RMCtv : Increasing parcel automation - more PSMs on the way - AUTOMATION CAPABILITY FOR THE SOUTH WEST AND A SECOND FOR LEEDS

[POSTMAN]

The Parcel Sortation Machine (PSM) is a major part of Royal Mail’s commitment to competing in the parcels market. Over the last eight years, we’ve successfully deployed 36 PSMs in 28 plants around the UK.

Our PSMs have vastly increased efficiency in sorting parcels and we currently sort more than 80% of our parcels automatically.

We have now approved the investment for a further three PSMs into three mail centres and have signed contracts with Solystic, the manufacturer. Pictured is a Solystic PSM in Edinburgh Mail Centre.

PSM roll-out

New PSMs will be deployed in our Leeds, Plymouth and Exeter plants and will give us the capability to automate an additional 21,000 parcels per hour in total.

For Leeds, this will be their second PSM to be installed, reflecting they are one of the biggest mail centres in the country with one of the largest processed parcel volumes. They will be first to go live at the beginning of August.

For Plymouth and Exeter, it will be their first PSM and will provide parcel automation capability to the South West. Plymouth is expected to go live in September, closely followed by Exeter in October.

News of the PSMs has been well received by all plant teams and local CWU representatives. Planning for the new machines will start imminently. This includes assessing how plants will process mail during the build, what parcels will be processed on each shift and when training will be completed.

Through our continued investment in parcels automation, we will be able to compete more effectively for business and meet the demands of our customers.

The increase in parcels automation also helps us protect our revenue. Every parcel that passes through the automation sends data to our revenue protection capability, which checks each item against what the customer has declared. This includes volume, size, weight and format – enabling us to amend customer postings to recover postage due.

[GRS]

Well that puts the “RM on the verge of administration” brigade in their place. No way would they either be financing this type of machinery or be able to borrow to purchase it if they were in such a perilous state (as they & some on here want us to believe). It’s all bollocks to keep the workforce downtrodden & in fear of their jobs.

[Barnacle]

Well that puts the “RM on the verge of administration” brigade in their place. No way would they either be financing this type of machinery or be able to borrow to purchase it if they were in such a perilous state (as they & some on here want us to believe). It’s all bollocks to keep the workforce downtrodden & in fear of their jobs.

Exactly. They have also invested in robotic units at some mail centres, so the notion they were looking for coins down the back of the sofa is ludicrous.

[LouBarlow]

For the umpteenth time Royal Mail are being subsidised by their profit making parent company. It is in their benefit to try and make RM profitable hence these purchases.

[chickenwittle]

For the umpteenth time Royal Mail are being subsidised by their profit making parent company. It is in their benefit to try and make RM profitable hence these purchases.

The doom and gloomers don’t want to hear that , it’s like listening to the moaners in my office, it’s always the 30 + year staff that moan the most .

[Barnacle]

As history has pointed out on numerous occasions, mechanisation/technology/AI etc., are not in of themselves a guaranteed route to progress, success, or profits.

[postslippete]

Well that puts the “RM on the verge of administration” brigade in their place. No way would they either be financing this type of machinery or be able to borrow to purchase it if they were in such a perilous state (as they & some on here want us to believe). It’s all bollocks to keep the workforce downtrodden & in fear of their jobs.

Absolutely

RM has been very profitable in the past and has paid out nearly £2 billion in dividends. In 2022 they even spent over £200 million on buying its own shares in the hope of propping up the price.

RM going into administration right now is very unlikely. To do so it would need to declare itself insolvent and yet they have billions in retained earnings and a profitable company in GLS, a company with over 20,000 employees delivering parcels. Royal Mail has the capability, network and the potential to become much more profitable than GLS, but what they are really after is an alternative workforce delivering parcels 7 days a week rather than letters.

[Barnacle]

Well that puts the “RM on the verge of administration” brigade in their place. No way would they either be financing this type of machinery or be able to borrow to purchase it if they were in such a perilous state (as they & some on here want us to believe). It’s all bollocks to keep the workforce downtrodden & in fear of their jobs.

Absolutely

RM has been very profitable in the past and has paid out nearly £2 billion in dividends. In 2022 they even spent over £200 million on buying its own shares in the hope of propping up the price.

RM going into administration right now is very unlikely. To do so it would need to declare itself insolvent and yet they have billions in retained earnings and a profitable company in GLS, a company with over 20,000 employees delivering parcels. Royal Mail has the capability, network and the potential to become much more profitable than GLS, but what they are really after is an alternative workforce delivering parcels 7 days a week rather than letters.

It’s odd that they showed no interest in Yodel when it went into administration. That would have been a way to increase market share of parcels.