Orion Compliance

[FilingBluesFL]

We don't have Orion yet but when the Orion people ride with you does it kind of do a time study to determine how many stops you should have on your route? I know dumb question probably but just kind of curious.

Dude rides with you, and tells you how you are now going to run your route, and "train" you on how you're going to run the route.

He will tell you where the computer expects you to be, given a "real world" assumption that all the streets are empty, and you don't have to wait to pull in to traffic, or wait for people to get out of your way, and every traffic light you go by is green in your favor.

The best part is in the morning, when you have to deliver airs, and he's telling you to EVERY EXCEPT TO YOUR AIR STOPS.

"Lets do this first on the way," "No, we're gonna come back to that air later." "No, you're just going to deliver this air and come back later to do the grounds."

You can see how well it's gonna go....

 

[jumpman23]

This ought to be fun lol. center manager has no idea what is coming. Go from a comedy show to a super comedy show.

 

[Scoot]

We don't have Orion yet but when the Orion people ride with you does it kind of do a time study to determine how many stops you should have on your route? I know dumb question probably but just kind of curious.

It has an idea of where you should be in your route based on the time standards built into it. Those won't change based on your ride. It doesn't care how many stops you have, only how few miles you can do them in. It doesn't care about time, only miles.

 

[jumpman23]

So in other words youll still be getting your beat every day regardless lol.

 

[soberups]

In our local "working as directed" has been established as pretty much the same thing as "best interests of the company" ( obey now,grieve later)

The company has given me one set of instructions for the route that require me to deliver the NDA and savers on time, to be in compliance with scheduled pickup times +\- 15 minutes, and to not record businesses as closed from noon to one or after 5:00.

With ORION, the company is now giving me a second set of instructions that require me to follow their ORION trace to within 85%.

Those two seperate sets of instructions are in DIRECT CONFLICT with each other. They are contradictory. They are mutually exclusive. It is physically impossible for me to comply with one without violating the other.

Therefore...for the purposes of disciplinary action...neither one of them is a valid directive. The company isnt going to get anywhere trying to suspend or terminate me for "not working as directed" if the only thing I am guilty of is ignoring a flawed ORION trace in order to make service on the packages.


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[JL 0513]

My center manager continues to complain about backs increasing for the center. He says Orion will never ask you to back. He apparently hasn't gotten the memo about the fundamentals of Orion. Orion's main tool is changing directions which means using driveways to turn around. But if we go over miles questions are asked. This is total craziness. Can't have low back counts and meet Orion miles.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

We are slated to get Orion in Sep 2015 and our PDS has advised us to make sure that we are carrying our DIADs and completing the stop at the delivery point rather than completing them in the pkg car. He will also be sitting down with each of us and making sure our DOLs are where they need to be before the end of this year.

 

[soberups]

Before I even left the building this morning, I:

1. Took 15 stops out from under the belt (that had been unloaded by a driver in my loop who was going to be over 9.5) and piled them up in the aisle of my truck;

2. Loaded an irreg into the back that another driver in my loop could not contain;

3. Took a NDA stop from yet another driver in my loop that he wasnt going to get to by 10:30;

4. Took 2 misloads out on area in order to meet and drop them with yet another driver at a time and place yet to be arranged;

5. Was instructed by my management to do an unscheduled pickup at the end of the day and bring in the pup trailer from the account.

So...even if my original ORION solution did make any sort of sense (which it doesnt) it would have been totally invalidated before I even left the building by the routine variables that one encounters in the REAL world of UPS. I'm a pretty bright and resourceful guy, and I had no problem coming up with a plan to efficiently incorporate all these variables into my route, but there is no way in HELL that I can do all that and still be "in compliance" with some meaningless ORION report. 85 per cent my ass, I've got work to do out here!


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[HEFFERNAN]

One of our stewards had an Orion trace of 98.9% and was 27 miles over. LOL

Made me feel good !!!


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[soberups]

One of our stewards had an Orion trace of 98.9% and was 27 miles over. LOL

Made me feel good !!!


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I once had an ORION trace of 52% and was 33 miles UNDER.

Made me feel even better!


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[TooTechie]

This has got to be devastating for those 250 families. Also I wouldn't want to be one of the new replacement drivers that could quit a job to go driving then a year down the road get laid off because 804 won at arbitration. Crappy situation.

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[brownmonster]

This has got to be devastating for those 250 families. Also I wouldn't want to be one of the new replacement drivers that could quit a job to go driving then a year down the road get laid off because 804 won at arbitration. Crappy situation.

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How about that Orion compliance.

 

[bottomups]

Finally beat ORION this week through the grievance procedure.

Was issued a warning letter in January for not following ORION at 85% or better. Filed a grievance rebutting the letter stating;
1) There is no prompt in the DIAD letting us know what our percentage compliance is at any time throughout the day and did not have the time nor the ambition to try to figure it out.
2) On most days I cannot both follow ORION and work in a manner following their safe work methods. Particularly, climbing over bulk to retrieve a parcel violates "Establish firm footing". Reaching for parcels in the rear of the package car violates all the keys to Lifting and Lowering and working within the Power Zone.

Since safety is number one in UPS's eyes I requested settlement to follow the safe work methods first and ORION second. Center hearing deadlocked and was docketed to state panel. In the meantime I was instructed to follow ORION compliance and leave as many parcels as necessary in the TP60 as needed to provide egress and be able to work in a safe manner.
Following this directive increased miles substantialy and overtime to unacceptable levels. Filed excess overtime grievances both the first and second weeks of March. Stop counts had to be reduced at an average of 20 a day to keep from being in violation of 9.5 hours.
Came back from vacation this Monday and was directed to NOT follow ORION. I was instructed to run the route in the manner that my years of experience proved most efficient! As a matter of fact, ORION is not even loaded in my DIAD anymore. They don't even give me the satisfaction of turning it off!
Back to common sense and servicing my customers. And around 20 extra stops a day.

 

[oldngray]

Finally beat ORION this week through the grievance procedure.

Was issued a warning letter in January for not following ORION at 85% or better. Filed a grievance rebutting the letter stating;
1) There is no prompt in the DIAD letting us know what our percentage compliance is at any time throughout the day and did not have the time nor the ambition to try to figure it out.
2) On most days I cannot both follow ORION and work in a manner following their safe work methods. Particularly, climbing over bulk to retrieve a parcel violates "Establish firm footing". Reaching for parcels in the rear of the package car violates all the keys to Lifting and Lowering and working within the Power Zone.

Since safety is number one in UPS's eyes I requested settlement to follow the safe work methods first and ORION second. Center hearing deadlocked and was docketed to state panel. In the meantime I was instructed to follow ORION compliance and leave as many parcels as necessary in the TP60 as needed to provide egress and be able to work in a safe manner.
Following this directive increased miles substantialy and overtime to unacceptable levels. Filed excess overtime grievances both the first and second weeks of March. Stop counts had to be reduced at an average of 20 a day to keep from being in violation of 9.5 hours.
Came back from vacation this Monday and was directed to NOT follow ORION. I was instructed to run the route in the manner that my years of experience proved most efficient! As a matter of fact, ORION is not even loaded in my DIAD anymore. They don't even give me the satisfaction of turning it off!
Back to common sense and servicing my customers. And around 20 extra stops a day.

Only a matter of time before they try ORION again. Maybe when you are on vacation they will force the guy covering your route to use ORION. Your center manager has to explain to his bosses about the center numbers and can cover it up for a while but eventually the geeks in Atlanta will demand you use ORION whether it makes sense or not.

 

[728ups]

The company has given me one set of instructions for the route that require me to deliver the NDA and savers on time, to be in compliance with scheduled pickup times +\- 15 minutes, and to not record businesses as closed from noon to one or after 5:00.

With ORION, the company is now giving me a second set of instructions that require me to follow their ORION trace to within 85%.

Those two seperate sets of instructions are in DIRECT CONFLICT with each other. They are contradictory. They are mutually exclusive. It is physically impossible for me to comply with one without violating the other.

Therefore...for the purposes of disciplinary action...neither one of them is a valid directive. The company isnt going to get anywhere trying to suspend or terminate me for "not working as directed" if the only thing I am guilty of is ignoring a flawed ORION trace in order to make service on the packages.


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why in the world are you making life so hard by managing your route? follow ORION, if the problems arise report to management( they quite enjoy being advised of such problems,gives them a chance to practice their managerial skills) and let them manage it. we have been told our job is to do the work and management's job is to manage the work.

Service is simply a word in the company name, it has no real meaning IN our company now. We should be called United Parcel Metrics

 

[didyousheetit]

Finally beat ORION this week through the grievance procedure.

Was issued a warning letter in January for not following ORION at 85% or better. Filed a grievance rebutting the letter stating;
1) There is no prompt in the DIAD letting us know what our percentage compliance is at any time throughout the day and did not have the time nor the ambition to try to figure it out.
2) On most days I cannot both follow ORION and work in a manner following their safe work methods. Particularly, climbing over bulk to retrieve a parcel violates "Establish firm footing". Reaching for parcels in the rear of the package car violates all the keys to Lifting and Lowering and working within the Power Zone.

Since safety is number one in UPS's eyes I requested settlement to follow the safe work methods first and ORION second. Center hearing deadlocked and was docketed to state panel. In the meantime I was instructed to follow ORION compliance and leave as many parcels as necessary in the TP60 as needed to provide egress and be able to work in a safe manner.
Following this directive increased miles substantialy and overtime to unacceptable levels. Filed excess overtime grievances both the first and second weeks of March. Stop counts had to be reduced at an average of 20 a day to keep from being in violation of 9.5 hours.
Came back from vacation this Monday and was directed to NOT follow ORION. I was instructed to run the route in the manner that my years of experience proved most efficient! As a matter of fact, ORION is not even loaded in my DIAD anymore. They don't even give me the satisfaction of turning it off!
Back to common sense and servicing my customers. And around 20 extra stops a day.

They are starting this in our center as well. It's so bad on a few routes that they have taken the drivers off Orion

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[MethodsMan]

Before I even left the building this morning, I:

1. Took 15 stops out from under the belt (that had been unloaded by a driver in my loop who was going to be over 9.5) and piled them up in the aisle of my truck;

2. Loaded an irreg into the back that another driver in my loop could not contain;

3. Took a NDA stop from yet another driver in my loop that he wasnt going to get to by 10:30;

4. Took 2 misloads out on area in order to meet and drop them with yet another driver at a time and place yet to be arranged;

5. Was instructed by my management to do an unscheduled pickup at the end of the day and bring in the pup trailer from the account.

So...even if my original ORION solution did make any sort of sense (which it doesnt) it would have been totally invalidated before I even left the building by the routine variables that one encounters in the REAL world of UPS. I'm a pretty bright and resourceful guy, and I had no problem coming up with a plan to efficiently incorporate all these variables into my route, but there is no way in HELL that I can do all that and still be "in compliance" with some meaningless ORION report. 85 per cent my ass, I've got work to do out here!


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The turd rolls down hill.

I have a feeling when top level management realizes that its not working that local management are going to be more on top of enforcing Orion because of the heat of from their superiors.

When businesses that generally get their stuff in the morning are pissed because they're getting it at 4pm I tell them that we have a new little system. You can call in and complain if you'd like. Sorry, I don't make up the rules, I just play the game. Several of them have called in and complained. I'm sure whoever's answering the phones is having fun with that

 

[soberups]

why in the world are you making life so hard by managing your route? follow ORION, if the problems arise report to management( they quite enjoy being advised of such problems,gives them a chance to practice their managerial skills) and let them manage it. we have been told our job is to do the work and management's job is to manage the work.

Service is simply a word in the company name, it has no real meaning IN our company now. We should be called United Parcel Metrics

I have been a driver for 26 years now and I have 20 years of area knowledge on my route.

When I started this job, I was going out in a blown-out P6 with paper delivery records on a clipboard. There was no ORION, or EDD or PAS. Sequence numbers were hand-written on each package with a crayon and you had to figure out where your next stops were using common sense and experience.

Managing a route is easy. What makes my life hard is when I am told by management to be intentionally stupid and to intentionally waste time and miles and to intentionally piss off customers in order to generate an ORION compliance metric for a report.

Sorry, but the whole intentional stupidity thing is impossible for me to wrap my head around. I simply cannot do it. This company has spent almost 27 years hard-wiring my DNA to be as productive and efficient as possible, so it cant just flick a switch one day and force me to be stupid. That might work for management people, but not for me. Its like telling somebody to crap their pants on the count of three. It sounds easy enough, but when you actually try to make yourself to do it then all of those years of potty training just kick in automatically and you pucker up and nothing comes out. If that makes me unfit or unworthy to be part of the "new UPS" then so be it; in a few more years I will retire with a clear conscience (and clean underwear) and whoever is hired to replace me can be as stupid as his management team wants him to be.

 

[HEFFERNAN]

I have a feeling they are pushing more on miles now than the Orion trace. They haven't been pushing the trace % on me as long as I have been beating the Orion miles.

There are about 40+ drivers (routes) right now that are on Orion, 90% of them are over the miles everyday even while being in the 85% trace range. Whoever sold Orion to Atlanta better dust up on their resume.

 

[bottomups]

The turd rolls down hill.

I have a feeling when top level management realizes that its not working that local management are going to be more on top of enforcing Orion because of the heat of from their superiors.

When businesses that generally get their stuff in the morning are pissed because they're getting it at 4pm I tell them that we have a new little system. You can call in and complain if you'd like. Sorry, I don't make up the rules, I just play the game. Several of them have called in and complained. I'm sure whoever's answering the phones is having fun with that

I have one business out in the middle of nowhere that had gotten used to a morning delivery for years. Was always the first ground delivery after completion of air stops. ORION had them delivered around 2pm and when I started delivering them in the afternoon they called corporate and threatened to use another shipper. Now back to a moring delivery and 15+ extra miles a day.