ISSU

E 47

N

OVEM

BER

2013

15MO

CRAZYJoin in the

Movember fun

10CORNISH

CREAMMeet our

new team in Bodmin

SAVEGet 10% off

online fashion

See page 6

NEW DEPOT SPECIAL

PAGES 7-13

Jo is our Employee of the Year

Star quality

££

Share Incentive PlanYour Free Shares are being held in a tax-advantaged HMRC-approved ShareIncentive Plan (SIP).

In line with HMRC rules, you cannot take your Free Shares out of the SIP or sell them for at least three years, except in certain circumstances.

After five years, if you sell your Free Shares or transfer them out of the SIP, you will not have to pay income tax or National Insurance on the shares.

More details about the SIP can be found in Your Guide to the Royal Mail Employee Share Offers.

Remember: you will not be able to sell your Free Shares or take them out of the Share Incentive Plan (SIP) until at least three years after the date you are given them, except in certain circumstances. This means the value of your Free Shares if and when you sell them will most likely change from this initial market price.

Number of Free SharesWe will write to each eligible employee detailing the number of Free Shares you have been given and their value on the date you were given them very soon.A formal allocation notice will be sent by the SIP Trustee at a later date. Included with your allocation notice will be your activation code.

Share priceThe value of your shares will be calculated based on the publicly quoted share price, which is available every day the stock market is open. You can see it at any time on www.myroyalmail.com, www.royalmailgroup.com, on screens in your workplace and in selected newspapers.

There is a 15-minute delay on the share price you will see. It will not be the current market price, so you should not base any decisions on whether to sell any shares you are able to sell on this share price. It is important to remember that the value of shares can go down as well as up. You could get less than the initial market value of your shares.

“You can see the value of

your shares at any time

on www.myroyalmail.com,

www.royalmailgroup.com,

on screens in your

workplace and in

selected newspapers”

You will need to use this to register

for your shareholding account at

www.royalmailemployeeshares.co.uk

PFW News November 201302

MY VIEW

Moya Greene, chief executive officer, Royal Mail Group

PFW News November 2013 03

A RISKY OPTIONA strike is not good for anyone: the company, our customers, or our people. It’s always damaging. It’s a self-inflicted wound. Going on strike is a very risky option. Any strike has a direct impact on your job security and our ability to sustain protections. You know that if the business is undermined by strike action, we cannot keep offering the guarantees we have put forward. Business lost goes to our competitors – competitors who don’t offer as good an employment deal as we do.

We are committed to reaching agreement on pay for employees in Parcelforce Worldwide and Royal Mail. It is our intention that the principles of protections for employees that are being negotiated as part of the Royal Mail agreement will apply in respect of employees in Parcelforce Worldwide as appropriate. These will give you extra security.

Your protectionsPrivatisation has not changed your terms and conditions. You are still employed by the same company, Royal Mail Ltd, on the same terms and conditions. We have offered further reassurances. We want to provide extra guarantees by reaching a genuinely ground-breaking three-year agreement – legally binding and

enforceable – with the CWU, which delivers industrial stability. Your protections would not be changed for the period of this contract without CWU agreement. We believe this is unprecedented in the UK. But the company needs protection too. We need to find new ways to resolve disputes other than through the threat of industrial action all the time. If we don’t, we will not be a company that our customers can rely upon.

The parcels market is very competitive. Just look at what is happening in the market. TNT Post intends to expand its end-to-end delivery service to Greater Manchester. Amazon UK is opening a series of smaller regional distribution depots and using smaller companies like City Sprint to deliver. Strike action reduces the trust our customers have in us. This would be playing into our competitors’ hands; they would be happy to take advantage of this and take traffic from us.

Your best protectionYour best protection is a successful and profitable Royal Mail. We should never do anything to put that at risk. So, I urge you to do what is right for you and the company. Don’t lose pay. Don’t disappoint our customers.

WE WANT YOUR STORIES!Freephone: 0800 083 9155. It’s free, so there’s no excuse! Just let us know what the story’s about and who to contact. Email: james.wickham@beetroot.co.uk. We don’t need the whole story, just the basics and a contact name and number so we can find out more. Write: PFW News, beetroot, 68 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4QX.

GET IN TOUCH WITH MOYAContact Moya through Just Say it. Email justsayit@royalmail.com or write to Just Say it, Freepost

YOUR FREE SHARES

Eligible employees have now been given their Free Shares. This is the largest

free stake of any major UK privatisation. More employees have participated in the Free Shares Offer than in any other UK

privatisation for almost 30 years.

Value of your Free SharesThe value of your Free Shares has been based on the closing mid-price of Royal Mail shares on 15 October 2013. This is the mid-point between the lowest price at which investors are prepared to sell Royal Mail shares and the highest price at which they are prepared to buy Royal Mail shares, based on the last trades of the day.

“I always put myself

in the customers’

position”

04 05PFW News November 2013

Angel of the north

PFW News November 2013

In two decades with the business, Jo

Malt has developed first class customer

service skills. She’s also earned the

admiration of colleagues at Newcastle

depot for her dedication, support and

willingness to go the extra mile.

But it still came as a huge surprise to

Jo when she was named Parcelforce

Employee of the Year – an honour that

she admits left her uncharacteristically

lost for words.

“It wasn’t until I heard I was an

area winner that I even knew I was

nominated,” she said.

“When they announced the national

award I was speechless, which is quite

unusual for me.

“On the night they read out everyone’s

citation and there were so many

examples of excellence I didn’t think

I would even be close. It was quite an

emotional experience, especially when

Jo is our Employee of the Year

you hear all those things colleagues say

about you.”

Jo was one of 10 area winners, with the

overall title decided by a panel of judges

at a dedicated event in Warwickshire.

Currently an administrator assisting the

depot collection manager, Jo has done a

variety of roles, including deputising for

managers at short notice.

Colleagues described her as forward

thinking, knowledgeable, hard working

and committed to putting customers

first – they even praised her mince pie

making skills.

“I really love dealing with customer

queries, especially those that look

as though they might be difficult,

but where you manage to leave the

customer feeling happy,” Jo said.

“I always put myself in the customers’

position and ask myself ‘what else can I

do to help?’

“When you find a solution and get

good feedback from the customer you

get a great sense of achievement.”

Peter Fuller, operations director,

added: “Jo is a very worthy winner.

I’ve met her a few times on my visits to

Newcastle and she always comes across

as someone who would go that ‘extra

mile’ for our customers and colleagues.

All of the area winners deserved their

awards but Jo stood out for the sheer

commitment and flexibility that she

demonstrates every day.”

SOUTH WEST EAST ANGLIA

Paul Campbell, Bristol

Colleagues said: “Paul’s

act of bravery (he helped

rescue a man from a

burning building) shows

what a true character he

is. Paul even completed

his day’s duty before

coming back to tell

everyone about his day.”

Bill Crozier, Belfast

Colleagues said: “Bill is

always willing to perform

whatever task is asked

of him. He is absolutely

fabulous with customers

– both contract and at

the depot counter. He is

truly one of our unsung

heroes.”

Jodie Dyer, Romford

Colleagues said: “Jodie

has quickly established

herself as a valued and

well-liked member of the

admin team. She helped

recoup over £20,000

for the business by

investigating and clearing

‘outstandings’.”

Mark Simmons,

Welwyn Garden City

Colleagues said: “Mark

projects a great brand

image, not just because

of his uniform but

because of his care and

attention towards his

vehicle, and his great

customer service.”

Duncan MacKay,

Inverness

Colleagues said: “Duncan

has a very good attitude

to his work and if he

finds a problem, he will

find a solution. He is fully

focused on improving

depot performance and

brings positive ideas into

our team meetings.”

Richard Wicks, Reading

Colleagues said: “In the

last year Richard has

taken on many roles

in the depot. He has

relished the challenge

and never shied from new

and difficult situations,

covering each with equal

style and fortitude.”

Amanda Riley, Liverpool

Colleagues said:

“Amanda uses her

knowledge and

experience to make

informed decisions. She

always shows respect

and has a high standard

of professionalism which

rubs off onto others.”

Dave Wilson, Coventry

Colleagues said: “Dave’s

determination ensured

that our depot move was

as smooth as possible.

He covered off every

potential issue and kept

people informed and at

the front of the whole

process.”

Inga Abele

Colleagues said: “Inga

has become one of our

most valued members of

staff. She always works

hard, is extremely well-

liked within the team and

is definitely a team player,

always going that one

step further.”

INTERNATIONAL HUBLONDON SOUTH CENTRAL

NORTH WEST

MIDLANDSSCOTLANDNORTHERN IRELAND

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR JO MALT

Countrywide class As well as North East champion Jo, there were nine other area winners of Employee of the Year, who each received

an engraved glass trophy and certificateCoombe Abbey in Warwickshire,

the venue for the Employee of

the Year awards, also hosted

a celebration of excellent

performance by sales colleagues.

Award winners were:

Mel Jennings, Field Account Manager of the Year

Ray Francis, Key Account Manager of the Year

Amy McQuillen, New Business Agent of the Year

Tracy Sim, Retail Development Manager of the Year

Bridie O’Halloran, Business Development Manager of the Year

Jim Brown, New Business Person of the Year

Kate Barker, Desk Based Account Manager of the Year

Kerry Chahboun, Telesales Account Agent of the Year

The event was hosted by head

of area sales Karen Morton,

and prizes were handed out by

managing director Gary Simpson

and sales and marketing director

Helen Wylde. The overall prize

winner, selected randomly

from the finalists, was Kerry

Chahboun.

Sales celebration

06

CITY LINK has joined forces with online comparison site Parcel2Go to launch City Link Click&Send, a new service aimed at low volume and ad hoc users. City Link’s next-day services will now be available to customers without them needing to open an account first. (Source -fleetnews.co.uk)

HERMES is piloting a new service for its retail clients in which email alerts will go out to consumers receiving parcels. The Parcel Manager service is being tested with three retailers, but is expected to roll out to more just prior to Christmas, with others able to switch on in the New Year.(Source – postandparcel.info)

DPD has launched a returns service in association with the Hermes ParcelShop network. Homecall Returns makes use of Hermes’ network of nearly 3,000 stores across the UK. Participating shops include Londis, Nisa Local, Co-operative, Spar and Costcutter.(Source – logisticsmanager.com)

Parcel volumes at UK MAIL have surged by 25 per cent in the half-year ending 30 September, thanks to e-commerce growth, the company said. The company said it had performed well overall in the first half of its 2013-14 financial year, with strong trading in the second quarter. (Source – CEP Research)

DHL EXPRESS UK has agreed to sell its UK Same Day domestic courier business to Rico Logistics Ltd. DHL said this agreement would facilitate DHL Express’ continued focus on international express services.(Source – logisticsmanager.com)

We keep an eye onthe competition

Want to know more? Go to the competitor page on the Parcelforce intranet under sales

06 PFW News November 201306 07PFW News November 2013

NEW DEPOT SPECIAL

ALL SYSTEMS GO

It was one of the busiest and most exciting periods in the recent history of Parcelforce as we prepared and opened eight new depots around the country.

September also saw the opening of the brand new North West Processing Centre in Chorley.

Over the next few pages we take a look behind the scenes and meet some of the people involved in bringing the new sites online.

Market leading online fashion retailer Boohoo has chosen Parcelforce Worldwide as its UK carrier.

The company, which offers affordable and fashionable clothing aimed at 16-to 23-year-olds, was attracted to Parcelforce by the breadth of our offer, as well as our reputation for excellent service.

“They came to us and said they were looking for a more reliable carrier with coverage all across the UK,” said partnership director Martin Ward. “They were using DX, but there are postal codes around the country where they can’t offer a next day service.”

Boohoo also wanted to partner with a carrier that had the option to drop off to local collection points like Post Office counters. Parcelforce proved to be a perfect fit.

“They wanted somebody with a higher first-time

delivery rate so it would reduce the number of calls coming into their call centre,” said Martin.

The account, which is expected to deliver 700,000 parcels a year, took three months of what Martin described as “tough negotiation” to agree and implement.

“We view Boohoo as an account that has fantastic growth potential. They have increased their volume this year, and they are expecting phenomenal growth next year. They also want to use extra services and enhancements – they are already keen to use interactive text messaging.”

John Green, head of corporate sales, said: “B2C is experiencing exponential growth driven by e-commerce. It is a key part of our strategy.”

PERFECT FIT

LOOK SMART, SAVE MONEY

Boohoo is offering Parcelforce employees an exclusive 10% off at boohoo.comJust enter code PARCEL10 at the checkout when you shop.

T&Cs: Offer valid until midnight GMT on 30.11.2013. Only one promotional code can be used per transaction and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer on full price items only.

0606 PFW News November 201308

NEW DEPOT SPECIALNEW DEPOT SPECIAL

Our newest sites in numbers Size m2 (old site Vehicle size) capacity

Basingstoke 9,950 N/A 105

Cornwall 3,228 N/A 30

Coventry 8,058 (2,559) 100

London East 10,394 (2,420) 111

London South East 9,973 (3,483) 120

Milton Keynes 8,868 (2,988) 116

Newcastle 7,777 (1,908) 100

Rotherham 14,161 (2,016) 141

New sites give us the edge

With brand new sites opened

in Cornwall and Basingstoke,

and depot moves for Coventry,

Milton Keynes, Newcastle,

Rotherham, London East and

London South East, it’s been a

busy summer and autumn.

Relocations for Preston and

Liverpool earlier in the year

mean 10 new depot premises

have gone live in 2013.

“These state-of-the-art

depots, as well as the North

West Processing Centre, create

the capacity for us to grow

and deliver a lot more items

for customers,” said business

transformation director Paul

Jobling.

“They are big and bright,

creating sufficient space to

ensure our people stay safe and

that the operation is efficient.

“The facilities for our people

and visiting customers are top

class and provide the wow factor

worthy of a premium express

parcels carrier. They are a

fantastic environment for people

to work in and for customers to

do business.”

In all our new depots,

Parcelforce has refitted existing

buildings from scratch, to the

exact specification required, as

well as taking on new people

from the local areas.

“The big challenge with the

moves was ensuring we were

ready to make the switch with

no impact on service to the

customer,” said Paul.

“We achieved that at every site

and our frontline people have

been fantastic in supporting

the transition. It’s been a

tremendous effort by the whole

organisation to deliver this

change in record time.”

09PFW News November 2013

Rotherham

Rotherham

Coventry

London East

London South East

Basingstoke

Milton Keynes

THE WOW FACTOR

Newcastle

Cornwall

CoventryCornwall

Rotherham

Newcastle

London East

London East

Newcastle

PFW News November 201310 11PFW News November 2013

NEW DEPOT SPECIALPEOPLE PERSONFormer council bailiff Julie Parker feels her local knowledge will prove an advantage in her new role as debriefing administrator.

She said: “I used to drive hundreds of miles around Cornwall every week, so I know the area and the routes very well.

“I also know how to approach different people in different situations, and I think that will be a great help – whether that’s talking with drivers or with customers.”

“It’s exciting starting from scratch with a new depot and new team. It’s very busy but there’s a relaxed atmosphere and everyone pulls together.”

DEPOT FOCUS

NEW DEPOT SPECIAL

CORNWALLPFW News goes west to visit our

brand new depot in Bodmin

CUSTOMER DUTYFace to face customer service is one of the reasons administrator Emma Honey joined the team from HMRC.

“I’ve come from a customer service background so I’m confident that will help me,” she said.

“My main responsibility is dealing with parcels that have a customs charge or that are incorrectly addressed. It’s customer service with a bit of added detective work.

“The biggest challenge so far has been learning the various restrictions on what can and can’t be sent by parcel.”

SENT FROM COVENTRYDelivery and collection driver Ian Millward transferred from Coventry depot.

“Cornwall’s always been somewhere I wanted to move to,” said Ian. “It’s a beautiful area, so this was a perfect opportunity.

“My route covers Bodmin and Bodmin Moor, and it’s very different from the routes I’m used to. I’ve been getting to know everyone here. There are new starters from the local area as well as drivers brought in from around the country. We get on well and it already feels like a strong team.”

BANKING ONSUCCESSAdministrator Clair Haimes is also new to Parcelforce.

“It’s been busy but exciting,” said Clair. “As each part of the depot went live we were able to focus on learning about these parts of the operation and make sure everything was ready to go.

“I used to work for a bank, and this role gives me the chance to use my customer service skills in a different context. It’s also exciting to be involved in something from the beginning.

“We’ve got the opportunity to be the best from day one.”

NEW CAREERSorter Rhys Hooper is one of the youngest team members, having joined straight from college.

He said: “My main responsibility is to scan the parcels and make sure they all end up in the right place at the right time.

“However, I’m also on hand to help with any other jobs that need doing around the depot – I’m keen to learn.

“I live in Bodmin, so this job seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to join a well known business at a brand new depot, and to develop new skills at the same time.”

CORNWALL IN NUMBERS

27full-time staff, 12 part-time

3,228msq depot size

2,500daily deliveries

800daily collections

5,000expected peak deliveries

2,500expected peak collections

WELL PREPAREDDelivery and collection manager Paul Jessop has had different roles with Parcelforce and Royal Mail since 2007. He was acting operations manager when the depot went live on 5 October.

“Before opening there was a ‘to do’ list a mile long,” he said. “But we worked hard, looking at everything from a customer point of view, to ensure we were ready.

“Recruitment and training was an important part of that. We have a mixture of new starters and internal transfers. They only had a short time to get to know one another but they’ve taken responsibility for the key tasks. The way they’ve settled and worked together has been fantastic.

“The depot is bright and modern, with plenty of space and room to grow.”

NEXT TIME WE VISIT OUR NEW DEPOT IN BASINGSTOKE

PFW News November 201312

As well as helping give Parcelforce

room to grow, the new depots have

given us the opportunity to design a

safer environment for staff.

Health and safety manager David

Butler said: “There has been a lot of

work on the new depots. We have

designed safety in from the starting

point to reduce risk.”

Network and logistics teams were

engaged to make sure the yards are

safer, with more parking spaces and

one way systems wherever possible.

Every opportunity has been taken to

decrease reversing at peak times in

the operational day.

Expansion strand lead for depots

Eddie McBride said: “The new depots

have much more space and full

turning circles for trailers in the yard.

Separating pedestrians and vehicles

is important and we have used

walkways, line markings, signage and

physical barriers.

“The new boom conveyors go

right up to the back of the trailers.

This means there is less distance to

walk with a parcel when the trailer

is almost unloaded, saving time and

helping to get our drivers on the road

earlier,” said Eddie. “We hope to see

fewer back injuries.”

There are also carbon dioxide

sensors, so if ever there is a build-up

of CO2 under the roof, extraction fans

automatically start up.

“The new depots are becoming a

blueprint for depots in the future,”

said David. “These new facilities are

just excellent.”

NEW DEPOT SPECIALNEW DEPOT SPECIAL

A year after the first

bulldozers arrived on site, the

North West Processing Centre

in Chorley has opened.

The site went live exactly on

time on 20 September and is

now in the process of an eight

week ‘ramp-up’ programme.

“We started with 5,000

parcels a night and we are

gradually building to over

60,000 a night by the end

of November,” said Clive

Francis, head of strategic

programmes.

Excitement built in the

weeks before opening –

ensuring everything was

complete and thoroughly

testing the IT systems,

conveyors and sorting

machines.

On 31 August, there were

120 people on site putting

thousands of test parcels

through the system, using 60

trailers to recycle the parcels

around the building.

“Around 80 people

have been recruited and

trained, many from the local

area,” Clive said. “We are

ensuring everyone gets to

see the whole process and

encouraging them to share

their skills with colleagues.

I’m very impressed with the

enthusiasm of our new team.”

The project was also

delivered without a single lost

time accident.

“That’s extraordinary for

a project of this size and

testament to our approach to

safety,” said Clive.

“There was huge focus to

make sure we hit the opening

date. To see real customers’

parcels going through is very

satisfying. It makes us feel

proud of what the whole team

has achieved.”

TRIED, TESTED AND OPEN FOR BUSINESS

13PFW News November 2013

THE CENTRE IN NUMBERS

150,000+ construction hours

140 people on site at peak during construction

5,000 parcels a night at opening – up to 50,000 a night by November

25,000 test parcels and 60 trailers used during preparation on 31 August

100 Approximate number of people working on site at peak

Safer by design“We have designed safety

in from the starting point to

reduce risk”

Vehicle

markings

Boom

conveyors

Clear floor

markings

Room to

manoeuvre

Safety first in

Rotherham

PFW News November 2013 15

Prize Sudoku

To be in with a chance of winning this issue’s Sudoku, send your completed puzzle to: PFW News Sudoku, beetroot, 68 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4QX. The closing date for entries is 30 November 2013 and the winner will be decided by a prize draw.

Name:

Work location:

Address:

Tel no:

Email:

In the hot seat

What advice would you give to a new colleague?Always be punctual and, when things get busy, don’t panic.

What’s your pet hate?Bad driving, especially people who don’t indicate.

What was your favourite subject at school?I loved PE. I left school at 15, but I do wish I’d stayed on a bit longer.

What’s the best thing you’ve seen on TV recently?I really enjoyed the Sky series Spartacus.

What music do you listen to?Ever since I was young I’ve been a big fan of Madness. I also enjoy listening to BBC Radio 2.

Where would be your dream holiday destination?Probably a cruise round the Caribbean.

Ian Millward, driver Cornwall depot

PFW News November 201314

Read more about Cornwall depot on p10

30 YEARS MICHAEL ROUTH, Leeds CAROL YOUNG, Contract manager

20 YEARSNIGEL HALLAM, Gatwick ROBERT BALLARD, Poole ED GALLOWAY, Shrewsbury COLIN MORGAN, Deeside JOHN PALMER, London Central PHILIP DALLY, Preston COLIN HAMILTON, Glasgow ANTHONY MACRORY, Belfast ANDREW SMITH, ClevelandSTUART SNOWDON, Glasgow DARREN WEST, Cleveland TRENA HINTON, BelfastMICHAEL CRAIG, Belfast GRAHAM HANNA, BelfastLEE PREECE, Poole ALAN THORNTON, Reading WAYNE AUSTIN, Leeds PAUL BROWN, York ALAN TAYLOR, Londonderry NICKI MUGFORD, ExeterPETER DOWDING, Area salesRUSSELL HARDING, Corporate accounts

TONY PRYDE, EdinburghRICKY MILLS, Belfast PAUL CARTER, Edinburgh ANDREW O’MEARA, Edinburgh STUART SILCOX, Gatwick PETER KILROE, Medway RICHARD HERBERT, Oxford GREGORY MCMULLAN, Portadown JOANNE RENNICK, Milton Keynes HQ

10 YEARS MARK JOHNSON, BristolMICHAEL BRADFORD, ExeterJAMES BURRELL, GlasgowJAMES UNDERWOOD, PrestonSIMON UNDERWOOD, PrestonJOAO-FELIX KINDUNDU, North West LondonANDREW STEDMAN, North West LondonADEBAYO AKALA, North West LondonTREVOR HITCHCOCK, AldershotJAMES TREBLE, Aldershot

YOUSSEF FAHI, LeicesterDARREN MACKNESS, LeicesterSHARAD JETHVA, LeicesterPAUL BEXON, NottinghamRAGOUP IZZET, London CentralMICK FLETCHER, London CentralALAN WATTS, DeesideJODY TILL, Milton KeynesPAM INGLEBY, Chelmsford BENJAMIN YEBOAH, London CentralJOSEPH TOSH, Coventry national hubTERENCE O’NEILL, Manchester KIM TOWNSEND, BristolANILBHAI MISTRY, North West LondonDEANE ASHA-HALL, North West LondonWAYNE THOMAS, ShrewsburyMARK ELLIOTT, YorkCOLIN CHAMBERS, YorkKEVIN BATES, StokeJAMES LAVELL, HerefordCOLIN CHENEY, Coventry national hub

81

6 12

14

75 1

8 96

39

6 9 81 4

43 97

981 2

51 72

LET’S MO AGAIN!Shelve those shavers and lose

the lather – the world’s hairiest

fundraiser is back, and we want

to be even bigger and bushier

than before!

Last year’s Movember bristled

with success and saw the Royal

Mail Group raise £525,000.

The group also had the biggest

network of Mo Bros and Mo

Sistas, more than any other single

company worldwide.

Parcelforce people played

a huge role in that, with men

across the business – including

managing director Gary Simpson

– sporting moustaches for a

month. Female colleagues

also supported the cause by

organising fundraising events

and wearing the occasional

false ‘tache.

Movember challenges men to

grow a moustache for the 30

days of November and in doing so

raising vital funds and awareness

for prostate and testicular cancer,

as well as mental health.

The money raised by the Group

last year was enough to recruit

and train 13 specialist prostate

cancer nurses.

There are all kinds of ways you

can support the cause.

Incentives include:

• A registration bonus, meaning

that you can earn money for the

charity just by registering

• Matched giving for all those

colleagues taking part

• Great prizes for the top

fundraising individuals

and teams

For more details about all this

year’s Movember activities visit

myroyalmail.com.

With our operational transformation

complete, it’s time to look ahead

to our technology transformation

planned for 2014/15.

In addition to the introduction of

On Device Manifest, interactive text

messaging and email to give us a

competitive edge, we will also be

introducing Advance.

Advance is a new IT system that

will replace 12 ageing systems,

including POISE and HALCON, to

provide the additional capability

required to support our expansion.

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE

Congratulations to everyone who recently achieved a long service milestone

Parcelforce people are not

easily caught out – even

when there’s an error in the

Sudoku grid!

In the last issue, a misprint

placed a number in the

wrong box but keen to

show their problem-solving

skills, many colleagues still

entered the competition

with their own solutions.

We thought it was only

fair to draw a winner from

those and Francis Lee from

Romford won the £50

Love2Shop vouchers.

A PROBLEM SOLVED

Liz Allen, IT delivery director, said:

“Advance will provide a range of

benefits including better planning,

parcel routing and information on

our parcels, as well as enhanced

reporting. We will also have the

capability to carry out event based

rating, manage more products and

offer improved customer invoicing.

“Our experienced Parcelforce

project team are currently

working closely with

key contractors

Lockheed Martin.”

LONG SERVERS

Burger bonusRaise £25 or more and Byron will reward you with a FREE hamburger between 3pm and 6pm every day from 8 to 17 November.Armed with a promotion code, colleagues can get a hamburger from the main menu, or a main salad, absolutely free. Takeaways are not included. Full details can be found at: myroyalmail.

com/news/national/2013/10/

movember-burger-bonus

LAST WORD

“It has been an ‘interesting’ few months for the business, at the same time as we have been opening our fantastic new depots and our new processing centre in Chorley, we’ve been faced with the threat of strike action.

“At the time of writing this, the CWU had given us a date for strike action. I still very much hope that any action can be avoided.

“Whatever happens, we will do all that we can to protect our business and minimise disruption.

“Our success in Parcelforce Worldwide is driven by you and the excellent service you deliver day in, day out. Our customers – new and old – trust us. They put their confidence in us because of our uninterrupted excellent service, which they rely upon.

“Our reputation is built upon it and we all need to focus on maintaining this.

“We’re approaching Christmas, our busiest time of the year. It’s also the most important time of year for many of our customers. You know how competitive our market is, so let’s show everyone how good we are.

“We want to continue working with the CWU. Over the years, we have achieved a lot together and there is a lot more that we can do.”

GARY SIMPSONCustomers rely on our uninterrupted excellent service, says Parcelforce Worldwide’s managing director

“Our success in Parcelforce

Worldwide is driven by you”