After the introduction of Grampian 2, the office that we worked in was very small anyway and really not in the right place to work with. So another new office space was put forward and that would be the last one that I would work in.
This office is in the 'admin' part of the workplace so that all the supervisory staff would be in one place. In fact it has worked out very well with more work space and places for privacy etc.
And of course along with that we had to have a name change. A new manager had been put in place and it was decided, much against my and others better wishes that we would have a name change for the group.
The office and group I worked with had been known as 'Allocations' for more years than I can remember. As far as I was concerned that was good enough for all, and everybody knew when the word Allocations was used, what was meant.
But of course that was not good enough for the modern management style was it? Much of the rest of the operational part of the company has been converted to ' Service Delivery'. For instance instead of simple words like 'radio operator' they were now 'Service delivery Controllers'.
So our office had to join in this nonsense. We were now designated 'Service Delivery resources' and my new title was a 'Service delivery resources officer'. What a load of old bollocks! I made it clear at the time what I thought of it, but eventually got used to the new title. Nothing else really changed though.
We still worked hard and we were still short staffed most of the time. That never seemed to change as the more staff that were employed, just replaced those that left.
In the next blog I will start to wind up my time with Cardiff Bus and the time was fast coming when I would have to retire.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Grampian 2
Well by this time we had been working well with Grampian for a few years and had all bedded into the system. As I have said in the last blog there were faults with it and frustrations but I guess there is with all computer systems. Is there one that works perfectly?
But the system was creaking at the knees and Grampian had decided that they were going to stop updating it and a Grampian 2 was already in many companies. It was time for us to move on as well. The new system would bring other parts of the company into it as well, including the payroll.
This was another learning curve and one that I was to learn and then forget as I had to have an operation in the middle of the input. We all learned the operation of the system and once again a two part learning curve was put in place with both the old and new systems running at the same time until they both worked and the new one could take the place of the old.
In the middle of that I had my operation and was off for about nine weeks. I have had a hiatus hernia for years and it had been playing up more and more. The doctors eventually decided that a big operation was needed and I would be in hospital for a week with several weeks recovery after that. So that took nine weeks and in the middle of that the new system was put in place and I had to go back and learn it all again when I went back to work.
But the system was creaking at the knees and Grampian had decided that they were going to stop updating it and a Grampian 2 was already in many companies. It was time for us to move on as well. The new system would bring other parts of the company into it as well, including the payroll.
This was another learning curve and one that I was to learn and then forget as I had to have an operation in the middle of the input. We all learned the operation of the system and once again a two part learning curve was put in place with both the old and new systems running at the same time until they both worked and the new one could take the place of the old.
In the middle of that I had my operation and was off for about nine weeks. I have had a hiatus hernia for years and it had been playing up more and more. The doctors eventually decided that a big operation was needed and I would be in hospital for a week with several weeks recovery after that. So that took nine weeks and in the middle of that the new system was put in place and I had to go back and learn it all again when I went back to work.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Grampian
Well, for those who have never used the Grampian system it is the one that is most used in the bus and staff allocation system. There is no point explaining to much here, as if you have used it you will know and if not well it would just take up to much time.
Suffice to say that all details of the duties the staff worked and the driver details, pay numbers, holidays, days taken off sick and many other details were put in the system. It was a steep learning curve and I was involved right at the beginning of it. Two men who were experts on the computer side were bought in, but they knew nothing of the day to day running of the Allocation side of the company.
As the supervisor who was my senior was on holidays I was there to input the details of the working side of it. This took a lot longer than was first thought as our job is very complicated and many changes took place over months before it was ready to go. Then there was a trial run were the computer system and the manual system were worked together for a few weeks until they were sure that everything was as it could be.
Eventually of course it went on-line and we were off. As with all changes, some took to it better than others. I enjoyed it from the start and had no problem. Others were not so keen and could not take to it. Two friends left the company partly due to this I think.
But the work went on as usual with others bought into the team. As with all large companies, the work goes on no matter who leaves.
We used this system for a few years and although there were faults and frustrating things with it we got used to it. And then Grampian 2 came in. More about that and the changes that came with it later.
Suffice to say that all details of the duties the staff worked and the driver details, pay numbers, holidays, days taken off sick and many other details were put in the system. It was a steep learning curve and I was involved right at the beginning of it. Two men who were experts on the computer side were bought in, but they knew nothing of the day to day running of the Allocation side of the company.
As the supervisor who was my senior was on holidays I was there to input the details of the working side of it. This took a lot longer than was first thought as our job is very complicated and many changes took place over months before it was ready to go. Then there was a trial run were the computer system and the manual system were worked together for a few weeks until they were sure that everything was as it could be.
Eventually of course it went on-line and we were off. As with all changes, some took to it better than others. I enjoyed it from the start and had no problem. Others were not so keen and could not take to it. Two friends left the company partly due to this I think.
But the work went on as usual with others bought into the team. As with all large companies, the work goes on no matter who leaves.
We used this system for a few years and although there were faults and frustrating things with it we got used to it. And then Grampian 2 came in. More about that and the changes that came with it later.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Into the 20th century
Well the time now is in the late 90's and at home I had gotten my first computer. My son had nagged me into it and I found soon that I quite liked it and soon got my first email address and found out was spam was!
Cardiff Bus was taking it's first faltering steps into the brave new world and had not even got an email address. But that was about to alter and some computers appeared in the offices. Of course I wanted one but that was a while away.
I nagged them as often as I could and the I.T. section were sick of hearing me. Eventually to shut me up they gave us an old computer stuck in a corner. I did get an office package and an email address. If this seems strange now, back then it was considered a big deal.
Pretty soon I adapted the way I worked to work on the computer. I printed out my work sheets and emailed the stuff to town that needed to go there. I will never consider myself THAT clever on computers but for my age I was not to bad. I think that I was probably the best for the work that I needed to do at that time.
Moving in to the new century and the company bought in more and more computerisation. We soon all were using them, some more than others. I have enjoyed computers ever since the days I first used one to print out my first Christmas card and had no problems. Others were not so used to them and we had major problems now and again.
Then they decided that the job that I do could be automated a lot with a comuter program called Grampian. This was a huge deal and would change the way that I worked for good. Computer specialised were bought in from other parts of the company and a major training update was put in place.
The shifts that I worked were considered at last to be useless as by the time we had worked the first eight hours really we were not fit as we had been up since 2.30 am. So they were changed again to more or less the was I work today with a weekend off once a month and days off in the week other times. We were given a new supervisor, one that was an expert on this new system and the job changed for good.
Next blog, Grampian takes over my working life.
Cardiff Bus was taking it's first faltering steps into the brave new world and had not even got an email address. But that was about to alter and some computers appeared in the offices. Of course I wanted one but that was a while away.
I nagged them as often as I could and the I.T. section were sick of hearing me. Eventually to shut me up they gave us an old computer stuck in a corner. I did get an office package and an email address. If this seems strange now, back then it was considered a big deal.
Pretty soon I adapted the way I worked to work on the computer. I printed out my work sheets and emailed the stuff to town that needed to go there. I will never consider myself THAT clever on computers but for my age I was not to bad. I think that I was probably the best for the work that I needed to do at that time.
Moving in to the new century and the company bought in more and more computerisation. We soon all were using them, some more than others. I have enjoyed computers ever since the days I first used one to print out my first Christmas card and had no problems. Others were not so used to them and we had major problems now and again.
Then they decided that the job that I do could be automated a lot with a comuter program called Grampian. This was a huge deal and would change the way that I worked for good. Computer specialised were bought in from other parts of the company and a major training update was put in place.
The shifts that I worked were considered at last to be useless as by the time we had worked the first eight hours really we were not fit as we had been up since 2.30 am. So they were changed again to more or less the was I work today with a weekend off once a month and days off in the week other times. We were given a new supervisor, one that was an expert on this new system and the job changed for good.
Next blog, Grampian takes over my working life.
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Shift change
By this time I had been working for quite a few years in the depot and Allocations group and was very experienced. I had been joined on the team by Owen Pritchard and Sue Imhoof and Hilary Jodrell. We all became good friends and in fact Hilary,Sue and myself all got made up as inspectors together back in 1982.
Along with Taffy Ismail the senior man of the group we made a good team and worked well. But Owen was made for higher things and moved through the job onto the training department in the company.
To sort out the shift problems it was decided to change our shifts and the depot man would work eight days on from 03.30 to 2.30 pm. We then had six days off to recover. As I would normally work one of those as a rest day for the extra money I was bloody knackered at times!
This went on for several years and with holidays or sickness from others in the team we just had to work their shifts and get on with it. At one point I worked eleven days on the trot getting up at 2.30 in the morning. By the time that was over I just about collapsed. It was really no way to carry on but we just took it as normal back then.
I worked with Sue most of the time and we took it in turns to alternate the depot shifts. As Sue was single she could please herself what she did when she got home. I did not have that luxury and the hours began to tell.
In the next blog Cardiff Bus begins to slowly modernise and come in to the 20th century and my shifts change again.
Along with Taffy Ismail the senior man of the group we made a good team and worked well. But Owen was made for higher things and moved through the job onto the training department in the company.
To sort out the shift problems it was decided to change our shifts and the depot man would work eight days on from 03.30 to 2.30 pm. We then had six days off to recover. As I would normally work one of those as a rest day for the extra money I was bloody knackered at times!
This went on for several years and with holidays or sickness from others in the team we just had to work their shifts and get on with it. At one point I worked eleven days on the trot getting up at 2.30 in the morning. By the time that was over I just about collapsed. It was really no way to carry on but we just took it as normal back then.
I worked with Sue most of the time and we took it in turns to alternate the depot shifts. As Sue was single she could please herself what she did when she got home. I did not have that luxury and the hours began to tell.
In the next blog Cardiff Bus begins to slowly modernise and come in to the 20th century and my shifts change again.
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Allocations
As I have said the group was called Allocations and it was then and is still now the busiest of all the teams on Cardiff Bus. It was highly specialised and has become more so over the years. More to come in later blogs about that.
There are two areas that we worked in, Leckwith depot where the early morning drivers signed on and Wood Street where the later staff sign on. The same job was done in both but whereas the depot man worked on his own in Wood St there were three people as the holidays and lieu days were organized there and more staff were needed.
When I say that the depot man worked on his own, we did have in the early days what was known as a 'number one'. This was a driver that worked with us behind the counter and would keep an eye out for any drivers that failed to come in. They were trained on every route that we worked and could at a moments notice go out and drive for me.
They were damn useful at times but as they got older and retired they were not replaced. All parts were busy but I liked and still like today the depot area more than town. It was then and still is today noisier and you could laugh and joke a lot more. Think of it as the factory shop floor of the bus depot.
By the time 6.00 to 7.00 in the morning came there would be up to 25 drivers signing on every five minutes or so and many wanting overtime or with other queries. You were on the go and by the time the last one came in glad of a break.
The only downside of the depot sign on was the early start. I started at .03.45 in the morning, a time I am still starting today at. The upside was the early finish as you were away by 12.00. I was OK at it and it certainly sorted out any problems getting up that I might of had!
One part of the job that bored me silly was the manual making up of the sign on sheets. We had to write these out by hand and did for years until the computers came in. That is for a later blog though. We also had to pay all overtime manually and take the sheets to the payroll section so they could sort out the weekly pay.
In the next blog I will describe the change in shifts that came around because of staff shortage.
There are two areas that we worked in, Leckwith depot where the early morning drivers signed on and Wood Street where the later staff sign on. The same job was done in both but whereas the depot man worked on his own in Wood St there were three people as the holidays and lieu days were organized there and more staff were needed.
When I say that the depot man worked on his own, we did have in the early days what was known as a 'number one'. This was a driver that worked with us behind the counter and would keep an eye out for any drivers that failed to come in. They were trained on every route that we worked and could at a moments notice go out and drive for me.
They were damn useful at times but as they got older and retired they were not replaced. All parts were busy but I liked and still like today the depot area more than town. It was then and still is today noisier and you could laugh and joke a lot more. Think of it as the factory shop floor of the bus depot.
By the time 6.00 to 7.00 in the morning came there would be up to 25 drivers signing on every five minutes or so and many wanting overtime or with other queries. You were on the go and by the time the last one came in glad of a break.
The only downside of the depot sign on was the early start. I started at .03.45 in the morning, a time I am still starting today at. The upside was the early finish as you were away by 12.00. I was OK at it and it certainly sorted out any problems getting up that I might of had!
One part of the job that bored me silly was the manual making up of the sign on sheets. We had to write these out by hand and did for years until the computers came in. That is for a later blog though. We also had to pay all overtime manually and take the sheets to the payroll section so they could sort out the weekly pay.
In the next blog I will describe the change in shifts that came around because of staff shortage.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
Moving on
Well of course we all have to move on even after that horrible crash. For some time I did not even want to drive a bus but in the end I just got on with it. The job remained the same and I worked the bus station as normal and the radio control and checked tickets.
The piss taking carried on and what could I do? As I have said you just have to take it. Not that I did not bite back of course. Words and sarcasm have been tools of mine all my adult life and those who gave it out got some of it back. It died down of course a bit but even over 20 years later there are still those that remember it and have the occasional joke at my expense.
About 12 months later the nature of the job that I do changed for the rest of my working life here on Cardiff Bus. I had taken an interest in the depot side of the job for some time and got the chance to make it permanent. I will put something here so that perhaps it is somewhat easier to understand the nature of the job I do now.
Driver's start anywhere in the morning from 04.09 am to 08.00 am in the depot at Leckwith and then later in the day in the town area in Wood St from about 08.30 to 16.30. There has to be a supervisor to sign them on and that supervisor would give out overtime if there is any to be worked,(and there usually is) and if a driver failed to turn up for some reason or phoned in sick he or she has to find a replacement.
We would also make up the sign on sheets, pay the overtime, arrange lieu days and holidays and other things. All in all it is a very busy job. It must be in the blood because my father had done the job before he retired. I took an interest in it and was shown the ropes by Dave Morgan who I had become friendly with over the years. He was getting to the end of his time and showed the young inspector what to do.
When he opted for early retirement the only person who really had knowledge of the job was me. In those days of course experience and knowledge took priority not having a good interview and some paper qualifications like it seems to be today.
So I took on the job that was to last me over 20 years. We were called until a few years ago the Allocations group and I started as a member of a small team. This has expanded over the years as the job has got more complicated. More later over that.
Was I perfect from the start? Of course not, who is? But I picked up more knowledge as the weeks and months passed and learned who you could rely on to work overtime or come in on time and who you could not. There is a knack to dealing with people and I hope that over the years I have learned this skill. I was told by some of the older drivers that I was much like my father in dealing with staff and I will take that as a great compliment.
The piss taking carried on and what could I do? As I have said you just have to take it. Not that I did not bite back of course. Words and sarcasm have been tools of mine all my adult life and those who gave it out got some of it back. It died down of course a bit but even over 20 years later there are still those that remember it and have the occasional joke at my expense.
About 12 months later the nature of the job that I do changed for the rest of my working life here on Cardiff Bus. I had taken an interest in the depot side of the job for some time and got the chance to make it permanent. I will put something here so that perhaps it is somewhat easier to understand the nature of the job I do now.
Driver's start anywhere in the morning from 04.09 am to 08.00 am in the depot at Leckwith and then later in the day in the town area in Wood St from about 08.30 to 16.30. There has to be a supervisor to sign them on and that supervisor would give out overtime if there is any to be worked,(and there usually is) and if a driver failed to turn up for some reason or phoned in sick he or she has to find a replacement.
We would also make up the sign on sheets, pay the overtime, arrange lieu days and holidays and other things. All in all it is a very busy job. It must be in the blood because my father had done the job before he retired. I took an interest in it and was shown the ropes by Dave Morgan who I had become friendly with over the years. He was getting to the end of his time and showed the young inspector what to do.
When he opted for early retirement the only person who really had knowledge of the job was me. In those days of course experience and knowledge took priority not having a good interview and some paper qualifications like it seems to be today.
So I took on the job that was to last me over 20 years. We were called until a few years ago the Allocations group and I started as a member of a small team. This has expanded over the years as the job has got more complicated. More later over that.
Was I perfect from the start? Of course not, who is? But I picked up more knowledge as the weeks and months passed and learned who you could rely on to work overtime or come in on time and who you could not. There is a knack to dealing with people and I hope that over the years I have learned this skill. I was told by some of the older drivers that I was much like my father in dealing with staff and I will take that as a great compliment.
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