This Bee-Inspired Algorithm Helps Delivery Companies Plan The Most Efficient Route

cheryl

I started this.
Staff member

brownIEman

Well-Known Member
ORION had nothing to do with bees. That was the other app developed for smaller companies to use.
ORION was created to save miles and therfore money. That is the only thing the powers that be at UPS actually care about. ORION actually makes it harder for an inexperienced driver to run a route because it jumps around the route and the load. You could make the work stoppage argument about PAS and EDD but it doesn't work for ORION.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
ORION had nothing to do with bees. That was the other app developed for smaller companies to use.
ORION was created to save miles and therfore money. That is the only thing the powers that be at UPS actually care about. ORION actually makes it harder for an inexperienced driver to run a route because it jumps around the route and the load. You could make the work stoppage argument about PAS and EDD but it doesn't work for ORION.

Not at our current SPC metrics; however, if given a reduced dispatch, anyone with minimal training could get through an Orion day.
 

Orion inc.

I like turtles
Let's get real-----Orion was designed primarily to allow the company to continue to operate if there were a work stoppage.

Wrong. It was to reduce routes, increasing stops per car and stops per mile.

Orion would actually make a work stoppage worse for ups.

But if their is a work stoppage, ups will have bigger problems then scabs running Orion.
 

Orion inc.

I like turtles
Not at our current SPC metrics; however, if given a reduced dispatch, anyone with minimal training could get through an Orion day.

Wrong again. Then ups would have no problem qualifying new drivers who are training on Orion in their first 30. There wouldn't be such a shortage of drivers qualifying in big centers. There is.

The BOG principles you apply to everything, doesn't apply to all of ups.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
The past few weeks I have tried running any residential adds exactly the way Orion sets them up. For the most part the solution is close to the way that I would normally run it.
 

brownIEman

Well-Known Member
The past few weeks I have tried running any residential adds exactly the way Orion sets them up. For the most part the solution is close to the way that I would normally run it.

Yes, but you are an experienced driver and you probably are either very familiar or at least somewhat familiar with those neighborhoods. Having trained many brand new drivers and countless peak drivers, I can assure you when someone is struggling to understand the methods and get the concept of address breaks and street blocks, adding in the idea of jumping around the trace order to be more efficient in miles makes the learning curve much more steep, not less so.

And speaking of peak drivers, brand new off the street hires working below full driver wage, they provide an interesting parallel to what you would see in a long term work stoppage. I can't say for certain that none were on ORION, but I can't remember any for whom we did NOT turn ORION off.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
Yes, but you are an experienced driver and you probably are either very familiar or at least somewhat familiar with those neighborhoods. Having trained many brand new drivers and countless peak drivers, I can assure you when someone is struggling to understand the methods and get the concept of address breaks and street blocks, adding in the idea of jumping around the trace order to be more efficient in miles makes the learning curve much more steep, not less so.

And speaking of peak drivers, brand new off the street hires working below full driver wage, they provide an interesting parallel to what you would see in a long term work stoppage. I can't say for certain that none were on ORION, but I can't remember any for whom we did NOT turn ORION off.

I shut my brain off and followed the solution stop for stop.

All I am saying is that I could take a new driver out with me for two days and then hand the DIAD and a reduced dispatch and he/she would be able to get through it in a respectable manner.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
Wrong. It was to reduce routes, increasing stops per car and stops per mile.

Orion would actually make a work stoppage worse for ups.

But if their is a work stoppage, ups will have bigger problems then scabs running Orion.
ORION is a work stoppage mitigation plan along with getting new drivers up to speed quicker.
UPS's goal is to reduce area knowledge as an obstacle to be efficient on an new route.
 

Orion inc.

I like turtles
ORION is a work stoppage mitigation plan along with getting new drivers up to speed quicker.
UPS's goal is to reduce area knowledge as an obstacle to be efficient on an new route.

Well it's not working. The drop out rate for new guys is about 90%.

No algorithm or computer model will replace solid, concrete area knowledge. All the variables in Orion were not included when they developed it. Even the Orion guys admitted this. They don't account for OCAs, pick up compliance or business stops before 5. Maybe in the bog, but in big urban settings, it is not working.

It actually frustrates new drivers because it contradicts methods taught. I've seen these new guys get frustrated because instead of learning a layout of how a good route runs and how to adjust to daily changing conditions, Orion just spits out any order.

The only time Orion works is on all resi routes with no business or pick ups and small amount of NDAs.

They designed a system that doesn't include every variable for the actual job. That's why they aren't seeing the success that they try to say they have with it. And slso that's why these 20 somethings kids are saying no way to driving and FT.

It's creating a labor shortage of good, skilled drivers. All the guys with real good solid methods and habits are retiring and the ones coming up aren't learning that.

And that makes adapting to changing elements very bad.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
Well it's not working. The drop out rate for new guys is about 90%.

No algorithm or computer model will replace solid, concrete area knowledge. All the variables in Orion were not included when they developed it. Even the Orion guys admitted this. They don't account for OCAs, pick up compliance or business stops before 5. Maybe in the bog, but in big urban settings, it is not working.

It actually frustrates new drivers because it contradicts methods taught. I've seen these new guys get frustrated because instead of learning a layout of how a good route runs and how to adjust to daily changing conditions, Orion just spits out any order.

The only time Orion works is on all resi routes with no business or pick ups and small amount of NDAs.

They designed a system that doesn't include every variable for the actual job. That's why they aren't seeing the success that they try to say they have with it. And slso that's why these 20 somethings kids are saying no way to driving and FT.

It's creating a labor shortage of good, skilled drivers. All the guys with real good solid methods and habits are retiring and the ones coming up aren't learning that.

And that makes adapting to changing elements very bad.
This is ORION version #1
Wait 5 or 6 years until UPS gets it fine tuned.
There is an 12-18 month development cycle in the Operations Development group.
Give them 4 or 5 releases and it will have more features and better algorithms.

DIAD I was a POS as well but by the time DIAD III came out, the form factor and software was pretty good.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
Pickup compliance has not been an issue for quite some time.

The new guys are dropping because of the increased dispatches. We had a FT cover driver who was thrown on to what is probably our toughest route and he was out until 9 pm two days in a row.

We had a guy in his 30 who was being sent out with about 80% of the normal load who just couldn't get the hang of it and quit. I think he would have been just fine pre-Orion.

I will agree that Orion works best on primarily residential routes with very few pickups.
 

Orion inc.

I like turtles
I shut my brain off and followed the solution stop for stop.

All I am saying is that I could take a new driver out with me for two days and then hand the DIAD and a reduced dispatch and he/she would be able to get through it in a respectable manner.

Maybe in the BOG Mr wanna be ORS, but they are doing that in big centers like mine and guess what?

Not working. These kids are either having accidents/injuries more than normal because of following Orion or they are DQing or self DQing and saying it's not worth it.

When you don't teach someone a foundation of good principles or methods, then no matter what they won't be able to accomplish a task.

It's like learning sports or martial arts or anything skilled. If the basic foundation isn't there, nothing will help.

Orion eliminates learning that basic foundation that guys like you and I learned. That's why we don't have the issues with it that the other new guys do.
 

Orion inc.

I like turtles
Pickup compliance has not been an issue for quite some time.

The new guys are dropping because of the increased dispatches. We had a FT cover driver who was thrown on to what is probably our toughest route and he was out until 9 pm two days in a row.

We had a guy in his 30 who was being sent out with about 80% of the normal load who just couldn't get the hang of it and quit. I think he would have been just fine pre-Orion.

I will agree that Orion works best on primarily residential routes with very few pickups.

And those increased dispatches are because of Orion. Remember it was designed to eliminate routes and increase stops.

Pick up compliance is an issue. You can't have Orion tell you to do a pick at 12pm that is scheduled for 6pm and it does. Because all the variables aren't in the design.

If Orion is the solution to replace all of us skilled guys with scabs at strike time, well I'll tell you, it won't succeed.
 

Orion inc.

I like turtles
This is ORION version #1
Wait 5 or 6 years until UPS gets it fine tuned.
There is an 12-18 month development cycle in the Operations Development group.
Give them 4 or 5 releases and it will have more features and better algorithms.

DIAD I was a POS as well but by the time DIAD III came out, the form factor and software was pretty good.

The problem is you have development guys designing this that have no real world experience.

Ups needs technology and innovation but it needs to get out of this mindset that it is a tech company like google or Facebook and get back to basics of its core business.
 
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