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UPS Bears Right

UPs programs its routes for right turns.  And saves time and money in the process.  This is  a great example of how to eliminate non value added activities.  I saw the story on abc news but abcnews.com does not put the story up till after the six o clock news, at least I could not find it.  UPS programs the routes its drivers use to turn right as often as possible.  The result is that the avoid time consuming left turns.  This save time and money, non value added activities, the whole point of JIT. 

The news program featured a computer view of the route sketched by the computer to be the shortest and save the most time.  An interview with a driver confirmed the same thing.  When I was driving back and forth to San Antonio from San Marcos, I concluded the same thing. If the fast food joint was not on the right side of the freeway, no way.  And in SA, I turned before I got to school so I could turn right on VIllarette, if you went down Palo Alto Blvd, the left turn lane was a killer.  Ditto making the mistae of heading west in the afternoon down that lousy two lane street. 

Are you turning right?

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2 responses to “UPS Bears Right”

  1. Jason Raper Avatar
    Jason Raper

    Funny you say this!!!!!
    It is very common in routing software to avoid the left turn these days. I was taught to route according to this technique (by Dr Farris at UNT), and most engineers will include this feature when they try to sell you new software; NOW THEY DO!!!!
    It has many benefits…
    1. Lower miles per stop.
    2. Lower R and M on the vehicle…less tread wear on the tires due to the turn radius. (left turns require more circumference)
    3. Fewer labor hours….(HEAVEN FORBID THE HIGHEST COST OF ALL!!!)
    YOU NAME IT!!!
    I pitched this idea to my company back 7+ years ago and they thought I was crazy…the industrial engineers thought I was crazy!!!! Restructuring all of our routes to eliminate the almighty left turn? How obsurd….
    So I did it on my own without approval (I don’t recommend you doing that unless you know it will have these results) and inherantly reduced our overall mileage per day out of our terminal by 76%!!!!!!!
    When my numbers were questioned by our Regional VP he asked me if there was a data entry error on my KPI for the quarter. I replied that there was a no data entry error but an engineering improvement. I explained that the 6-sixma training he sent me off to negotiate had finally paid for itself. Left turns not longer exist at my company as a result.
    I didn’t think it was such a big deal at the time, but now it is standard with us….I guess even a blind squirrel gets a nut on occassion—I AM THE SQUIRREL!!! HA HA!

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  2. Dennis Elam Avatar
    Dennis Elam

    Did the Regional VP even reward you with a few Macadamia Nuts for your contribution! Seems the Don Perignon of nuts for this squirrel is the least he could do!
    Well done, you see, you were working on JIT and Managerial Accounting without even knowing it!

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