IE caught red handed!!!

[stevetheupsguy]

Originally Posted by dragon

They may have changed the area number. If the management team has access (which I doubt) to change the I.E. time allowance then there is about to be a show down in that building...

You cannot change any time allowances in DPS (Dispatch Package System) they are downloaded and match GTS (Global Time card System). Center Team's cannot edit allowances in GTS but you can look at your center standards there. DPS is where your center plan is made and your EDD is built.

There you go again, cooperating. Thanks for the clarification.

[Lue C Fur]

QUOTE]
Your point of view doesn't matter. You work as instructed. If you don't like it pick a door and leave. That's what I would tell you if I was your supervisor. Now don't get me wrong, I would wait for you off the job site just to watch you put your head down and ignore me. By the by you would do your job as instructed you too.[/QUOTE]

If you talked like that out on the flightline where i work, airplanes would get put where the sun does not shine. Ask any flightline supe...we dont tolerate your kind.

Now go do YOUR JOB and approve time cards and vacations.

[UPSSOCKS]

Originally Posted by cachsux

I would give you a weeks pay for you to wait for me off site.

You only work 17.5 hours a week, that's not worth me waiting anywhere...

[UPSSOCKS]

Originally Posted by Lue C Fur

QUOTE]
Your point of view doesn't matter. You work as instructed. If you don't like it pick a door and leave. That's what I would tell you if I was your supervisor. Now don't get me wrong, I would wait for you off the job site just to watch you put your head down and ignore me. By the by you would do your job as instructed you too.

If you talked like that out on the flightline where i work, airplanes would get put where the sun does not shine. Ask any flightline supe...we dont tolerate your kind.

Now go do YOUR JOB and approve time cards and vacations.[/QUOTE]


Your right all your references to the devil and hell would frighten me. I would be scared to talk to you.

[satellitedriver]

[quote=UPSSOCKS;620740]

Originally Posted by stevetheupsguy

You don't think that a Supervisor calling his employee a baby is harassment? Let me tell you something from my point of view. If you were my Supervisor and you spoke that way to me, I'd consider it harassment. Now don't get me wrong, just because you called me a baby as a form of harassing me and I reported your actions, doesn't mean we won't have "words" off of the job site.

QUOTE]

Your point of view doesn't matter. You work as instructed. If you don't like it pick a door and leave. That's what I would tell you if I was your supervisor. Now don't get me wrong, I would wait for you off the job site just to watch you put your head down and ignore me. By the by you would do your job as instructed you too.

If you were my supervisor, you would not be for long.

[cachsux]

Originally Posted by UPSSOCKS

You only work 17.5 hours a week, that's not worth me waiting anywhere...

More like 50+. Been that way for the last twenty years. Send me the address to your favorite hospital and the check will be waiting when your released.

You should send a thank you card to Al Gore. Without him inventing the internet little chicken**** keyboard toughguys like you would be getting your ass kicked in the real world.

[raceanoncr]

Originally Posted by UPSSOCKS

You only work 17.5 hours a week, that's not worth me waiting anywhere...except in the parking lot...lol

Sick, REAL sick!!!!!!!!!!

[Fullhouse]

Me thinks that part time sup has his head up his colon!

A full time sup knows better than to talk like that!

[atatbl]

Originally Posted by stevetheupsguy

It would be nice if you expanded the acronym's at least once before using them so some of us knew what you were talking about.

DPS- Dispatch Planning System- This is the utility that is used to dispatch a plan before anyone knows exactly what's coming (previous day). This program controls a majority of what is going on with your load. If you want specifics, you can ask if this controls a specific element... my answer will most likely be yes.

DMS- Dispatch Management System- This is the utility used to make add/cuts during the sort. This is the program that you see/look at when you are finding out how many stops/pieces you have. (There are many more capabilities than add/cuts in this software).

GTS- Global Timecard System- Although it primarily holds timecards, it is the program that produces most of the reports shown to a driver, on road, PDS, or CM.

PDS- Preload Dispatch Supervisor- This is the guy/gal you most likely dislike. Some run the dispatch AND the preload operation, others have two separate sups to run the op/dispatch (e.g. a sixty car center).

AMS- Address Management System- This uses the Postal Data Standard to populate all U.S. addresses (according to the USPS) and run them through UDC/AMS and create a PAL (Preload Assist Label) that tells the preloader where to put it in your truck. Kudos if you've heard this term before. This probably means you are communicating with your PDS and trying to solve your problems. Hopefully, he/she is not saying AMS just to get you off their back. It's an acronym that usually stops a conversation (even involving only people that know what they're doing and know the system). To put it in perspective; if you really wanted to create a massive, massive service issue with thousands of deliveries, AMS would be the program to start with. Sometimes we in operations fear it. GIGO puts it well. Respect it's use, or it will burn the drivers.

*Disclaimer: I have admittedly simplified the uses/capabilities of these systems. This is NOT because I think the audience is dense. These programs do more than most people can learn/utilize with YEARS of practice. If you want to understand a specific, then let me know and I will be happy to get more detailed. But it would be a waste of bandwidth to even TRY and explain EVERYTHING these utilities do.

Originally Posted by pretzel_man

I'm not sure I understand??? I thought the DPS standards are downloaded automatically from GTS?

Yes, it does.(e.g. IE does a new time study on a center.) Quickest and most accountable method is import via GTS.

Originally Posted by pretzel_man

I am aware of a "back door" way to edit the DPS standards (we were taught to do this for special situations). I was taught, and I don't remember how to do it.

I bet you would if I sat you down in front of DPS and said "change the time allowances ONLY using DPS." DPS "controls" the loop/sequence/unit numbers that make a loop/route/center (not respectively). For the drivers out there: the unit number is what controls the time allowances you get for a stop and it's travel time.

Originally Posted by pretzel_man

Will a new part time DPS really know how to do that?

:::::What follows may only be interesting to P-Man, but I want to answer him. Don't blame me if you get bored:::::

Referring back to the last answer I gave:

Will he/she? You tell me while you remember how easy it is to forget what you already know that I explain below

Let's set a standard here to save confusion and make it as simple as possible. The PT PDS' goal is to change one route's time allowances (for better or worse..... I don't care....................... I'm never getting married)

The condition is that he/she will use DPS only.

Two ways to open a center in DPS: production, off-line. PT PDS opens offline. Knowing that the SMALLEST unit of dispatch that DPS can import from off-line to production is a loop makes this simple (although it confuses some people).

Three car loop..... referenced for later

PDS opens the 9000 loop. He wants to change the 90C car's time allowances. He decides he will do this the simplest way possible. He will open up the AM (or PM... or all... doesn't matter) stops of the 90C route and change the unit numbers from 5 to 1. Again, I don't care if this adds or takes time, it will inherently do one of the two when applied. (Just for clarity's sake, let's make this a textbook loop. We will go with Clarksville. 90A and unit1 for AM. unit2 for PM. 90B has unit3 for AM. unit4 for PM. 90C has unit5 for AM. unit6 for PM. <------- Before the changes).

Now it's simple. Make sure all other center's are closed on the server (in DPS) and import that 9000 loop from Clarksville's off-line to production. This will require an Active Directory ID/password that allows it.... It would be reasonable to say that even a PT PKG handler could find one of these within minutes if properly motivated. That is not to take anything away from PKG handlers, but just to say that they don't even care about the system and can get the access if need be.

Originally Posted by pretzel_man

Something just doesn't make sense here anyway. Its easier for the PDS to just edit their planning target than to screw around with allowances.

You will have to explain this. The OP is upset that his allowances are changing. There is absolutely, 100%, unarguably NO EFFECT on what will show for a driver's performance (GTS Ops report) based on target paid day, driver ovr/under, other time (i.e. safety), or pickups that are put into DPS. It is very important that this is understood. Nothing can hurt a center team's credibility more that a driver group believing the numbers that a PDS plans you at can give you an advantage/disadvantage. P-Man, make sure you read those four elements. Those four elements being manipulated make the reports that YOU may or may not look at look good. They do not affect reality. There are drivers being planned at 15.75 hour days in DPS that are working 9.79 on average. It is imperative that I note there is truly around 9.79 hours of work on the car. These drivers are scratching or coming in under. We are not REALLY dispatching them with 15 hours. They put in an honest day’s work and get paid an honest day’s work. However, 15 hours is all DPS can come up with due to NO user functionality on anything time/money bearing. It’s important to note that when I say “these drivers” you may be thinking “exception to the rule.” I will retort with “No.” I’ll keep it at that for now. This is one of many, many examples of DPS not being able to "learn" something like exceptional pickup volume or delivery pieces.

I mean absolutely no disrespect when I say this. And maybe it's not even applicable to you. But I believe staff members are lead to believe DPS can actually ADAPT to reality if given the proper user and knowledge. This is not the case. DPS will be upgraded within weeks. I can assure you even more true functionality will be taken from it before this peak. It will be taken in the upgrade.

It's upsetting that much of management (above center manager) believes editing target paid day, pickup pieces/stops, ovr/und, or other/helper time does anything but help the brass sleep at night. That is it's only responsibility. UPS does not plan by paid day in DPS. And if you can show me a center planning by true paid day, I can show you a center that will not be doing it for more than a month. Again, I mean no disrespect if it comes off as too direct. And to be honest, we both know that any driver coming in at 8-9 hours is not profitable in 9999 out of 10,000 scenarios/situations.

Originally Posted by pretzel_man

By the way, allowances are not route specific.

I will assume you are saying that for the other readers.

Originally Posted by pretzel_man

Why do you think not editing allowances diminishes functionality. I've personally used DPS and have never seen a need to edit allowances. P-Man

Not to be pompous, but please feel free to point out ANY element of our current version of DPS that encourages or helps expound upon greater dispatch. Furthermore, please inform me where a PDS may start to really “make a difference.” I am positive the management committee would be more pleased with a 16.5% mile reduction from last peak and lower SPC. It would save tens of millions…. Not an exaggeration. But we will NOT do that. Instead, we will boost SPC from the region and let front line sups worry about fitting 500 pkgs in a 10 cube and where the overflow goes instead of running the cars and making a difference from behind the screen.

[Dustyroads]

Wow, that sounds pretty complicated. I can remember a few years ago that a cm wanted to improve my numbers, and he didn't really have that kind of technical expertise to manipulate the allowances, so he came up with another plan. (I work in rural areas with several small towns). He gave me a new town to deliver, where I could get a lot of highway miles getting there. Then I would deliver 20-25 stops in town in about 45 minutes, and then drive away fast to my regular area. Surprise! I was a hour underallowed every day. We did that for a few years until they re-looped the building.

[stevetheupsguy]

Originally Posted by atatbl

AMS- Address Management System- This uses the Postal Data Standard to populate all U.S. addresses (according to the USPS) and run them through UDC/AMS and create a PAL (Preload Assist Label) that tells the preloader where to put it in your truck. Kudos if you've heard this term before. This probably means you are communicating with your PDS and trying to solve your problems. Hopefully, he/she is not saying AMS just to get you off their back. It's an acronym that usually stops a conversation (even involving only people that know what they're doing and know the system). To put it in perspective; if you really wanted to create a massive, massive service issue with thousands of deliveries, AMS would be the program to start with. Sometimes we in operations fear it. GIGO puts it well. Respect it's use, or it will burn the drivers.

Why couldn't UPS come up with their own standard? There is stuff on my route that needs to be fixed that the supe in charge of this very thing say she can't fix because of postal standards. There are street numbers that don't and never will exist getting added to my EDD. There are also pkgs being flipped to my route because the street names are "similar" ( Indian Oak Dr./Indian River Dr), though if she fixed the number break the problem would cease. She says she can't because of POSTAL STANDARDS.

Oh and thanks, atatbl, for all the info. You're a wealth of knowledge.

[soberups]

Originally Posted by atatbl

I bet you would if I sat you down in front of DPS and said "change the time allowances ONLY using DPS." DPS "controls" the loop/sequence/unit numbers that make a loop/route/center (not respectively). For the drivers out there: the unit number is what controls the time allowances you get for a stop and it's travel time.

I have found some "top secret" unauthorized spycam footage of our IE department hard at work adjusting time allowances. Its a behind-the scenes glimpse at the ugly truth that UPS doesnt want you to see. Prepare to be shocked.....

YouTube - Time Warp - Rocky Horror Picture Show

YouTube - Time Warp - Rocky Horror Picture Show

[atatbl]

Originally Posted by stevetheupsguy

Why couldn't UPS come up with their own standard? There is stuff on my route that needs to be fixed that the supe in charge of this very thing say she can't fix because of postal standards. There are street numbers that don't and never will exist getting added to my EDD. There are also pkgs being flipped to my route because the street names are "similar" ( Indian Oak Dr./Indian River Dr), though if she fixed the number break the problem would cease. She says she can't because of POSTAL STANDARDS.

Oh and thanks, atatbl, for all the info. You're a wealth of knowledge.

She CAN change them (just not using the USPS Standard). She is either scared to do it (which might be reasonable if she's new) or she lacks the skill. Are there other dispatch sups in your building that she could go to for advice?

P.S. Cities and developers don't report growth to UPS. They DO report it to the USPS. Their info is surely more accurate than whatever mess we would come up with.

[stevetheupsguy]

Originally Posted by atatbl

She CAN change them (just not using the USPS Standard). She is either scared to do it (which might be reasonable if she's new) or she lacks the skill. Are there other dispatch sups in your building that she could go to for advice?

P.S. Cities and developers don't report growth to UPS. They DO report it to the USPS. Their info is surely more accurate than whatever mess we would come up with.

I guess I need to push her a bit more for this to be done. I also understand what you're saying about cities and developers giving the USPS a heads up, but is there anything I can have done about stops having 2 instances in EDD? If I go to the stop in EDD they have identical info but may be loaded in different areas of the pkg car. For instance, 2650 NW Federal Hwy occurs twice and can be loaded in FL2 and say 5200, even though the stop info is the same. Same zip, same everything.

[brownIEman]

Originally Posted by atatbl

She CAN change them (just not using the USPS Standard). She is either scared to do it (which might be reasonable if she's new) or she lacks the skill. Are there other dispatch sups in your building that she could go to for advice?

P.S. Cities and developers don't report growth to UPS. They DO report it to the USPS. Their info is surely more accurate than whatever mess we would come up with.

atatbl, if she changes them, by say shortening ranges, those ranges will just come back in every month when they do the data standard update, so she would have to go in and change it for every one of those issues every month? Or is there a way around that?

Steve, as atatbl alludes to, the USPS is for good or ill, the gatekeepers of the zipcode system on which all addressing is based in this country. To try to come up with our own system would create huge amounts of expense and chaos that while it could fix some headaches we have now, in the long run would create more problems that it would solve.

[brownIEman]

Originally Posted by stevetheupsguy

I guess I need to push her a bit more for this to be done. I also understand what you're saying about cities and developers giving the USPS a heads up, but is there anything I can have done about stops having 2 instances in EDD? If I go to the stop in EDD they have identical info but may be loaded in different areas of the pkg car. For instance, 2650 NW Federal Hwy occurs twice and can be loaded in FL2 and say 5200, even though the stop info is the same. Same zip, same everything.

that sounds like a problem with the dispatch plan, and that should be an easy fix. It could be an issue with consignee definitions and planning. See if the difference in the packages is that the system has recognized the name of the consignee on some of them ( the system has recognized the consignee name if it appears on the PAL ).
Or it could be that the same physical location has two different addresses in the data standard file. For example, 2650 NW Federal HWY could be seen by the system as a separate entry from 2650 Federal HWY NW, but realy be the same place. In this case, the planner can assign these two entries in the data base the same sequence number and it will give them the same location in the car and on EDD.

[stevetheupsguy]

Originally Posted by brownIEman

that sounds like a problem with the dispatch plan, and that should be an easy fix. It could be an issue with consignee definitions and planning. See if the difference in the packages is that the system has recognized the name of the consignee on some of them ( the system has recognized the consignee name if it appears on the PAL ).
Or it could be that the same physical location has two different addresses in the data standard file. For example, 2650 NW Federal HWY could be seen by the system as a separate entry from 2650 Federal HWY NW, but realy be the same place. In this case, the planner can assign these two entries in the data base the same sequence number and it will give them the same location in the car and on EDD.

But will it still show up as 2 seperate stops in EDD? I'm just asking because if this occurs for several stops it could throw off my dispatch.

[brownIEman]

Originally Posted by stevetheupsguy

But will it still show up as 2 seperate stops in EDD? I'm just asking because if this occurs for several stops it could throw off my dispatch.

good question. I do not remember for sure. I know it will have the same Handling instruction in EDD, but EDD might show 2 different stops in that HIN. If anything though, that would lighten your dispatch somewhat because DPS would be seeing two stops and giving the allowance in the plan for two stops when it is reality only one.

[brownmonster]

It can be put in so it shows one stop. I had a Lowes store that was at 4401 main st and one shipper had their address as 4401 S 26th St which was also on my route so the pkgs would land in a different section. Supe finally put them both at location flr3. It showed one stop in the board at the correct address but when I scanned the bad ones the DIAD still asked if this matched. After paying 5 bucks a package the shipper finally figured it out after a year.

[brownmonster]

This same supe also allowed me to set up my entire route stop for stop with the correct address ranges. Some of my country roads would flip to other ones so I set it up for each individual address. Pain in the butt but it eliminated many of the flips. The driver has to give it the effort and more importantly be allowed to give it the effort. If the company won't budge on these area traces than it will continue to bleed profit.

[soberups]

All this back and forth over the various acronyms and functions of the DPS is overlooking the original post of this thread...which was from a driver whose allowance was getting jacked around.

We can endlessly debate the cause and effect or we can focus on the simple truth.

Time=money. UPS isnt going to give away money.

It is not logical to assume that a company that makes a business decision that the life of its driver is unworthy of the $50 expense of a 3-point seatbelt...would then turn around and spend extra money to give that same driver a fair and realistic time standard for his work.

UPS's entire system for creating time allowances is either (a) incompetent or (b) corrupt.

UPS is many things, but incompetent isnt one of them. I pick (b).

The allowances exist for one reason; to increase productivity by creating a "standard" that can only be met by working off of the clock. UPS's entire business model is predicated upon pressuring a given percentage of its workforce to donate their lunches and breaks in order to meet this "standard".

Show me a center where every driver pulls over at noon and takes a full, uninterrupted, one hour lunch....and I will show you at least 500 service failures per day, a "dispatch plan" that is missing at least 4 full routes, and a center manager who is about to get his ass fired.

Water has a maximum temperature of 212 degrees before it boils, and a center has a maximum number of stops that can possibly be delivered in a given amount of time. If you want to increase either number, you simply have to apply more pressure. To do this, you need a pressure cooker....or an intentionally rigged time allowance. Both will accomplish the same thing.

[atatbl]

Originally Posted by soberups

Show me a center where every driver pulls over at noon and takes a full, uninterrupted, one hour lunch....and I will show you at least 500 service failures per day, a "dispatch plan" that is missing at least 4 full routes, and a center manager who is about to get his ass fired.

My understanding is that this is done daily in California and their service freqs are within normal parameters. Also, I believe center managers last just as long out there.

[soberups]

Originally Posted by atatbl

My understanding is that this is done daily in California and their service freqs are within normal parameters. Also, I believe center managers last just as long out there.

That is because the lawsuit and resulting settlement forced the company to dispatch based upon reality.

Believe it or not, I dont have a problem with occasionally working thru my lunch...as long as you let me put the truth on my timecard and pay me for all the hours I worked. I suspect that many other drivers feel the same way.

Unfortunately, UPS got greedy. It wasnt enough for us to work thru lunch...the company wanted us to clock off, falsify our timecards, and do the work for free!

The lawsuit would never have been necessary if UPS would have simply acted with integrity and been willing to pay its drivers for all hours worked.

[Hoaxster]

Originally Posted by soberups

...the company wanted us to clock off, falsify our timecards, and do the work for free!

705red would have been proud of this spin.

I too appreciate this ability, seeing how I work around Corporate.

[DukeofBoxes]

UPSSOCKS"Your point of view doesn't matter. You work as instructed. If you don't like it pick a door and leave. That's what I would tell you if I was your supervisor. "

I love it when our management team talks this way. We had a DM tell a guy this before start time once, and we just had our Labor guy tell us something similar a few weeks ago (actualy he said teamsters and management have been fighting for years and we can't change the way things are in our lifetimes).

This is the type of management attitude that creates UPSers with bad attitudes. Things can't change if management wants to fire every guy who fights for his contractual rights, and that attitude is a lack of respect for their own employees. No one comes to this company with a chip on their shoulder, the company helps them grow one.