APPS: IDENTIFYING AND ELIMINATING DEFECTS

1. APPS: IDENTIFYING AND ELIMINATING DEFECTS EFFORTS TO INCREASE APPS SORTED OPERATIONAL THROUGHPUT, PRODUCTIVITY, AND QUALITY. PRESENTATION BY: QUALITY CIRCLE COMBINED MINDS A QWL PROJECT

2. CORE TEAM QUALITY CIRCLE “COMBINED MINDS” MEMBERS JUSTIN TRUONG, Moderator CHASITY BROWN, Alternate Moderator MANNY QUICHO, Charter BRIAN GERMAIN, Recorder JAMES KUDER, Member ELVA VERDUZCO, QWL Facilitator CYNTHIA CLEMENS, ERGO Coordinator MARC ALAIN AMIO, QWL Coordinator JUN T. CALALAY, Supervisor RUDY R. AGUILERA, Supervisor (APPS Tour 3) IRENE SHERWOOD, Manager of Distribution Operations

3. PROJECT GOAL Increase efficiency and reduce service cost through identification and elimination of wastes or defects.

4. CURRENT STATISTICS APPS does not meet the desired operational throughput.

5. TOP RANKING APPS Machine Ranking Report: FY 2013 MODS 03/09/2013- 03/29/2013 Pacific Area

6. Best Practices

7. STAFFING Tour 2 Tour 1 Tour 3 Staffing Requirements vary based on the sweep containers for each sort plan.

8. TIMWOOD

9. IDENTIFYINGCAUSAL/CONTRIBUTING FACTORS Causal Factor #1: Mechanical Issues Causal Factor #2: High induction rejects rate Causal Factor #3: Poor semi-auto and recirculation conveyor mail flow Causal Factor #4: Unsatisfactory mail distribution

10. Causal Factor #1: Maintenance • Mechanical issues on machine: • Broken rollers • Broken lights • Frequent Jams on Inclined Belt, Shoe Sorter, and Console Jams • Insufficient preventive maintenance and software window. • Insufficient Tweener time. • Poor response time for clearing jams.

11. Causal Factor #2: Sweeping • Lack of standardized sweeping procedures. Different/poor sweeping techniques disrupts continuous mail flow to bins. • High sweeping time consumption. • Unnecessary utilization of sweep buttons. • High induction rejects rate.

12. Causal Factor #3: Recirculating Conveyor • Mail coming to the recirculating conveyor often backs up due to volume (Semi-auto rollers issues/facer may also contribute to this problem). • Mail falls to the floor that may cause damage to the mail. • Disrupts continuous dumping of mail due to added responsibility of Culler. • Potential injury as mail is being picked up from the floor.

13. Causal Factor #4: Unsatisfactory Mail Distribution • Poor coordination among mule operations on where to stage working mail. • Loading area on one side may starve for mail. • Some employees fail to separate non-machinable mail prior to loading. • The conveyor is loaded with parcels or bundles at the improper depth (e.g. tubes, rolling parcels).

14. POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES • Operational inefficiency: unnecessary time consumption, mail delay, and gaps on the belt. • Customer Service: Potential mail damage and inability to meet high service standards • Ergonomics: Repetitive bending and twisting to pick up the mail on the floor. • Performance: Deteriorating throughput resulting in poor service goals.

15. RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation #1: Maintenance to monitor operational performance and address most vulnerable areas. • Check/repair semi-auto and horsehead lights • Improve response time to jams • Increase Tweener time to 15 minute intervals • Schedule an adequate maintenance/software window Recommendation #2: Implement the new standardized procedure for sweeping sacks using the spinner racks. Recommendation #3: Install mail guard/shield on the Recirculation conveyors to prevent fall/congestion of mail from semi-auto. Recommendation #4: Mule operators should maintain a balanced volume of working mail on both sides of the APPS machine for loading. Ensure adequate mail prep time to maintain a consistent uninterrupted mail flow to the incline conveyor/feed belt.

16. SOLUTIONS Monitor APPS Operational Performance • Establish a control to track adequate preventive maintenance work hours: • 4 hour maintenance window • 1 day/week (8 hours) software window • Clearing machine jams promptly. • Increase Tweener time. • Communicating with operators and the supervisors on machine performance. RECOMMENDATION #1

17. SOLUTIONS New Sweeping Technique/Procedure Procedures for Sweeping Sacks Using the Spinner Racks RECOMMENDATION #2 QWLSANDIEGO.INFO

18. SOLUTIONS New Sweeping Technique/Procedure Procedures for Sweeping Pallet-Boxes and Wheeled MTE RECOMMENDATION #2 QWLSANDIEGO.INFO

19. SOLUTIONS New Sweeping Technique/Procedure Procedures for End-of-Run with a Sweep RECOMMENDATION #2 QWLSANDIEGO.INFO

20. Recirculation Conveyor The gap in the belt was designed to allow mail handlers to remove magazines which had broken free of packaging. Small packages, however, fall on the floor. RECOMMENDATION #3 Side 1 Side 2

21. Install Mail Guard • The proposed Ergo solution is to the installation of a foam noodle by using Velcro to guard rail adjacent to gap. RECOMMENDATION #3

22. Prepping & Loading • Keeping the load conveyor full with parcels or bundles at the proper depth. • Mule operators should frequently check both sides for accurate mail volume. • Maintain a consistent uninterrupted mail flow to the inclined conveyor by properly culling the mail. RECOMMENDATION #4 When mail is evenly spaced, the belt moves faster for a smooth and consistent induction.

23. Loading Technique

24. IMMEDIATE IMPACT TO OPERATION • Continuous mail flow. • Higher throughput rate expectancy. These solutions have proven to be effective in keeping good flow of mail, eliminating delays caused by unnecessary working time, preventing the unnecessary motions (repetitive bending necessary to pick up fallen mail), reducing rejects, and increasing the actual operational throughput.

25. Open Forum

26. Closing Notes