Home
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
Latest activity
Members
Current visitors
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Home
Forums
Brown Cafe UPS Forum
UPS Discussions
UPS 20 yrs from now!
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Floridacargocat" data-source="post: 716665" data-attributes="member: 6168"><p>"Firstly, we will see more facilities step into the current times as corporate transportation vists our US hubs, and installs automation systems. These automation systems include NGSS (Next Generation Smalls Sort), Bullfrog (Fully automated smalls sort), MDS (Misload Detection System.. no visit from corporate required for installation), and more. Each automation system feeds the fire in transforming the hub operations. When I say that each automation system fuels the fire, I am saying that NGSS will cut building staffing needs and increase production in smalls sort, while MDS will raise the MAR to about 1/5000. The bullfrog will eliminate the need for any smalls sort staffing as it is fully automated. Therefore, I see a great reduction in the amount of employed part-time employees. I do not forsee any layoffs or such, but I do forsee part-time employees leaving the company without being replaced. I also believe that smart scanners are avaliable as well which would replace our current emerald sanners produced by motorola. Although smart scanners are not exactly automation, they DO feed the fire in the transformation of UPS. They will allow our loaders to work at what once was, an unrealistic speed (since there would be no checking involved). This cuts the amount of hours in which it takes to wrap a belt, and also cuts the staffing to bare minimum. I would say that each outbound belt would be able to drop one loader. That one loader would probably be sent to the primary to help pump out the volume into the outbound. The primary would finish up, and the outbound would wrap up nearly right after at .5 or 30 minutes afterwards on a daily basis. The amount of automation, and automation-like tools will increase over the years, and the M.A.R's will continue to climb in nearly every operational element."</p><p>The forecast regarding a higher level of automation - linked to an objective of lower frequency of misloads - is very appropriate. However this can only be accomplished by integrating misload detection and prevention systems (automated) into the system of loading package cars.</p><p>It is conceivable that such a system (misload detection & prevention) is based to a very high degree on a mechanized (or assisted mechanized) system, thus reducing manual labor to a significantly lower level. DHL/Deutsche Bundespost and the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany are working on such systems for quite a few years.</p><p>Other opportunities (such as damaged packages) will be taken care of, thus eliminating (to a large degree) late arrival of repacked/damaged goods in the load areas for package cars.</p><p>Unnecessary loading activities (e.g. businesses closed/moved etc.) will be reduced by significantly improved communication, thus avoiding unloading and reloading.</p><p>A smarter utilization of the technical means already existing will increase flow and productivity, but only when the "human intervention" part is reduced to a level in line with cost-effective technical loading systems. Increasing the flow and expecting higher and higher loading rates will only happen, when the entire "envelope" (i.e. means available) is enlarged and adjusted. Rotating at higher and higher speeds (= more and more pph) will results in overspeed and unexpected failures of components (and human input is one of them).</p><p>The technologies for higher flow rates exist (see Worldport), but can they be implemented for lower margin products such as "Ground" (Ground ist still the bread and butter of the company)? Once other business areas contribute more than 10 % of revenue and profit, Ground may not get the attention regarding necessary capital investment).</p><p>There are definitely areas of possible improvement; existing technology has to be used in a smarter way, not a harder way. Labor as a means of production is a resource which will be reduced by capital investment. Proper communication is one of the essential elements in this exercise. Forcing more and product through a given orifice/nozzle (hub/center) will lead to a degradation of the "extruded product" (from experience in a different area of industrial production), i.e. resulting in a loss of quality.</p><p> </p><p>Another key opportunity will be to find personnel with a very high degree of service committment, doing the last mile (which is the visible part for a customer). Service committment cannot be whipped into a service provider; it has to be there from the beginning. Attitudes are changing, the lures of easy life and easy money is prevailing; discipline is taught and demonstrated at which level by whom? Hard work is appreciated by whom? (customers rarely see the amount of physical labor that goes into the distribution of goods). Health aspects will not matter that much when at the beginning of a "career", but constant over-demand will have an impact on wear and tear (ask any mechanical engineer) and things need to be replaced (ask any aviation engineer why they replace so many parts to keep airplanes flying). Which mechanical/bio-mechanical parts can you replace in a human being so that it would extend the "usable life" of a UPS service provider including all those in the entire distribution system?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Floridacargocat, post: 716665, member: 6168"] "Firstly, we will see more facilities step into the current times as corporate transportation vists our US hubs, and installs automation systems. These automation systems include NGSS (Next Generation Smalls Sort), Bullfrog (Fully automated smalls sort), MDS (Misload Detection System.. no visit from corporate required for installation), and more. Each automation system feeds the fire in transforming the hub operations. When I say that each automation system fuels the fire, I am saying that NGSS will cut building staffing needs and increase production in smalls sort, while MDS will raise the MAR to about 1/5000. The bullfrog will eliminate the need for any smalls sort staffing as it is fully automated. Therefore, I see a great reduction in the amount of employed part-time employees. I do not forsee any layoffs or such, but I do forsee part-time employees leaving the company without being replaced. I also believe that smart scanners are avaliable as well which would replace our current emerald sanners produced by motorola. Although smart scanners are not exactly automation, they DO feed the fire in the transformation of UPS. They will allow our loaders to work at what once was, an unrealistic speed (since there would be no checking involved). This cuts the amount of hours in which it takes to wrap a belt, and also cuts the staffing to bare minimum. I would say that each outbound belt would be able to drop one loader. That one loader would probably be sent to the primary to help pump out the volume into the outbound. The primary would finish up, and the outbound would wrap up nearly right after at .5 or 30 minutes afterwards on a daily basis. The amount of automation, and automation-like tools will increase over the years, and the M.A.R's will continue to climb in nearly every operational element." The forecast regarding a higher level of automation - linked to an objective of lower frequency of misloads - is very appropriate. However this can only be accomplished by integrating misload detection and prevention systems (automated) into the system of loading package cars. It is conceivable that such a system (misload detection & prevention) is based to a very high degree on a mechanized (or assisted mechanized) system, thus reducing manual labor to a significantly lower level. DHL/Deutsche Bundespost and the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany are working on such systems for quite a few years. Other opportunities (such as damaged packages) will be taken care of, thus eliminating (to a large degree) late arrival of repacked/damaged goods in the load areas for package cars. Unnecessary loading activities (e.g. businesses closed/moved etc.) will be reduced by significantly improved communication, thus avoiding unloading and reloading. A smarter utilization of the technical means already existing will increase flow and productivity, but only when the "human intervention" part is reduced to a level in line with cost-effective technical loading systems. Increasing the flow and expecting higher and higher loading rates will only happen, when the entire "envelope" (i.e. means available) is enlarged and adjusted. Rotating at higher and higher speeds (= more and more pph) will results in overspeed and unexpected failures of components (and human input is one of them). The technologies for higher flow rates exist (see Worldport), but can they be implemented for lower margin products such as "Ground" (Ground ist still the bread and butter of the company)? Once other business areas contribute more than 10 % of revenue and profit, Ground may not get the attention regarding necessary capital investment). There are definitely areas of possible improvement; existing technology has to be used in a smarter way, not a harder way. Labor as a means of production is a resource which will be reduced by capital investment. Proper communication is one of the essential elements in this exercise. Forcing more and product through a given orifice/nozzle (hub/center) will lead to a degradation of the "extruded product" (from experience in a different area of industrial production), i.e. resulting in a loss of quality. Another key opportunity will be to find personnel with a very high degree of service committment, doing the last mile (which is the visible part for a customer). Service committment cannot be whipped into a service provider; it has to be there from the beginning. Attitudes are changing, the lures of easy life and easy money is prevailing; discipline is taught and demonstrated at which level by whom? Hard work is appreciated by whom? (customers rarely see the amount of physical labor that goes into the distribution of goods). Health aspects will not matter that much when at the beginning of a "career", but constant over-demand will have an impact on wear and tear (ask any mechanical engineer) and things need to be replaced (ask any aviation engineer why they replace so many parts to keep airplanes flying). Which mechanical/bio-mechanical parts can you replace in a human being so that it would extend the "usable life" of a UPS service provider including all those in the entire distribution system? [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Home
Forums
Brown Cafe UPS Forum
UPS Discussions
UPS 20 yrs from now!
Top