I love analysing processes and finding opportunities for improvement. Back in the 90s there was a "quality improvement" revolution in the corporate world. These days you'd probably know it by the buzzword Six Sigma. So anyway, here I am now with a process job. Because I think it is fun and I cannot resist myself, I try to analyse my tasks in terms of a work algorithm. Basically how would I program an android to do my job.
Before we get into it, allow me to walk you through what actually happens on my typical day as soon as I arrive at work:
Sorting
Before I even get there, trucks from the Eastern Creek hub would be arriving at the depot from 3AM to drop off all the mail and parcels for the Blue Mountains area.
Forklift operators would pull out cage pallets from the trucks and deposit them into the bull pen.
Workers in the bull pen would swarm each new cage, sort the parcels into the correct run cage. By the time I get there at 6AM, most of the parcels have already been sorted. My supervisor would tell me which run I am doing and give me my assigned cage. That means all the packages that I will be delivering today is in this one cage (sometimes two on a busy day).
I would start pulling out each parcel and writing down the street number on my run sheet. The run sheet is a tabulated list, with street names on each row, and I read and copy the address numbers of each package I pull out. As I place each one on the floor, I try to arrange the packages in the same order of the streets on my run sheet. The idea is that I would load the packages into the van in reverse order, so that the last package I will deliver is at the very back of the van, while the first package is right next to the door. This means I will spend less time rummaging through the van to find a parcel when I get to the address.
Scanning and Loading
After I have emptied the cage and written down every address number on my run sheet, I have to scan the barcodes on each parcel. This tells the system that the package is loaded into my van and will be delivered today, sometimes the customer gets an email or text message triggered by the scan.
Then it's time to load the van. I like to think of it as 3D tetris with extra objectives:
- trying to stack the packages so that they fit snuggly
- trying not to crush the flimsy packages with heavier ones
- allow me to see the labels to quickly find any package
- keep packages for the same street together to make it easier to search
Delivering
Drive to the first street on the list and stop at the first address. Find the parcel, scan the parcel, drop off the parcel, take a geo-tagged photo, submit and cross off the address on my run sheet. Go to the next address, repeat until van is empty.
Most of the deliveries are called safe-drops where we can leave it even if no one is home. However some packages require a signature, and that takes extra time because we have to wait for someone to answer the door. And if there is no one to sign for it, I have to fill out a sorry-we-missed-you card, stick it in the door jamb and take the parcel back to the post office for self-collection.
On a good day, everyone gets their parcels and I go home after the last delivery. Unfortunately, most days I have to clock off only after I've dropped off the carded parcels at the local post office.
The best part is that after I clock off, there is no more mental residue from work that I take home with me.
When I am done for the day, I am done for the day.
Tomorrow is another cage, tomorrow is another run.
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