Time Studies

pkg-king · 05-23-2007, 07:35 PM

Hi guys and gals, newbie here. Our center is soon going to be time studied, I've heard it has or is being done all over. Just wondering if anyone has been recently studied and are the studies coming back fair? I can imagine we are being studied to "tighten the screws" so to speak, just wondering if we are losing 10 minutes or more like 30 minutes.

upsgrunt · 05-23-2007, 07:48 PM

Don't know how long you have been with UPS, but the best thing to do is expect the worst and chances are you won't be disappointed. The thing I've wondered about for the last 20 years, is where they get their measurements from? Does the Department of time and measurement have any say to the "magic and secret" time study formula that UPS uses? Any more, it is easy to get 8 hours, but I have to have about 60 percent more work, in terms of stops, to make it to 9.25. Maybe I'm wrong, but if 110 stops is 8 hours, shouldn't 200 be close to 15? If somebody has a laymans explanation, I'd like to hear it.

Raw · 05-23-2007, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Maybe I'm wrong, but if 110 stops is 8 hours, shouldn't 200 be close to 15? If somebody has a laymans explanation, I'd like to hear it.

Yeah, if you double your miles also.

pkg-king · 05-23-2007, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upsgrunt

Don't know how long you have been with UPS, but the best thing to do is expect the worst and chances are you won't be disappointed. The thing I've wondered about for the last 20 years, is where they get their measurements from? Does the Department of time and measurement have any say to the "magic and secret" time study formula that UPS uses? Any more, it is easy to get 8 hours, but I have to have about 60 percent more work, in terms of stops, to make it to 9.25. Maybe I'm wrong, but if 110 stops is 8 hours, shouldn't 200 be close to 15? If somebody has a laymans explanation, I'd like to hear it.

I'm surprised there isn't much talk regarding the studies on this board, I guess they must'nt be coming back that bad or there would be alot of howling on this board. I wonder if the fact that they're using a hand held computer, rather than the old stop watch and clipboard from our last study in the late '80's, will make them a little more accurate? Only time will tell...no pun intended.

Zeus70 · 05-23-2007, 08:17 PM

Don't worry about the time study. They put out a number that you will never be able to reach, such as stop per on road hour. Doesn't matter how well you do the route you will always be over standard. Just work safe and get the crap delivered and you'll be fine. It's just UPS propaganda.

upsgrunt · 05-23-2007, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raw

Yeah, if you double your miles also.

Yeah, I realize the obvious, but if your miles increase by 20 or so and you have twice the stops of a planned 8 hour day, why shouldn't a 8 hour day be turned into at least a 12? Please don't mention stop density!

big_arrow_up · 05-23-2007, 08:47 PM

We had a time study about 5 years ago. It was VERY interesting to me. I wasn't even close to being a driver back then but as a reloader I couldn't help but notice many changes during that week or two. The drivers that were usually in late all came in earlier. The drivers that usually came in early all came in later. My friends that were already drivers then told me that load quality seemed to improve drasticly during the time studies then dropped off again when it was over. Routes weren't cut like they normally were. There were less "over nine fives." No one was in before 5. No one was out past 6:30. The preloader said that they made a little more money during the time study because they were starting a little earlier. Probably to help them have a little more time to doctor their loads. To me the time study just proved that most centers would probably run smoother if everyone did their jobs correctly. Not just the drivers but everyone.

samiam · 05-23-2007, 08:56 PM

I heard the best thing to do is to preform your job by the proper 'work methods' while being studied. You know, the list of 340 things (or whatever it is) we are to know and do as drives to do our job correctly and safely. Does any one know where to find the list of the proper work methods or am I just barking up the wrong tree. I only ask this because I use just 2 of the 'work methods' every day. That is.....get every package delivered....and pick up from all your pick ups.

dirty moose · 05-23-2007, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raw

Maybe I'm wrong, but if 110 stops is 8 hours,

what building do you work in?! i need to make my way there

oldster · 05-23-2007, 09:44 PM

So many mis-conceptions about timestudies. It is actually called elemental time study. The observer measures the characteristics of the delivery and pickup stops. How fast or slow the driver works makes no difference. The quality of the load and how long the driver takes to select packages makes no difference. Every action is classified, and a pre-determined allowed time is applied.

There is no such thing as sorting time in package select, there never has been. You are allowed 12.5 seconds per package, (.00352 hours) for package handling. This includes the recording time. This is not a variable the time study even measures. This is calculated daily from the total delivery packages recorded in Diad.

What the time study measures is "what did the driver need to do at each stop?" How long were the walks, was a hand-truck needed, did the driver have to knock and wait for a signature? What type of delivery, Signature, DR, NI1? How many and what types of traffic delays did the driver encounter. They all have a pre-determined time. All of the time for each stop is totaled by unit, no matter which driver was measured. The total time is divided by the number of stops in the unit to get the unit stop allowance.

The stop allowances are a part of the calculation for the drivers planned day. Add to that fixed AM, PM, package handling, COD's, over 70's, fueling, call tags, and other items, and a complex travel calculation and it will produce a planned day.

samiam · 05-23-2007, 10:56 PM

oldster....thank you for the reply to the post, very informative, however here is the problem I have heard about time studies. I will give just a quick situation.

Bay door delievery, middle of truck is clear, packages are on the back floor. YOU CAN.........

A ...open the blukhead door, walk through truck, open back door and start delievering,

OR

B ....get out of truck, unlock back door from the outside, and start delievering.

I have heard A is wrong and you get much less time credit for the time spent delieving this way than way B, not because A is quicker and easier (I feel), but because it is not the proper 'work method'.

Am I crazy.

upsgrunt · 05-24-2007, 04:51 AM

Oldster,
We all know that the time allowance is pre-determined for any driver for any condition that occurs during a delivery. My question is who set those original time allowance; 12.5 seconds per package? Did that number come from Dept. of weights and measurements, or is it just a UPS number, and how did they get it?

big_arrow_up · 05-24-2007, 05:21 AM

Not having sort time calculated in is rediculous. I've had loads that were so bad that it took well over thirty minutes to sort. On a good day I can sort the whole truck (after I completet NDAs) in around 20 minutes. Without sorting there would be too much back tracking. 0.00352 hours for package handling is obviously not enough. Maybe in a fantasty world (which is where IE seems to be living in) where everything is perfect and the loads are loaded stop for stop.

oldster · 05-24-2007, 07:35 AM

Samiam - Either is correct. A. usually takes less time. A rear door select allows for walking to the rear door, opening and closing it. Doesn't matter how you get there.

The pre-determined times were developed by actually timing drivers performing under normal conditions using proper methods. Thousands of samples.

Select time is based on a stop-for-stop load. Keep in mind that planned time never includes time for mistakes. If your car is not loaded well, you will not be able select efficiently. The fix would be in the preload quality or the written load plan.

diesel96 · 05-24-2007, 02:20 PM

[quote=oldster;201096]Samiam - Either is correct. A. usually takes less time. A rear door select allows for walking to the rear door, opening and closing it. Doesn't matter how you get there.

Answer B-is correct 340 method.(when supervisor or time study Sup is with you)...Walk outside vehlicle around to rear door.Your opening and closing only ONE door not Two.

Now when there's no supervisor and your bulk head door is open ,then yes answer A for sure.

During my time study 2yrs ago I had to tell the time study guy to back off,your standing and walking to close to me(he kept bumping into me),he said "I have to count your steps". Finally,I had enough,and threaten to file a sexual harrassment Grievance on the guy.
I spoke w/ Center Mgr that night and told him what happened,sure enough I.E. sup called a complaint on me next day.But this time my Mgr backed me up.

Ms Spoken · 05-24-2007, 06:18 PM

Our building just had our time study about a month ago. Here are a few TRUE facts that UPS has allowed us. If you should have to fuel your truck you are allowed 2.33 (min) to do so. Well I'm here to tell you just to input your ID number then the mileage your already out of time. Today I timed myself at the pump (mom & pop) station and it took 8 min total to fuel and then go inside to pay.
Before our study I asked my sup should I walk through the truck to make a dock delv and he said never. Stop your truck walk to the rear open doors and unload and push cart all of it in. He said to always assume your truck is full and you can not walk through it. So lets say your at a pick-up you stop truck, walk around open doors, get back into truck and back to dock, exit using passenger door walk around to the dock and make a pile of boxes to be loaded on the dock. Go back around and step into the cab and load and then exit back out the passenger side (make sure you shut the bulk head every time and get another load. I know all of this sounds crazy but, it really helped with my time study.
Another good tip is WALK WALK WALK every stop off. Only back off the road when needed. Start taking a look at your delivery points for back doors or a good place to DR the package (not that we don't do that already). Talk with your customers and let them know what is going on. They can play a huge role in your time study. You will also get extra time if you can grow the company with a sales lead. I have my paper work here with me and I can list the national average time UPS gives you to do our job. It's all a joke anyway just do your job and use your methods and I also have the 300+ methods on paper if needed.

samiam · 05-24-2007, 06:36 PM

That's what I'm looking for roght now is the list of the methods. Any one know where to find them????????

theyhateus · 05-24-2007, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pkg-king

Hi guys and gals, newbie here. Our center is soon going to be time studied, I've heard it has or is being done all over. Just wondering if anyone has been recently studied and are the studies coming back fair? I can imagine we are being studied to "tighten the screws" so to speak, just wondering if we are losing 10 minutes or more like 30 minutes.

Our center was also just studied a little over a month ago. The new time went into effect this past Monday. My route GAINED OVER AN HOUR!! I have been killing myself to meet there numbers for over 10 years and finally a time study that will help me A LOT.
My advice is also to walk a lot. Any stop you can take steps do so. I would take all my residentials to the rear door. They will ask for your miles to the tenth at every stop, so they know exactly how far apart everything is. Our supervisors told us to walk everything. They will actually count every step you take at every stop. They will follow you and just count steps. It is crazy. You also get extra time for using your 2 wheeler so use it. If it is even close use it anyway. The person who rode with me wanted me to carry everything inside every stop and then sheet it up inside the customers business. I agree 100% to talk to your customers and let them know. They absolutely have a huge impact on this day. Remember UPS does not do time studies very often so it is not just you that is being studied, but also every driver that will be on that route for the next 10-15 years. If you work correctly everyday this day will go very smooth.
Good luck!!

beentheredonethat · 05-24-2007, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldster

Samiam - Either is correct. A. usually takes less time. A rear door select allows for walking to the rear door, opening and closing it. Doesn't matter how you get there.

The pre-determined times were developed by actually timing drivers performing under normal conditions using proper methods. Thousands of samples.

Select time is based on a stop-for-stop load. Keep in mind that planned time never includes time for mistakes. If your car is not loaded well, you will not be able select efficiently. The fix would be in the preload quality or the written load plan.

If you have a good qualified time study observer, what you do is irrelevant also. Although, I'll admit there are not a lot of good qualified time study observers out there. If you for example could have Dr'ed using proper methods to the side door, but decide to make a much longer walk and go to rear door, or to shed when it wasn't warranted, the observer should measure what you should have done, as well as what you did. If you get outside vehicle walk around opern rear door, when there was an open walk path in rear of car, they should time record as such.

area43 · 05-24-2007, 07:32 PM

Its real simple. Dont be under 8.(boost it up with "sales leads miles" formerly know as "cool down miles") and dont get beat by more than an hour and you will be just fine.

toonertoo · 05-24-2007, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldster

So many mis-conceptions about timestudies. It is actually called elemental time study. The observer measures the characteristics of the delivery and pickup stops. How fast or slow the driver works makes no difference. The quality of the load and how long the driver takes to select packages makes no difference. Every action is classified, and a pre-determined allowed time is applied.

There is no such thing as sorting time in package select, there never has been. You are allowed 12.5 seconds per package, (.00352 hours) for package handling. This includes the recording time. This is not a variable the time study even measures. This is calculated daily from the total delivery packages recorded in Diad.

What the time study measures is "what did the driver need to do at each stop?" How long were the walks, was a hand-truck needed, did the driver have to knock and wait for a signature? What type of delivery, Signature, DR, NI1? How many and what types of traffic delays did the driver encounter. They all have a pre-determined time. All of the time for each stop is totaled by unit, no matter which driver was measured. The total time is divided by the number of stops in the unit to get the unit stop allowance.

The stop allowances are a part of the calculation for the drivers planned day. Add to that fixed AM, PM, package handling, COD's, over 70's, fueling, call tags, and other items, and a complex travel calculation and it will produce a planned day.

I have a few questions oldster, but I wont be suprised if you do not have the answer, no one ever does, they just diSappear.
Now In this Complex formula you speak of which only some IE guy knows how it is calculated...

The first is travel time to and from area, when our routes have changed significantly since our time study, how much would that affect our allowances, and the big one, DOES SIZE MATTER? Such as if it was time studied in a p6 and is now a p12????