

DIAD 1 was first built by IIMorrow (A UPS company), then the final units were outsourced to Inforite.

DIAD 2 was also first built by IIMorrow, then outsourced to Motorola.

DIAD 3 was built by Motorola (in Israel as you said)

DIAD 4 was built by Symbol Technologies.

Since the parts may come form multiple places, I'm certain that Motorola built DIADs had Symbol parts inside it, and that Symbol build DIADs have Motorola parts.

P-Man

 

[ok2bclever]

Well first off, as a clerk a smaller, lighter board is not a factor for me so I doubt I will like the new version as it makes key entering more clutzy and as the limited memory issue will still require me to type the entire address in from scratch EDD won't reduce my input one rat's, errr, whisker.

Regardless, the diad isn't designed for the clerks, it's designed for the drivers so I will just live with it.

However, PMan, you are saying 750 drivers said wow, this slippery surfaced diad is a lot easier to drop and that was misinterpreted as a "good thing"?

That being able to replace the front once a year makes it ok that it cannot be cleaned?

When drivers commented that they were activating a row of buttons accidently while trying to hang onto that darned nifty slippery smaller lighter Diad that it seemed that would probably save them time?

Did the 750 say that they were getting too use to the difference in key placement between Diad 2 & 3 so it was about time the IE guys changed it again!?





Or was it more like normal, UPS tests it on a small group, ignores most of their ideas and concerns and does what it feels like because the IE guys know better anyway?

 

[rpoz11]

Pretzel...too bad you have to refer to percentages given to you by the corporate funnel; Your spin on your information only reaches as far as you are informed.
This is why your hourlies are SO irreplaceable!
No matter how much you try to defer the truth by your fictional rhetoric, street smarts here will always prevail! Walk the walk my friend; until then, DIAD 4 will DIE!

 

[new]

Been using D4 for nearly 2 years. It was a mess when it first began and they have made a lot of improvements, however it is still slower, crashes 10 times more than D3, and is overall a downgrade to what we had. Whenever my D4 crashes and I have to go to a 3 my day goes much better. Good luck!

 

[dannyboy]

750 drivers used this unit for well over a year and provided detailed input.

Another 4,500 used the units for 3 months to provide final validation.


The opinion that this is not perfect is not unique. The opinion that this is broken is in the vast minority of the drivers

So what you are saying is that the "validation" supports your contention that the product is correctly implemented and needs no further refining?

The validation you speak of I am sure carries the same weight as the ERI. The gentlemen in the glass offices live and breathe by fodder such as that, and that is why real results at UPS is hard to get. But paper results, we are experts.

I see many problems that need our attention and should be fixed before wandering somewhere to spend all those millions on toys.

 

[rpoz11]

GMAN: How did your new experience evolve????

 

[gman]

All in all it went very well the first day. But i was concentrating on doing the shift and watching what I was doing. By today, I ran into problems with entering 1Z #s, I had splits on areas that weren't in my board so I had to key in streets and area numbers, And not to mention that I was tired from 85-90 degree heat. Long story short, I lost a lot of time stumbleing around on that stupid thing. And I hate where they put the stylus. Nobody can find it and nobody puts it back in. I suppose it will get a little better with time but for now, it sukks. Not to mention three ten hour days in a row after 3 weeks vacation aint a freindly welcome back!

 

[hr_guy]

where is the new stylus? is it like a palm pilot where it sinks into the top of the board?

 

[gman]

the stylus goes down into the top right rear of the board and it's black so you cant see it. I think I'm going to tie a short loop of white shoe lace to it so it's easier to see and pull out. But sombody from safety will probably threaten to fire me because it could accidently get caught on some thing, fly out and poke someone in the eye.

Oh, but don't worry about that tornado warning in your area, just keep delivering!

 

[ezrider]

The ability to aquire EDD without having to stand in line behind a dozen drivers waiting for port access is a welcome addition.

It's ability to scan pkgs as seamlessly as #3 is somewhat suspect. If scan key isn't pressed firmly and just right, it doesn't respond as well as #3 and it's inability to keep up when trying to sheet during the larger dumps reminds me way too much of the days when #2 had a "software upgrade" that rendered it over-the-hill all too quickly.

I really liked #3 alot. The keypad was darn near bullet-proof and I could always multi-task and maximize time by key entering the 1z's that failed to scan with one hand while holding pkg with the other hand while on the move. Having to use the alpha on #4 requires both hands to type and that's a real blow for sure because it limits the ability to improvise.

I can remember #2 would die on me it seemed like every other month out on the area. Never once did #3 ever quit on me. Farewell old friend. I miss you already...

 

[gman]

I think we should get our six seconds a package back when we use this turtle.

 

[rushfan]

rumor has it here that more "allowance time" will be taken from us this fall. Just the more reason to take all lunch hour, and breaks. Also to use proper methods.

Rumor has it also we will be getting the latest diad in spring '06

 

[upsdawg]

I love the Diad #4!! I wish it was a little smaller so I could just put it into my pocket--maybe Diad #5 will have that feature!! Actually I used to love the old 50 liners with carbon--so what do I know!!---o.k.--it has been awhile since I delivered packages-----Question for anyone----is there anything good about Diad #4---does it send data without putting it in the DIVA ( did #3 have that capability?)----I am not sticking up for IE--they are an unnecessary evil---and hopefully we will continue to build the better/best mousepad that we can-----I remember when we went from paper to the DIAD how a lot of drivers hated it and said that it would never work---let's just hope that Diad #5 is a result of honest driver feedback!!

 

[gman]

The toggle switch creates a lot of confusion. You're keying away and all of a sudden it beeps or you notice half your numbers are letters or vice versa. And at least for me, it seems to take forever to key in a message. I got 13 messages today for one thing or another that they wanted a reply for. DOn't deliver Harry Potter books here, do you have a delivery there, what time will you be here? I finally sent a message, "I don't have time for all these messages!" I had to have spent 15/20 minutes trying to answer all their stupid request and there is no allowance for that. And don't hit two keys too close together. It misses one every time. I do like the backlit screen and it seems to take a signature better, but the screen is still new. We'll see in a few months.

 

[toonertoo]

Rushfan, please, you've got to be kidding!!!!!!!!!! Lose more allowance? That would mean we will be delivering 12 hr dispatches, to make their precious 8 on paper?
Give us a freaking break. Minimun 10 hrs days all week, to make 8, 90-95 degrees, 100 % humidity. But do it safely.

 

[ezrider]

Dawg

I've also experienced the same sequence of events as Gman previously described. I'm not about to write #4 off as a failure by any means, but it does make what were once simple tasks terribly frustrating at all too often critical times. The alpha key on mine got stuck yesterday and that renders it as useful as a freshly painted p-1000 with new tires yet no engine under the hood. A 6 second per-pkg time slash was a bitter pill to swallow by itself. Add #4 and it's tempermental keypad to that and it's starting to look like another slap in the face from the powers that be.

My hands and fingers are pretty big so #3 was an ideal setup for me personally, so that might make the transition to #4 seem bumpy. The only way I could describe it would be like trying to type one of these posts on a keyboard that was half the size with less keys and laid out differently and then being told that there was no room for grammatical errors in addition to having to do it in less time. #3 was such a smooth change since it closely resembled #2, where #4 is completely different and thus the learning curve is likewise.

It may yet prove to be an upgrade in time. The true test comes during the cold of late December thru February. I could work the keys on #3 near flawlessly while wearing gloves. Not having to expose the fingers to the brutal Great Lakes winters was a blessing. Looking at these tiny, sometimes unresponsive keys on #4, I'm somewhat skeptical. I'd be curious to know how it tested in the winter climate, or better yet was it even tested in extended sub-zero temperatures. It will have to thrive in those conditions as well as #3 did or it could at some point be deemed as a step backwards by some wearing the uniform.

 

[rpoz11]

Just wait 'til you get spun by the
"Wheel Of Fortune":EDD...
*************************************************
"4" will get you a surprising amount of resi burried in between your business deliveries....
*************************************************
Their expectations of corprorate results are all thoroughly based upon how well your "EDD" guy can burry you with added work!
*************************************************
Oh! ...And don't worry! Once your #'s go down, the expectations rise, you will be expected to deliver SPOHR that fits into their "EDD" expectations ...
*************************************************
Oh, since 'WE'....UPS-B.... did spend the $$$ on the new DIAD-4, and...OH! 'WE'...UPS-B... did spend $$$ on the so called: Wheel Of Fortune: EDD
And since 'WE' are discussing this, you will be expected to take on 50 more deliveries per hour, so the Corporate Potato Crunchers can explain what a great JOB they are doing with the investment they made in the whole 'STUPID ridiculous automated puzzle spin computer generated shell game' they created to pull the whole wool over every Corporate Stock holding idiot that believes that 91 years of success lies in this new STATE OF THE ART SYSTEM!
YAAaaaaaaaaaaaa Right!
*************************************************91 years of success is making all of you $$$...so why would the history of this need to be changed!???
Think about it!

 

[rpoz11]

Lastly! The so called coporate GURUS
are getting their backsides flogged harder than you all will ever believe! Bldg Managers are on the line, Ctr Managers are on the line!
Supervisors are expected to deliver unrealistic
#'s

that can never be produced!
It's complete CHAOS! here in this District!
And the UNION! Oh Yes, the fabled UNION, and all of their vast ability to keep it HONEST! GIVE ME A BREAK!
OSHA could come in and destroy all of what KETTER does to cover it all up!
Go to your state Fair Employment Office responsible to react to our claims of Hazardous work conditions, expectations, and all of the ridiculous expetations that drive the corporate results to higher standards on a daily basis!
I, for ONE, have seen enough, and I PLAN on submitting my GOVT complaints sooner than later, bet on it!

 

[rpoz11]

D I A D 4............
Since when did a computer and big business dollars replace any hourly worker anywhere in AMERICA!
My views are now FACT!

 

[rpoz11]

Pretzel_Man......riddle me this!