Science on the march!
Feb. 8th, 2006 11:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridloreGeorge C. Deutsch, the young presidential appointee at NASA who told public affairs workers to limit reporters' access to a top climate scientist and told a Web designer to add the word "theory" at every mention of the Big Bang, resigned yesterday, agency officials said. Mr. Deutsch's resignation came on the same day that officials at Texas A&M University confirmed that he did not graduate from there,as his résumé on file at the agency asserted.
A 24 year old college dropout was directing the tone of NASA's science releases. Bastard should have been fired for cause, IMHO. Lying on your application is good enough reason to me!
In cooler science news, we had a meeting yesterday with our President and Founder, Pete Warhurst. Pete is a cool dude, very down to Earth and approachable. He makes semi-annual trips around the country to meet with the drivers and hear our concerns and suggestions. And he really listens to us. But yesterday, he brought a new toy.
Ever since I was hired, we've been hearing about the ongoing process in getting a GPS unit. Well, we're getting one. It's also a phone, camera, bar code scanner, and paperless office. This is going to revolutionize the way we do business. The easiest way to explain all the changes is to tell two stories..
A Day In The Life Of A PODS Driver 1: Currently
I show up at work and am handed a stack of papers. My route for the day. Let's say I have five jobs.
1. A Redelivery to San Jose
2. A Final Pick Up in Los Gatos
3. An Initial Delivery in Santa Cruz
4. A Return to Warehouse in Campbell.
5. A Initial Drop in Newark.
If my pod for that redelivery hasn't been pulled the night before, we have to log into the computer and use the PodHunter system to find it; then write down the location and go use the forklift. Loaded, I head out. After each job, I call a computer to log that the job is done, and write down my time stamp and any notes on the paperwork. My day goes great, until I get to the Santa Cruz drop. I can't do it. The driveway is too narrow with a sharp bend, and there are low, heavy tree branches. I call my boss and have to explain the situation, and then call the computer system to log the log as not completed. I'm then stuck driving back to Fremont unless the boss spots an Initial Drop on someone else's route. Assuming there is none, I have to drive close to fifty miles to Fremont, lose the empty pod, and then drive thirty miles to Campbell to do my fourth job. I get that done, and get the pod for the Newark job. At the site, I have to have the customer sign several complicated forms, and fill out several more myself. Finally back at the warehouse, I spend half an hour getting my paperwork straight.
A Day In The Life Of A PODS Driver 2: The Future!
I arrive at work and log into my computer. It assigns me my first job: a redelivery in San Jose. I tell the warehouse dude for the day what pod number I need, and he enters it into his computer, which tells him where that pod is located. Once it's on my truck, I scan the bar code and head out. After dropping the pod, I hit a "job complete" button and the computer evaluates the outstanding jobs based on my status (empty) and location. It assigns me a Final Pick Up in Los Gatos. I get that Pod, scan it and indicate that I'm loaded "rear" (pod door is facing the back of the truck). The computer then sends me to Santa Cruz to deliver that pod. Oops! I can't do it. The driveway is too narrow with a sharp bend, and there are low, heavy tree branches. I take several pictures and send them to the boss and mark the job not complete. The computer now reassigns me to another initial drop. At this drop, The customer just signs once, on my screen. But he decides he wants the pod on the grass instead of the driveway. No problem! I pull up the "unpaved waiver" screen and have him sign that. Drop the pod, scan the bar code, mark the job, and wait for the next one...
As you can see, this will be far more efficient since jobs will be assigned in real-time. Last minute changes won't screw up routes beyond all repair. The one stumbling point I can see is going to be when an Initial Drop comes up with an order for numerous moving blankets. Those things take up massive amounts of space, and I tend to carry no more than ten in my storage locker. So that might cause some unscheduled runs back to the warehouse. But we're all really happy about the change to a paperless office. That is the biggest freaking bottleneck in our dealings with customers. At minimum, I need to explain three pages and get two signatures and four sets of initials before I can drop a pod. Getting rid of that will shave ten minutes off a drop. During the busiest months, we'll be doing ten or more jobs a day. So those time savings will be the difference between working ten hours and working twelve.
In non-geek work news, I also found out that if I take college courses that are work related (and they have a very liberal definition of work related) they'll pay the tuition! This will have to wait until I can afford a motorcycle; but taking some business/computer classes at DeAnza would really help me in my quest to move up in the company. (As would a basic course in auto mechanics and Spanish.)
A 24 year old college dropout was directing the tone of NASA's science releases. Bastard should have been fired for cause, IMHO. Lying on your application is good enough reason to me!
In cooler science news, we had a meeting yesterday with our President and Founder, Pete Warhurst. Pete is a cool dude, very down to Earth and approachable. He makes semi-annual trips around the country to meet with the drivers and hear our concerns and suggestions. And he really listens to us. But yesterday, he brought a new toy.
Ever since I was hired, we've been hearing about the ongoing process in getting a GPS unit. Well, we're getting one. It's also a phone, camera, bar code scanner, and paperless office. This is going to revolutionize the way we do business. The easiest way to explain all the changes is to tell two stories..
A Day In The Life Of A PODS Driver 1: Currently
I show up at work and am handed a stack of papers. My route for the day. Let's say I have five jobs.
1. A Redelivery to San Jose
2. A Final Pick Up in Los Gatos
3. An Initial Delivery in Santa Cruz
4. A Return to Warehouse in Campbell.
5. A Initial Drop in Newark.
If my pod for that redelivery hasn't been pulled the night before, we have to log into the computer and use the PodHunter system to find it; then write down the location and go use the forklift. Loaded, I head out. After each job, I call a computer to log that the job is done, and write down my time stamp and any notes on the paperwork. My day goes great, until I get to the Santa Cruz drop. I can't do it. The driveway is too narrow with a sharp bend, and there are low, heavy tree branches. I call my boss and have to explain the situation, and then call the computer system to log the log as not completed. I'm then stuck driving back to Fremont unless the boss spots an Initial Drop on someone else's route. Assuming there is none, I have to drive close to fifty miles to Fremont, lose the empty pod, and then drive thirty miles to Campbell to do my fourth job. I get that done, and get the pod for the Newark job. At the site, I have to have the customer sign several complicated forms, and fill out several more myself. Finally back at the warehouse, I spend half an hour getting my paperwork straight.
A Day In The Life Of A PODS Driver 2: The Future!
I arrive at work and log into my computer. It assigns me my first job: a redelivery in San Jose. I tell the warehouse dude for the day what pod number I need, and he enters it into his computer, which tells him where that pod is located. Once it's on my truck, I scan the bar code and head out. After dropping the pod, I hit a "job complete" button and the computer evaluates the outstanding jobs based on my status (empty) and location. It assigns me a Final Pick Up in Los Gatos. I get that Pod, scan it and indicate that I'm loaded "rear" (pod door is facing the back of the truck). The computer then sends me to Santa Cruz to deliver that pod. Oops! I can't do it. The driveway is too narrow with a sharp bend, and there are low, heavy tree branches. I take several pictures and send them to the boss and mark the job not complete. The computer now reassigns me to another initial drop. At this drop, The customer just signs once, on my screen. But he decides he wants the pod on the grass instead of the driveway. No problem! I pull up the "unpaved waiver" screen and have him sign that. Drop the pod, scan the bar code, mark the job, and wait for the next one...
As you can see, this will be far more efficient since jobs will be assigned in real-time. Last minute changes won't screw up routes beyond all repair. The one stumbling point I can see is going to be when an Initial Drop comes up with an order for numerous moving blankets. Those things take up massive amounts of space, and I tend to carry no more than ten in my storage locker. So that might cause some unscheduled runs back to the warehouse. But we're all really happy about the change to a paperless office. That is the biggest freaking bottleneck in our dealings with customers. At minimum, I need to explain three pages and get two signatures and four sets of initials before I can drop a pod. Getting rid of that will shave ten minutes off a drop. During the busiest months, we'll be doing ten or more jobs a day. So those time savings will be the difference between working ten hours and working twelve.
In non-geek work news, I also found out that if I take college courses that are work related (and they have a very liberal definition of work related) they'll pay the tuition! This will have to wait until I can afford a motorcycle; but taking some business/computer classes at DeAnza would really help me in my quest to move up in the company. (As would a basic course in auto mechanics and Spanish.)
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no subject
Date: 8 Feb 2006 19:58 (UTC)So runs like that have to come from the warehouse, with the extra blankets loaded in the pod. The warehouse manager gets the notification for extra blankets on his computer.
Otherwise, yah. Take the empty to the next location!
no subject
Date: 8 Feb 2006 20:05 (UTC)no subject
Date: 8 Feb 2006 20:39 (UTC)Regarding the first part. I read the article you linked to, and my only reaction was to exclaim "that fucker!" to nobody in particular.
no subject
Date: 8 Feb 2006 21:16 (UTC)Sounds familiar...
Date: 8 Feb 2006 22:37 (UTC)Re: Sounds familiar...
Date: 9 Feb 2006 13:18 (UTC)