How do you sort the mail into rounds? Asking for a project.

[FrankW]

Hello everyone,

I have a few questions about the sorting process in royal mail post offices, especially using these sorting frames:

Royal-Mail-Sorting-Frame-2-645x482.png

From this thread

In swiss post offices, the mail gets sorted into those frames before the mail carriers go off for delivery. The route numbers are written on the edges of the frame, and the postman puts the letter into a route, depending on the address.

That’s easy for experienced workers but can take time for new employees to learn. I’ve developed an app for the swiss post that is used now for training new workers.

With the app, you can scan the address on a letter and it shows the corresponding route and district. Then you just need to find the route on the sorting frame and throw the letter in. In the end, you get a summary of all deliveries. Since I’m not allowed to show you the original app, here’s a sketch for clarity:

Sorting_Mockup_V2.png

Now I’m wondering if this would also be helpful for newbies in the UK?
Is your sorting process like the one I described?

Thanks & Regards

[jessicarabbit]

The picture of the frame is a prep frame where the sorted mail is put into delivery order. Your app could help with the IPS this is usually sorted into 48 box type (pigeon hole) fittings.

[SpacePhoenix]

That kinda reminds me of something that Solystic do

[FrankW]

The picture of the frame is a prep frame where the sorted mail is put into delivery order. Your app could help with the IPS this is usually sorted into 48 box type (pigeon hole) fittings.

Ok, thanks. IPS uses the second part of the postcode to sort the letters into "sector" and "unit", correct?

postcode.png

[jessicarabbit]

IPS at delivery office stage is already broken down to sections. For example the North Section in our DO is XX7 and XX8 we sort it to the rounds using local knowledge and overhead crib sheets.

[FrankW]

I see! Then it could be helpful for sorting the mail to those rounds/fittings in the frame.

[BenacreNick]

We use the same frames as pictured above.

The frames are split into loops (loop 1 to loop 9) for me.

The frame has different road names and house numbers for different loops.

Sort all of the mail into the green slots.

The packets go on top of the frame (loop 1 for the first section, loop 2 2nd section up to loop 9).

All Bulk items are placed on a yorke, and we write the road name and house number on a separate sheet, ready for when we are driving round.

Once it's all done, tie it up into loops using a red mail bag, bundles of mail and packets.

Drive to loop 1 and deliver, and hopefully loops will be close by so that you don't need to drive.

I hope this helps ?

[Lockardian]

How are large packets (eg Amazon and Boots boxes) handled? Are they delivered by the same postie as letters/small packets or sent out separately on a van?

[CamPostie]

How are large packets (eg Amazon and Boots boxes) handled? Are they delivered by the same postie as letters/small packets or sent out separately on a van?

Oooo, that’s an area of contention Lockardian!

Currently the big packets go with the postie(s) delivering the round - apart from maybe at Christmas when it would be to big to handle and the manpower is on hand to have dedicated parcel drivers across a number of routes.

However, having dedicated parcel routes is something upper management are wanting to bring in full time.

How exactly that would work given the complete drop off you get after the peak period I don’t know - it feels like bosses are trying to fix a problem that isn’t broken.

Oh and a side note - about your app - I can’t see that working for letters - mail may be down, but you still get thousands of separate bits of mail through per frame each day - so scanning each one would just make it too long a process to complete.

Additionally, ones that can be run through the local sorting machines are sequenced in the order of the frame anyway (referred to as ‘mech’) - for a decent postie, just putting the mech in can give them a good feel to sort the boxes of jumbled post later on.

But I would also mention that Royal Mail DOES have a similar function to what you mention on their PDA’s when it comes to parcels.

A user can scan parcels and use a function within the PDA to “route” the parcels they’ve entered into it - now personally, I’ve never used it and to be frank, I don’t think it would ever beat local knowledge because the most efficient route in terms of millage may not be the most efficient in terms of time.

But I have heard a couple of our agency staff who cover “random parcels” praise it, so it can’t be all bad.

[CamPostie]

I see! Then it could be helpful for sorting the mail to those rounds/fittings in the frame.

Frank - see message above this one

[Lockardian]

How are large packets (eg Amazon and Boots boxes) handled? Are they delivered by the same postie as letters/small packets or sent out separately on a van?

Oooo, that’s an area of contention Lockardian!

Currently the big packets go with the postie(s) delivering the round - apart from maybe at Christmas when it would be to big to handle and the manpower is on hand to have dedicated parcel drivers across a number of routes.

However, having dedicated parcel routes is something upper management are wanting to bring in full time.

How exactly that would work given the complete drop off you get after the peak period I don’t know - it feels like bosses are trying to fix a problem that isn’t broken.

I believe there is a plan for large parcels to be delivered by DO hubs or LAT offices in the future? I work at a mail centre and we get Yorks from the NW Parcel Hub labelled “(DO) Hub”, which are pre-sorted similar to how the T24 Sunday packets are delivered, containing parcels for a main DO or LAT office and a few nearby DOs. At the moment we have to re-sort this mail by relevant DOs because every DO still delivers its own large parcels - but this procedure suggests a change must be on the horizon.

[SpacePhoenix]

I believe there is a plan for large parcels to be delivered by DO hubs or LAT offices in the future? I work at a mail centre and we get Yorks from the NW Parcel Hub labelled “(DO) Hub”, which are pre-sorted similar to how the T24 Sunday packets are delivered, containing parcels for a main DO or LAT office and a few nearby DOs. At the moment we have to re-sort this mail by relevant DOs because every DO still delivers its own large parcels - but this procedure suggests a change must be on the horizon.

I can't see that happening anymore, as RM would need more staff for it to work, and yet they've just announced 10,000 job cuts by August. The hub DOs will need all their staff doing normal deliveries, they won't be able to spare any staff to do the large for other offices

[PDAHappy]

There was a plan a few years ago that the top 300 DO’s would have there parcels sorted at parcel hubs which would then bypass the MC’s and got straight to the D.O.’s.