Route to the future

Innovative PDA technology is helping colleagues carry out our new dedicated afternoon deliveries as fast as possible.

Last summer, we enhanced our Tracked 24 offering by starting the rollout of Later Acceptance Times (LATs), representing the delivery of a significant element of our agreement with the CWU.

The RO+N (route optimisation and navigation) application maps out routes for colleagues making deliveries in areas they don’t usually cover, directing them on to their next recommended drop-off as they complete each delivery.

Mansfield Woodhouse delivery office is one of the units using RO+N.

Postman Liam Hardwick (pictured) said: ‘Before RO+N we had to use local knowledge and we often had to ask our colleagues the best way to go, because we do cover an expansive region.

To start with it was a bit confusing, but once we got used to it, it helped us to know the quickest routes and the best way to order our parcels.

‘What I do is I scan all the parcels in and then it will show you where all the drop-offs are straightaway. So you can then make sure you have a fluid route and it's not all in a zig-zag before you set off.’

RO+N was despatched to 302 units in October, but that total was temporarily extended to 1,200 units in the lead-up to Christmas as we responded to our customers’ extra demand for parcels.

A decision on whether to permanently roll out the technology to more units will be made later this year following feedback from users.