Question NW3885 to the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

Reply:

I have been informed by SAPO as follows:

(a) 

• A total review of all operational activities was conducted and a duplicated process was identified. As a result, the function of sorting and dispatching mail items from Johannesburg International Mail Centre (JIMC) to Post Offices, has been moved to Mail Centres which are allocated around Gauteng. This has assisted JIMC in placing additional 20 staff members into their operations. The exercise had no cost implications.
• Additional six PC work stations were purchased at a cost of R90 000 to increase Capturing and Assessing processes. Ten printers were acquired at a cost of R90 000, to replace broken ones and for the new work stations. This has already been concluded.
• SAPO introduced dispatches on IPS system to Durban International Mail Centre (DIMC) and Capemail International Mail Centre (CIMC) in order to replace the aged Track and Trace system. CIMC and DIMC have already been implemented at no cost. They intend expanding this process to Witspos, Germiston and Tshwane Mail Centres at a cost of R245 000. This will be finalised in December 2017.
• The entity have started a Re-engineering process to establish crewing levels in line with a 24/7 operational window. They are currently operating night shift and weekend operations on overtime basis which cost R13 463 632 from April to November 2017, for JIMC, DIMC and CIMC.
• They have improved on the capturing process of items on the IPS system. SAPO used to capture the weight of items at an inception stage. This restricted processing outputs as capturing could only be done at work stations that had scales affixed to them. Only six work stations had scales affixed while the other 45 did not have scales. By moving the capturing of weights to a back office administration process, they are now capable of higher outputs on their capturing process of items as they are not restricted to using work stations with scales. No cost attached to this process and it has already been implemented.
• SAPO have reviewed the use of the Conveyor belt system within JIMC, in order to integrate the use of the belt with their current floor layout and process flow. They intend using the belt to eradicate demand of physical labour whereby, SAPO will use the belt within their process flow. An amount of R30 000, will be required to get the belt running.
• SAPO are currently in the process of changing the Expedited Mail Service (EMS) deliveries to Speed Service Couriers (SSC), in order to fulfil EMS Co-operative agreement. EMS must be delivered to the door and SAPO currently do not have capacity in terms of vehicles and drivers to fulfil this mandate nationally. In order to eradicate duplicate processes the door deliveries will be done by SSC. The process has already been implemented in Western Cape (WC), Eastern Cape (EC) and Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN). SAPO still need to conclude rollout to Central, Wits and Northern Regions. They will require an additional five IPS work stations at Speed Services within these regions at a cost of R125 000.

(b)

Initiatives	Amount
Six PC work stations were purchased at a cost	R90,000.00
Ten Printers	R90,000.00
IPS system	R245,000.00
Re-engineering process	R13,463,632.00
Conveyor belt system	R30,000.00
Five IPS work stations	R 125,000.00
Total	R14,043,632.00

(c) The process of purchasing 6 PC workstations and ten printers has already been concluded. The expansion of the International Parcel System (IPS) to Witspos, Germiston and Tshwane Mail Centre will be finalised in December 2017.The Reengineering process to establish crewing levels was started from April 2017 for JIMC, DIMC and CIMC. The use of the conveyor belt system will be concluded in March 2018. The process of changing the Expedited Mail Service (EMS) deliveries to Speed Service Couriers (SSC) is expected to be concluded during February 2018.

 

Approved/ not approved

Dr Siyabonga Cwele, MP

Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

Date: