Ops success in Glasgow

‘Parcel Route Optimiser (PRO) is the new model from Q1 for all DPR units,’ says Colin Brown, a PCOM based at Glasgow G1-5 Delivery Office.

‘It’s a new process. At the moment we build a forecast on trends – but we don’t put much science into it. PRO will allow us to see where we have delivered parcels and how many times we have gone to a street delivery point over a 10-week period. That information will be invaluable.’

PRO is a way of working that optimises our parcel routes for our DPR routes, and its introduction means that we can now we can use the PDAs for sorting.

As part of PRO, the PDA application, Indoor Sort for Parcel Routes, provides a new way of sorting parcels for Dedicated Parcel Routes (DPRs) that reduces the number of touches in the process.

Route view, an additional aspect of PRO, is a group of tools that gives parcel managers the ability to look at the amount of parcels on each route and then the opportunity to balance the workload across their routes.

‘Ultimately PRO will help us to spend only what we need to spend,’ says Colin, who has been a PCOM for almost three years now.

‘Our job as PCOMs is to try and lift the anchor and to make the boat go faster,’ says Colin.

‘PCOMs work with COMs – we both want the best for our areas. But it’s important that we find a blend between their needs and our needs.

‘Being a PCOM is a rewarding role,’ he says. ‘I have been with Royal Mail for 35 years and this is the best three years of my career. No two days are the same.’

The national rollout is from the end of March throughout April to all 346 DPR depots.