The Postal Service is equipping supervisors and managers who work in first-line operations, transportation, in-plant support and maintenance with Elitebook X2 tablets to provide greater flexibility as they move about postal workroom floors.
The tablets were deployed in several plants in September during the first phase of the rollout. Approximately 8,000 of the devices will be in plants by the end of phase four in September 2022.
“Now managers and supervisors can do what they’d normally do in an office out on the plant floor and have more real-time interactions,” said Ryan Grumble, a division support operations specialist in Dallas.
The tablets come with detachable keyboards and can quickly switch from a notebook computer configuration to a handheld device.
They are loaded with postal applications and have enhanced data storage, fast processing power and bright displays. Users can log in using their fingerprints.
“They are fully functional ACE devices. So, everything you can do on ACE computers you can do on the tablets,” Grumble said.
Orlando Wheeler II, distribution operations supervisor at the Cleveland Processing and Distribution Center, said the tablets have already helped improved efficiencies at his plant.
“We are constantly moving between several operations. These tablets give supervisors more mobility and freedom to do work away from a desktop. This is the greatest asset USPS has given the plant,” Wheeler said.
The deployment of the tablets is part of the Postal Service’s 10-year Delivering for America plan to achieve financial sustainability and improve technology.
“I’m very excited for this rollout, which is all about equipping our supervisors, specialists and managers with the tools they need to do their job,” said Chief Logistics and Processing Operations Officer Isaac Cronkhite.
“Our operations are becoming increasingly data-driven, and connecting our facility processing, maintenance and logistics leadership with this technology will empower us to be more effective, precise and efficient.”
