Helper Cellphones

[scratch]

We started using helper phones last year and as a driver I did not receive a single minute of training with it. So for that reason I wasn't interested in it, my on car helper had a DIAD4. We would put 30 stops in that and just throw it in the back, it was too confusing switching back and forth every other stop. I did like that the phone has a remaining stops count instead of the DIAD's completed stop count. As a driver it was easier for me to figure out the options listed. My seasonal helpers had trouble with PAL labels over the bar codes and couldn't figure out how to get the bar codes from memory like the DIAD's "FIND BC" option.

Technology changes so we will adapt to it. I just wish that local management would be taught to use it first so that they could turn around and teach it to us. None of my supervisors or helper coordinators can work a phone either. A lot of time was wasted with people unable to log in or they were kept being bumped out.

 

[DiadDude]

We started using helper phones last year and as a driver I did not receive a single minute of training with it. So for that reason I wasn't interested in it, my on car helper had a DIAD4. We would put 30 stops in that and just throw it in the back, it was too confusing switching back and forth every other stop. I did like that the phone has a remaining stops count instead of the DIAD's completed stop count. As a driver it was easier for me to figure out the options listed. My seasonal helpers had trouble with PAL labels over the bar codes and couldn't figure out how to get the bar codes from memory like the DIAD's "FIND BC" option.

Technology changes so we will adapt to it. I just wish that local management would be taught to use it first so that they could turn around and teach it to us. None of my supervisors or helper coordinators can work a phone either. A lot of time was wasted with people unable to log in or they were kept being bumped out.

Training was available on the phones for a long time (like since Aug/Spetember). I know there was a push to have the training completed by the region, district, and center teams, but honestly don't know how many folks took the training. Those guys are dealing with so many things, I'm sure that helper phones are the last thing they are worried about until it's time to use them.

 

[scratch]

Perhaps some training videos could be posted on UPSers or Youtube in the future? We got zero training of any kind with the phones where I am at. The seasonals got a little bit in orientation I was told, but that was a bare minimum. I played with the phone a little bit and I wish that I had more time to explore and learn its features better. I walked into work one day when we first went on DIAD 5. I got to my first stop that morning and I didn't know that a soft key existed for Driver Release!

 

[specter208]

Glad you had some successes with the phone. As I said before, the software in the phone is the basis for your DIAD 6 application, so the more feedback we get now the better we can make it.

Will DIAD 6 be another purpose built scanning device like DIAD I-V or a heavy duty Cell Phone like the device Feeders use now.

 

[Northbaypkg]

Thanks for the great feedback Northbaypkg. Let me touch on each of your concerns so you know where things stand.

- Login.....It does suck. We're trying to come up with some other options, but security is security and we have to answer to some higher powers about what is allowed. DIAD will even require a login soon.

- Slow scan. First check to make sure the phone you're using has at least version 3.1.2. 3.5.6 is preferred. Sounds like you do based on some of your other comments, but anyone who has slow scanning should check that first. After that, is this just an issue with bulk? The phones aren't the most powerful things in the world, so I could possibly see bulk stops slowing them down. Being they are designed for helpers, the target stop size is pretty small.

- Level 4 deliveries. We are looking into this functionality, but honestly this should be fixed by your center team. If a stop is allowed to be DRed, why do they have it set as level 4?

- Select Address. This functionality is supposed to only be for NI1ADL package chase down. I can see a way that you would run into the issue you saw, and we will work to get that fixed.

-Shipper Release at Business. How do you deliver this in the DIAD? I assume that since it's a business, you're getting a signature. In the phone you can always get a signature, you just have to select "Customer Contact" on the release location screen and it will allow you to get a signature. If you are somehow delivering these in the DIAD as a release stop, I'd love to know how you're doing that.

- XFER EDD. The ability to get packages from another driver into the phone is coming soon. Should be available by mid 2019.

Glad you found some things you like about the phones. We value the feedback of real folks who actually use the device. Trust me when I say that the issues you brought up will be discussed soon and should be addressed before next peak.

I heard rumors last year that the phones were supposed to ultimately replace the DIAD V. While I believe the software used for the phone will be an improvement over the DIAD V system (with a few tweaks and glitches removed), I certainly hope that it will be encased in hardware similar to the DIAD V. Meaning much more durable, and with a lot more physical buttons vs just the touchscreen of the phone.

In regards to your comment about the target scan size for helpers. I have an industrial route with a lot of business stops. On the rear door stops that both have 50+ pieces daily I find it saves a lot more time to have the helper sheet those with the phone. At both of those rear door stops it only takes one person since it's essentially scan the package and hand it over to the dock worker. While he's doing that, I can organize the rest of the truck stop for stop. I tried having him use the DIAD at one point. But even then it took him just as long or even longer than with the phone since he wasn't used to aiming the scan reticule and correctly judging the distance to scan the package from. I then tried myself to use the phone to scan and ran into the issue I mentioned in my previous post of the screen not being responsive enough.

Speaking of which, that reminds me of another glitch we ran into with the phone. If ever the helper accidentally scanned the same package twice, the usual message would come up asking if it was a duplicate package or a rescan. When we selected rescan, it would remove another package that was previously scanned. This was a major PITA because it then required us to find that package, which was usually already taken and loaded on a pallet by the dock worker, and rescan it. It happened almost every time he accidentally scanned a package twice and it was quite frustrating.

Regarding the shipper release packages at business glitch. You are correct that when delivering those packages at a business with the DIAD, we have to get a signature every time. Which is quite dumb to me but that's another story. Anyhow, your solution with the phone of using customer contact is good, as long as it still distinguishes the stop as a business stop and not residential. Since all the options in the phone were residential options, I thought that using the customer contact option would be like getting a signature at a residence.

 

[DiadDude]

My seasonal helpers had trouble with PAL labels over the bar codes and couldn't figure out how to get the bar codes from memory like the DIAD's "FIND BC" option.

When a scan fails, the app pops up a place to type in the barcode. Typing at least 3 consecutive characters from the barcode will pop up some options that you can click on.

Will DIAD 6 be another purpose built scanning device like DIAD I-V or a heavy duty Cell Phone like the device Feeders use now.

I heard rumors last year that the phones were supposed to ultimately replace the DIAD V. While I believe the software used for the phone will be an improvement over the DIAD V system (with a few tweaks and glitches removed), I certainly hope that it will be encased in hardware similar to the DIAD V. Meaning much more durable, and with a lot more physical buttons vs just the touchscreen of the phone.

The next DIAD will be roughly the same size as the DIAD 5 and use basically the same software as the phone.

Speaking of which, that reminds me of another glitch we ran into with the phone. If ever the helper accidentally scanned the same package twice, the usual message would come up asking if it was a duplicate package or a rescan. When we selected rescan, it would remove another package that was previously scanned. This was a major PITA because it then required us to find that package, which was usually already taken and loaded on a pallet by the dock worker, and rescan it. It happened almost every time he accidentally scanned a package twice and it was quite frustrating.

If that is happening to you, it's definitely a problem. I will see if we can figure out what might be happening there.

Regarding the shipper release packages at business glitch. You are correct that when delivering those packages at a business with the DIAD, we have to get a signature every time. Which is quite dumb to me but that's another story. Anyhow, your solution with the phone of using customer contact is good, as long as it still distinguishes the stop as a business stop and not residential. Since all the options in the phone were residential options, I thought that using the customer contact option would be like getting a signature at a residence.

It will keep it as a business. You will have to answer the normal business location prompt after you get the signature.

 

[soberups]

Glad you had some successes with the phone. As I said before, the software in the phone is the basis for your DIAD 6 application, so the more feedback we get now the better we can make it.

Will the DIAD 6 still have the filter that allows us to view the stops in RDO?
This is huge. Please say yes...