But Benefits Are Great!
Just Words On A Screen
Years ago, I was an avid subscriber to a magazine called INC (is it even still around?) and every month I waited to read a section called “Anatomy Of A Start-Up”. Each month this magazine would thoroughly interview a new business, a start-up, and analyze what they felt they were doing right, wrong, would it work, here are suggestions, analysis, projections, etc. The cool thing, they would also follow up one year later to see how the company was doing. I always found it was a fascinating read, and, usually, the people who made suggestions were correct. Seldom were the companies still around after a year.
Anyway, ever since I have always looked at companies differently – as in “what would I do here?” No, I do not ever want to be management at UPS (for reasons that are not important or relevant) but I can’t help but to see areas that, with a little tweaking, could make this a better company (in my business opinion)
This thread is serious. It is not a bash of UPS in the slightest. Please make suggestions in the same spirit, if you will.
If I Were King Of UPS, I Would Implement The Following – Called the SHIFT plan;
1. Time Shift – I don’t know the official “final pickup” time at all UPS locations. I do know, however, that it is too late in the business day. The final package pick-up/drop-off time should be 6pm local time. Not a second later. Then, take everything UPS does, and shift it back one hour – planes leave earlier, trucks leave earlier, pre-sort must be DONE by 7am local, trucks out the door at 7:30am. No, UPS won’t lose significant business – part of business is to educate, lead customers, and if they know 6pm is it, you would be surprised how the customer will learn to have it done by then.
2. Service Shift – For domestic services, there should be Ground, Next Day Air, and Next Day EAM. That’s it. There are too many variations now, too confusing to customer. They should also be renamed as Ground, Next Day, and Next Day Critical, respectively. (I’m a UPS employee, and I have no idea what second day air early AM Saver is, or why I would want it)
3. Employee Shift – UPS prides itself on hiring from within. Everyone starts as a PT loader now. Make the pay fit the job. Benefits just went to a year from hire, which, for a PT making $8.50/hr, means never. Want good people? You need to pay them. (Benefits are the ONLY reason I took this job. I started at $8.50/hr, which is just a joke – barely paid my gas each week to get to work)
4. Driver Shift – Changes in Time Shift above have drivers getting out earlier in the morning, and earlier at night. UPS then goes to 7 days a week delivery, Mon thu Thursday shift 1, Friday thru Sunday shift 2. Rotation of shifts determined by drivers, combined w/seniority. Everybody can get 40 +/- hours, plus a life! Saturday & Sunday deliveries made enormously expensive.
5. Diad Shift – Cut DIAD development costs to 10% of where they are now. It works. Fix the keys & make it smaller, that’s all.
6. Stick Shift – Take a billion or so bucks that are lying around, develop rechargeable electric package cars. Not only would the development costs be recouped in like 6 months, but then license the developed technology & make more money.
7. Relations Shift – Management and Union – What you do is, you….uh…well you take the…ummm… forget it – this is screwed up so bad that I can’t even come up with ideas for it.
8. Trust Shift – Technology is good. Technology is power. Without being able to trust your employees, it is worthless. At some point, you have to put your trust in the employee’s judgment. If you are going to put a monitor on the package car backup lights, for whatever reason, tell the driver why, BEFORE you do it. Have GPS in the DIAD? Explain Why, so everyone is not paranoid. Start showing that you care for the wellbeing of the employees. Meetings discussing safety methods sound like exactly what they are – a way to cover UPS’s ass should an employee screw up.
9. Customer Responsibility – (Can’t help myself as a former pre-loader here) Charge customers for tape-ups, re-packaging. Charge AVON double. Packaged poor? It misses service & is sent to a repackaging department, costs charged to the customer. Conversely, a company like QVC should get a discount for the well-packaged items.
Anyway, believe it or not, I have a million ideas, these were just off the top of my head. What are your serious ideas?
(this will be my last post for a while - have to take a break)
Anyway, ever since I have always looked at companies differently – as in “what would I do here?” No, I do not ever want to be management at UPS (for reasons that are not important or relevant) but I can’t help but to see areas that, with a little tweaking, could make this a better company (in my business opinion)
This thread is serious. It is not a bash of UPS in the slightest. Please make suggestions in the same spirit, if you will.
If I Were King Of UPS, I Would Implement The Following – Called the SHIFT plan;
1. Time Shift – I don’t know the official “final pickup” time at all UPS locations. I do know, however, that it is too late in the business day. The final package pick-up/drop-off time should be 6pm local time. Not a second later. Then, take everything UPS does, and shift it back one hour – planes leave earlier, trucks leave earlier, pre-sort must be DONE by 7am local, trucks out the door at 7:30am. No, UPS won’t lose significant business – part of business is to educate, lead customers, and if they know 6pm is it, you would be surprised how the customer will learn to have it done by then.
2. Service Shift – For domestic services, there should be Ground, Next Day Air, and Next Day EAM. That’s it. There are too many variations now, too confusing to customer. They should also be renamed as Ground, Next Day, and Next Day Critical, respectively. (I’m a UPS employee, and I have no idea what second day air early AM Saver is, or why I would want it)
3. Employee Shift – UPS prides itself on hiring from within. Everyone starts as a PT loader now. Make the pay fit the job. Benefits just went to a year from hire, which, for a PT making $8.50/hr, means never. Want good people? You need to pay them. (Benefits are the ONLY reason I took this job. I started at $8.50/hr, which is just a joke – barely paid my gas each week to get to work)
4. Driver Shift – Changes in Time Shift above have drivers getting out earlier in the morning, and earlier at night. UPS then goes to 7 days a week delivery, Mon thu Thursday shift 1, Friday thru Sunday shift 2. Rotation of shifts determined by drivers, combined w/seniority. Everybody can get 40 +/- hours, plus a life! Saturday & Sunday deliveries made enormously expensive.
5. Diad Shift – Cut DIAD development costs to 10% of where they are now. It works. Fix the keys & make it smaller, that’s all.
6. Stick Shift – Take a billion or so bucks that are lying around, develop rechargeable electric package cars. Not only would the development costs be recouped in like 6 months, but then license the developed technology & make more money.
7. Relations Shift – Management and Union – What you do is, you….uh…well you take the…ummm… forget it – this is screwed up so bad that I can’t even come up with ideas for it.
8. Trust Shift – Technology is good. Technology is power. Without being able to trust your employees, it is worthless. At some point, you have to put your trust in the employee’s judgment. If you are going to put a monitor on the package car backup lights, for whatever reason, tell the driver why, BEFORE you do it. Have GPS in the DIAD? Explain Why, so everyone is not paranoid. Start showing that you care for the wellbeing of the employees. Meetings discussing safety methods sound like exactly what they are – a way to cover UPS’s ass should an employee screw up.
9. Customer Responsibility – (Can’t help myself as a former pre-loader here) Charge customers for tape-ups, re-packaging. Charge AVON double. Packaged poor? It misses service & is sent to a repackaging department, costs charged to the customer. Conversely, a company like QVC should get a discount for the well-packaged items.
Anyway, believe it or not, I have a million ideas, these were just off the top of my head. What are your serious ideas?
(this will be my last post for a while - have to take a break)
As far as the pricing, yes, considering base is in the 6's, it is nowhere near as cheap as the PO
