towards pilot optimization and/or company desired outcomes is an important aspect of PBS, impacting the quality of the l
July, 2013
SCHEDULING
MATTERS
PBS – A Four Letter Word Captain Stratton: “It will not ratify."
A preferential bidding system (PBS) is a significant efficiency tool for a company whereby software is programmed to optimize pilot schedules. The concept behind preferential bidding is easy enough to understand. Bidders create “requests” that include desired days off, desired trip types, and many other criteria. The PBS software then considers these requests, combining trips to build schedules for each pilot while meeting the goals of the company for optimal use of its resources (you). Our current secondary line system is a first generation PBS. Like the company’s present day “Altitude Pairing” program (aka Optimizer) made by AD OPT, PBS software has programmable variables that are weighted, biased or prioritized in relation to pilot requests to achieve a desired outcome. Examples of pre-set programmable variables are ones that reduce or eliminate conflict with carry-in trips, vacation time or training activities. How much weight, bias, or priority these keys are given towards pilot optimization and/or company desired outcomes is an important aspect of PBS, impacting the quality of the lines, as well as pilot scheduling, flexibility and pay. The Man Behind the Optimizer Curtain Control of Pairing Solution Settings –The company controls all aspects of the Optimizer software for programming variables that produce the monthly preliminary and final pairing solutions. Review – The company programs CBA scheduling requirements into the Optimizer, with post solve compliance validation performed by the ALPA SIG/PSIT via the pairing review process. The Optimizer is not perfect and often produces pairings that are NOT compliant with our CBA and even some FARs. Fortunately for both pilots and company, the CBA requires that the ALPA SIG/PSIT review pairings for this compliance as well as safety, quality of life, and pilot compensation. Input/The Value of the SIG –Numerous changes to flight sequences each month are initiated post solve by ALPA SIG to address safety, contract enforcement, and quality of life concerns. It is in this light that SIG is valuable for both parties as ALPA PSIT efforts are the cornerstone of pilot input in our current bidding system. PSIT crewmembers, besides building bidpacks, offer direct feedback to crew planners regarding pairing construction via the SIG processes. Addressing Unforeseen Circumstances – Soft parameters are stopgap measures in place to address issues between contracts. Soft parameters are written rules that are programmed for pairing solutions run by the Optimizer. Since 2009, there have been no soft parameters accepted by the company. On 10Apr13, with the intent to re-negotiate soft parameter language, the company gave ALPA 45 days cancellation notice for the A300 Domestic Solve and the SZX same duty ground transportation soft parameters. No agreement as of this writing has been reached.
The Man Behind the PBS Curtain Pairings – Pairings are the building blocks of a monthly schedule. A good mix of trip lengths impacts a successful PBS run. If pairings are designed for individual pairing efficiency and not pairing connectivity, the ability of the pilot to combine a high number of trips combinations is effectively negated because fewer pieces fit together. Also, if there are mostly high credit hour pairings and few low credit hour pairings, the available combinations are reduced significantly, thus impacting the quality of resultant lines. The Optimizer programming currently creates unturnable domestic pairings due to duty and/or block affecting pairing connectivity impacting week-on week-off schedule creation. Pilot desires for “Minimal Departures,” a loud and clear message from the 2011 Scheduling Survey, are not guaranteed in a PBS environment. Global Solution – PBS vendors state that seniority is honored with preferential bidding. This is partly true in that they linearly consider each pilots input in a seniority order. However, just like our current secondary line system, programming for a global solution is a way for variables to be weighted, biased or prioritized to achieve a desired outcome – i.e. minimize open trips leftover following the bid award. Instead of building each line in seniority order to the end, some trips are redistributed to achieve an overall solution rather than a linear (seniority based) solution. A global solution that seeks to leave minimal trips remaining in open time means somebody, somewhere in the bid, right up to the most senior pilot, can see his/her line changed to ensure all trips are filled. Conflicts – The ability to conflict provides important flexibility to FedEx pilots. PBS software does not typically recognize trips “missed” for vacation, training, etc. While the pilot creates his own preferred/prioritized requests for a given month desiring more time off in front of and/or following his vacation days, PBS software typically doesn’t care, or worse, is biased towards efficiency and can effectively negate pilot preference if favor of productivity, regardless of seniority. The same goes for training and carry-in conflicts. Unconstrained PBS software typically minimizes conflicts for gains in pilot optimization. Bottom Line: Your ALPA Scheduling Committee (ALPA SIG/PSIT) is opposed to the introduction of PBS. The following issues surrounding PBS make it unrealistic to consider during CBA2013: 1. Complexity – We have a unique system form at FedEx - A hub and spoke system with three U.S. domiciles along with foreign duty assignments in Asia and Europe geographically dislocated from their respective sort facilities. We fly more at night than anyone else. We service more cities than anyone else. PBS has not been employed at any airline with near our complexity. As Captain Stratton has said, “Beta testing of such a selfcreated scheduling system is not prudent in actual application to our schedules.” 2. Keys – The programmable variables or “keys” for the Optimizer would need to be harmonized and balanced with PBS software keys or settings. Our present day Optimizer keys are input/changed pre-solve without ALPA SIG/PSIT coordination or verification. Why would we expect more in a PBS environment? ALPA SIG/PSIT currently effects numerous changes to optimized pairing designs post solve - protecting safety, reliability, and our quality of life – with company agreement. 3. Pilot Feedback – Pilot feedback has been overwhelmingly opposed to PBS. Scheduling and negotiating surveys, pilot emails, hub-turn meetings, and near daily P2P feedback have let us know that the crew force is opposed to considering PBS in this negotiation. The crew force message is loud and clear. 4. Trust – The past speaks for itself. Many of us remember the unconstrained pairing optimization imposed on the crew force in 1998, 2006, and during the 4.A.2.b. era. The damage caused to “trust” remains significant. For trust to improve, it will be actions, not 2
words, that carry the ALPA-FedEx relationship past our crewmembers’ skeptical view of the scheduling process. Trust will not come via a positive one-time event claiming victory for the future. Our pilots must experience a series of significant trust-building actions over time. In Closing: Without doubt, the company’s persistence regarding PBS should raise a red flag with FedEx pilots. In spite of obvious opposition from the crew force and ALPA, the company continues to float trial balloons in hopes that PBS could somehow appeal to a pilot group that has not forgotten a heavy handed scheduling history, and continues to experience sporadic scheduling manipulation. It is not realistic and it won’t ratify!
Secondary (VTO) Line Generator, PBS at Work at FedEx As most pilots are painfully aware, The FedEx method of Secondary Line (VTO) construction is a rudimentary Preferential Bidding System. Following the conflict window, a Secondary line pilot’s choices are automatically considered by AD OPT software, a first generation PBS utilized by FedEx. Various Ad Opt products form the backbone of current crew planning processes at FedEx, including the Optimizer and the program the PSIT uses to build monthly bidpacks. For Secondary lines, AD OPT uses trips available from vacation slides/expansions, CIC trips, and those trips left in open time by PSIT builders following bidpack construction. Disputed pairings are also available to Ad Opt if specifically requested by the pilot.
ALPA about updating this secondary line generator. ALPA representatives (SIG member pilots) were invited to attend indepth sales presentations to the company by three leading PBS providers seeking to update the secondary line system. While the ALPA team did not endorse a particular vendor, they did state the following in their report to FedEx: “any of the three products under consideration is an improvement over FedEx Secondary the present Secondary Line software Line Construction product. The current process, with (PBS) was identified indirect input through a Future in both the 2011 Scheduler, lack of a reasons report, and generally poor results has long cried out Scheduling Survey and the 2011 for replacement.” And the product selected by FedEx to improve the secondary line process? …None to date.
Negotiating Survey as an item most needing improvement in the CBA
In 2007 and 2012, FedEx approached
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