Maltapost tries new sorting procedures
Maltapost has recently introduced new letter sorting procedures at its postal branch in Naxxar. Using the 9000 sort cases system, which was developed in New Zealand, the sorting procedures at the Naxxar delivery branch have significantly improved and become more efficient, resulting in less inside sorting time for the postal operators.
After three weeks in operation the results have shown a marked improvement in sorting productivity time of 46 percent. This works out to an average saving per operator of 40 minutes sorting time daily. The benchmark at the Naxxar delivery branch for sorting letters into beats, prior to installation of this system, was 225 letters per hour. With the introduction of this system the postal operators at Naxxar are presently averaging around 330 letters per hour. The Naxxar delivery branch is being used as the model to install the sort cases, and it will become the example of a delivery branch or hub of the future.
The series 9000 is a vertical sort case designed to make the job of a postal operator easier and safer, since the mail is sorted vertically into individual slots for each call. The sort case is adjustable to each individual postal operator’s needs, making the sorting process ergonomically friendly. Address strips are created for each individual beat and the sorting is done in the order that the beat is delivered. The series 9000 sort cases, are also used by postal operators in New Zealand, Malaysia, Portugal, Australia, Belgium and Hong Kong.
Commenting on the introduction of the series 9000 sort cases, Naxxar postal operator Brian Laferla said that “although this new method is completely different from the one we are used to, it proved immediately to be easier and practical. It helps the postal operator to stand straight while sorting, instead of bending over the desk. Because of the coloured strips the postmen can locate street names straight away. In doing so, postal operators save time looking for the street and then the house number.
The series 9000 cases are being purchased by Maltapost as part of a modernising programme and will eventually be installed in delivery hubs around Malta and Gozo. The next delivery branch to have them installed will be Zejtun.
