RMCtv : Future of parcel tracking

[POSTMAN]

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/2025/0 ... l-tracking

Through the Parcel & Pipeline Visibility projectOpens in a new window, we have added smart tags to our mobile equipment so we can have a live UK-wide digital view of where everything is in the network.

These smart tags look like small stickers but are actually tiny computers that transmit their location to nearby Bluetooth devices called Readers.

We’re proud to say we’re the first postal company in the world to have introduced this new ground-breaking technology into its network.

What is the potential of this technology for Royal Mail?
The benefit we’re already seeing with this technology is york tracking. We have tagged over 890k yorks and can see where each one is at any given moment. This helped us massively over peak with getting unused yorks to where they were needed.

We’re now looking at how we use this capability to not only track where the york is in our network but also what parcels have been sorted to the york, and where it is on its journey through our network. This process is called containerisation.

How does Containerisation work?
Containerisation is achieved by using the PDAs to register a York’s smart tag barcode in the system and then scanning the individual items going into the york. The system will link the items and the york together, and then we have visibility of where those items are and where they’re going as they move through the network.




What are the benefits of containerisation?
Containerisation is already in use across both Super Hubs and ensures Mail Centres know how much work to expect to receive, on which vehicle, and in which specific york. We’re now rolling this out in Mail Centres.

Containerisation will allow Mail Centres to provide accurate parcel forecasts across the network meaning Outward to Inward receiving Mail Centres will have much better visibility of the number of yorks and parcels arriving on a specific vehicle.

Inward Plants to Delivery offices will also be able to provide much better visibility of what's coming their way each day and more accurate reported volumes and workload.

What are Mail Centres doing?
Through February, all our Processing sites will be fully embedding containerisation in their manual work areas via the PDA while maintaining the high performance seen to date from the Mech capability now fully deployed. If any of our Processing colleagues need further support, please reach out, and we will look to help you with any barriers to getting this fully deployed.

For the remaining 14 Mail Centres that are due to deploy manual containerisation throughout Feb, the deployment team will be on hand to give them the support they need over the coming weeks to ensure this is fully embedded and becomes the way we do things.

The Parcel & Pipeline Visibility project is a much-needed step we need to take into the future to better compete in the parcels market and to give our customers the quality service they deserve.

Better services and improved products mean happier customers and happier customers mean growth for Royal Mail.

We’ll keep you up to date with our progress on rolling this out, but a massive thank you to our Processing colleagues who are working with our deployment teams to help make this project a success. It's only by us all doing this properly, embedding this change and pulling together on it that we can bring the benefits to our operation and our customers.

[Mr Rush]

These smart tags look like small stickers but are actually tiny computers that transmit their location to nearby Bluetooth devices called Readers.

We’re proud to say we’re the first postal company in the world to have introduced this new ground-breaking technology into its network.

Incredulous emphasis mine. RFID was patented in the 70s. Maybe if I was born yesterday this would be mind-blowing.

[yellowbelly]

'Eliminating missorts from the network'

[abuch1980]

'Eliminating missorts from the network'

Yeah, that's not going to happen is it. Not to blame any group but Agency staff don't know where most places are etc

[abuch1980]

Tracking drivers more like. Big brother will be watching you.

[SpacePhoenix]

I reckon it'll only be a matter of time before RM have us scanning the trays out to DOs, maybe not individual items but 1/4 fill, 1/2 fill, 3/4 fill and full and have them trays scanned out to a york. Don't know if they'll do anything for mech trays. In theory the screws will eventually be able to see exactly how much of each stream is in on each lorry so they'll be able to move staff around a nit if one stream is going to have a load on the next lorry.

Probably only a matter of time before all RM vehicles and maybe HCT trolleys have tracking on them, probably in real-time

[Pidleypoo]

I reckon it'll only be a matter of time before RM have us scanning the trays out to DOs, maybe not individual items but 1/4 fill, 1/2 fill, 3/4 fill and full and have them trays scanned out to a york. Don't know if they'll do anything for mech trays. In theory the screws will eventually be able to see exactly how much of each stream is in on each lorry so they'll be able to move staff around a nit if one stream is going to have a load on the next lorry.

Probably only a matter of time before all RM vehicles and maybe HCT trolleys have tracking on them, probably in real-time

Yeah but will it mean that all delivery offices have to start later ?

[Londonsburning]

I reckon it'll only be a matter of time before RM have us scanning the trays out to DOs, maybe not individual items but 1/4 fill, 1/2 fill, 3/4 fill and full and have them trays scanned out to a york. Don't know if they'll do anything for mech trays. In theory the screws will eventually be able to see exactly how much of each stream is in on each lorry so they'll be able to move staff around a nit if one stream is going to have a load on the next lorry.

Probably only a matter of time before all RM vehicles and maybe HCT trolleys have tracking on them, probably in real-time

Yeah but will it mean that all delivery offices have to start later ?

[SpacePhoenix]

I reckon it'll only be a matter of time before RM have us scanning the trays out to DOs, maybe not individual items but 1/4 fill, 1/2 fill, 3/4 fill and full and have them trays scanned out to a york. Don't know if they'll do anything for mech trays. In theory the screws will eventually be able to see exactly how much of each stream is in on each lorry so they'll be able to move staff around a nit if one stream is going to have a load on the next lorry.

Probably only a matter of time before all RM vehicles and maybe HCT trolleys have tracking on them, probably in real-time

Yeah but will it mean that all delivery offices have to start later ?

That will be down to if it would save RM money and how much money it would save them

[Smoothbackground]

Containerisation has the potential to save lots of money.

One example where it could make efficiency. Packets and parcels could be sent to DOs already sorted down to walk level and scanned into a single container, York or Amazon-type tote for each walk so that they are ready for delivery without any further need to scan any of the contents. The postie would only have to scan one barcode on the York/container for the PDA to generate a delivery manifest for everything within the York. One competitor (and customer) has been doing this for years.

[Jefferson Starfish]

I reckon it'll only be a matter of time before RM have us scanning the trays out to DOs, maybe not individual items but 1/4 fill, 1/2 fill, 3/4 fill and full and have them trays scanned out to a york. Don't know if they'll do anything for mech trays. In theory the screws will eventually be able to see exactly how much of each stream is in on each lorry so they'll be able to move staff around a nit if one stream is going to have a load on the next lorry.

Probably only a matter of time before all RM vehicles and maybe HCT trolleys have tracking on them, probably in real-time

Yeah but will it mean that all delivery offices have to start later ?

It would definitely mean some mail being sent to DOs as manual.

[SpacePhoenix]

Containerisation has the potential to save lots of money.

One example where it could make efficiency. Packets and parcels could be sent to DOs already sorted down to walk level and scanned into a single container, York or Amazon-type tote for each walk so that they are ready for delivery without any further need to scan any of the contents. The postie would only have to scan one barcode on the York/container for the PDA to generate a delivery manifest for everything within the York. One competitor (and customer) has been doing this for years.

That would require every MC to have a packet sorting machine, it's not practical for that to be done manually. We've probably for 600-700 walks across all the DOs in our area. That's a lot for people to know where every road is and what walk that road is on for the whole area covered by the MC. I don't know if the packet sorting machines already in place in MCs would have enough outputs so it might mean that some packets would have to go through multiple times. The first time the outputs would be the busiest walks, the next time would be the next busiest walks and so on. You'd need all the packets to have arrived in the MC from the outward MCs and the hubs before you could run everything.

I don't know if the class of mail is encoded in the 2D barcodes on the packets but if it is, I wonder if they could compile that data from the outward MCs to create a list of delivery points due a packet for delivery. That data could be fed into the DTS system to release any mail for a delivery point which is due a packet delivery.

Anyone work at a MC that has a flat sorting machine? Do you do any sequencing on the flat sorting machine?

[HTPostman]

I reckon it'll only be a matter of time before RM have us scanning the trays out to DOs, maybe not individual items but 1/4 fill, 1/2 fill, 3/4 fill and full and have them trays scanned out to a york. Don't know if they'll do anything for mech trays. In theory the screws will eventually be able to see exactly how much of each stream is in on each lorry so they'll be able to move staff around a nit if one stream is going to have a load on the next lorry.

Probably only a matter of time before all RM vehicles and maybe HCT trolleys have tracking on them, probably in real-time

Yeah but will it mean that all delivery offices have to start later ?

It would definitely mean some mail being sent to DOs as manual.

If anything RM will automate all aspects of MC work, replacing workers with robots and employees will have the option of dismissal or move a minimum of 200 miles to a DO where it will only be a matter of time before they have to work 9pm to 3pm delivering D2Ds 8 days a week including on Christmas Day.

[kazardaimenu]

No scanning at frames will mean later start times and longer delivery spans. First class will be sent to DOs as manual but don’t worry about the mail.

[kazardaimenu]

And don’t scan out 20 minutes early or you will be docked!