PDA instructions

[upsydaisy]

I have recently started doing parcels. I only work one day a week. Is there a PDA guide anywhere online? Nobody explains anything and if you ask for help they take the PDA off you and do it themselves rather than show you and explain. It is chaos with so many staff asking for help as we are all new.

I need help setting up the route once all the parcels are scanned in. We get two PDA's one for the route and one for scanning the parcels.

I am fine with the customer side of it it's more the route setting.

Thanks

[Foxel]

I've not seen one but could probably explain it to you, quite easily.

2 PDA's we are lucky if we get one.

[WASD]

It's fairly straight forward and you just gotta have a play with it. Generally there's no help available for much at RM.

Number your parcels with a pen when the route has done its order, this is a good failsafe. Don't rely on the app to take you there, you can try your own phone with the internet or just skip the parcel. You swipe left/right to say if you've reached the current stop, or want to undo it. You can't jump forwards or rearrange stops sadly. The 3dots on the top right i think allow you to view the map and order.

It's been a while since i've used the app so i can't fully remember it all. But having 2 PDAs is good as it helps prevent crashes changing apps all the time.

Sorry i can't help more. It's generally just a bit rubbish of software.

[Sundodger]

I have recently started doing parcels. I only work one day a week. Is there a PDA guide anywhere online? Nobody explains anything and if you ask for help they take the PDA off you and do it themselves rather than show you and explain. It is chaos with so many staff asking for help as we are all new.

I need help setting up the route once all the parcels are scanned in. We get two PDA's one for the route and one for scanning the parcels.

I am fine with the customer side of it it's more the route setting.

Thanks

If you are doing parcels the following is what I have been shown and use - this is from memory so I may have missed something.

This assumes you know the use of scan buttons on side of PDA and that you swipe left and right to navigate the screens

• Logon

• Select the DO you are working at and confirm

• Select Outdoor - you will be given option to download route by scanning a bar code - this may be a generic route or a specific one you cover - Confirm

• Swipe screen (to left) to navigate to screen with RON and select RON

• You may or may not have the start Post Code already shown (to add if missing select the upside down V at Right and end of section where Post code is and just enter the start post code and confirm

• Now Scan the 2d bar code of parcels (the QR type ones), this will bring up address and confirm- then scan next one.

• Sometimes a 2d bar code will not scan, scan standard bar code then add address manually.

• Once you have added all your parcels, at bottom it will state optimise Route, click this, and it will sort it into a reasonable order for your delivery route and an approximation how long it will take (no not believe this)

• If you need to to delete any from the list you can swipe Right(It may be left I cannot remember)

• You can now number all your parcels in the order shown on the optimised route

• When happy you can then Confirm

Drive will give you the satnav Also, when in RON, once you have arrived swipe left (or right?) to show you have attended that delivery point (it will then take you to next one - but you can exit and delivery parcel and it will be ready to start when you open RON next time)
Select the < at bottom left of screen to take you out of RON swipe right to take you to OutDoor - select and be ready to scan as normal for delivery at door

Note: it never really is an optimised route, as I have predominantly a rural route with majority of places with only house names, and the PDA optimised route seems only to recognise the post code for these and not location, and you could be travelling up and down a road several times passing houses you have delivered to. Once you get to know an area, you can sort them into the order you want

Nope this helps

[TopperGas]

Once you delivery a parcel swipe right(?) to show it's delivered, then RON will give you directions to the next address, repeat that action every time you delivery a parcel.

If you want precise location details you'll need to use your own phone and a good app from the app store as RON's useless for finding house names, although if you're lucky enough to use the latest version that's apparently better.

[upsydaisy]

Thank you so much everyone that's a great help.

[POSTMAN]

The PDA functions have changed so much since the trials/going live that any documentation first given out is practically useless now.

Thankyou Sundodger

[Clappedoutpostie]

There is a pocket guide of how to use the PDA, I only know because I was paired with a new start 3 weeks ago and he was using it. Speak to your manager and workplace coach.

[upsydaisy]

The manager is always so busy and I don't have a workplace coach

[Norfolk 'N' Chance]

Once you delivery a parcel swipe right(?) to show it's delivered, then RON will give you directions to the next address, repeat that action every time you delivery a parcel.

If you want precise location details you'll need to use your own phone and a good app from the app store as RON's useless for finding house names, although if you're lucky enough to use the latest version that's apparently better.

When i started at the beginning of Nov, I found the Ron location very inaccurate. Since the last update its certainly got a lot better although for new roads/new builds its often wildly off!

Interesting to read read the above instructions. I use the "scan to dedicated parcels route" tab in Indoor. Scan everything in there (Indoors) and then upload the manifest to the main server. Then swipe across to Ron and Download the route into Ron from the server. I only use the outdoor tab to manually do ad hoc deliveries when it makes sense to deliver them in a different order than what the optimisation suggests.

The thing I have most trouble with is Inflight requests which on occasions have caused the PDA to crash.

[neil2k]

Interesting to read read the above instructions. I use the "scan to dedicated parcels route" tab in Indoor. Scan everything in there (Indoors) and then upload the manifest to the main server. Then swipe across to Ron and Download the route into Ron from the server. I only use the outdoor tab to manually do ad hoc deliveries when it makes sense to deliver them in a different order than what the optimisation suggests.

I have no idea why you would need to do that, makes it way more confusing than it ever needs to be.

[Norfolk 'N' Chance]

Interesting to read read the above instructions. I use the "scan to dedicated parcels route" tab in Indoor. Scan everything in there (Indoors) and then upload the manifest to the main server. Then swipe across to Ron and Download the route into Ron from the server. I only use the outdoor tab to manually do ad hoc deliveries when it makes sense to deliver them in a different order than what the optimisation suggests.

I have no idea why you would need to do that, makes it way more confusing than it ever needs to be.

When it crashes, I just download it again from the server saves rescanning whatever is left when the Ron data is lost.

[Knightl5]

I’m so pleased I’ve found someone who feels the same as me! I too only work on a Sunday and as you say, everyone is so busy! I have to keep asking questions but people tend to ‘do it for you’ for quickness really. They are all lovely people but if RM want to keep staff, I think they need a structured training program and a ‘go to’ person.
PS. I’m in my 6th week and still not had a log in for the PDA or a swipe card ?? Is this normal??

[yellowbelly]

I’m so pleased I’ve found someone who feels the same as me! I too only work on a Sunday and as you say, everyone is so busy! I have to keep asking questions but people tend to ‘do it for you’ for quickness really. They are all lovely people but if RM want to keep staff, I think they need a structured training program and a ‘go to’ person.
PS. I’m in my 6th week and still not had a log in for the PDA or a swipe card ?? Is this normal??

Yes, it took me about three years to get an ID card!

[ted_e_bear]

I’m so pleased I’ve found someone who feels the same as me! I too only work on a Sunday and as you say, everyone is so busy! I have to keep asking questions but people tend to ‘do it for you’ for quickness really. They are all lovely people but if RM want to keep staff, I think they need a structured training program and a ‘go to’ person.
PS. I’m in my 6th week and still not had a log in for the PDA or a swipe card ?? Is this normal??

I'm certain iirc one of our previous managers who could actually be bothered to manage was able to obtain a PDA login straightaway, I'd assume they've also got a straightforward system for getting a card.

(If you want the card for making it easier "signing" in/out to the office and into your PDA then you could try a quick fix, get a barcode reader app on your phone and use it to create a barcode of your PDA login name)