1st from the SupCom page (www.atsupcom.net) under AFSS News Page and then Conference Report part 3. (Author unknown):

I returned after the Strategic Plan/Flight Service Sustainment briefing had begun. I was just in time to watch NAATS angrily threaten to leave the conference. They asked for time to talk about what they had heard so we gave it to them. It seems to me, since I was part of the Strategic Planning/ Sustainment team, that some folks in the room completely misunderstood the plan. It was not intended to be punitive or to accuse people of less than optimum performance. I�ll go into this plan in greater detail in another posting. It was however intended to identify those facilities that were understaffed and needed help. Then generate ideas to help those facilities at no or minimum cost. This would also result in better customer service and a reduced chance of operational errors. When things had calmed down a little everyone was asked for input on how to improve our service and help overworked facilities, without hiring or moving people. Many NAATS folks used this as an opportunity to vent their rage about A76, budget cuts, and staffing shortages. The very things that NOBODY in the room could do anything about. Maybe just getting a chance to vent, in front of the Flight Service leadership, made them all feel better. I hope so because we didn�t accomplish much else.

2nd What the Strategic Planning/ Sustainment team proposed:

Accountability

• Supervisors and Controllers-In-Charge (CIC) are held accountable for proper resource utilization on their shifts, including, but not limited to, lost calls, service level and average delays.
• Ensure supervisors/CICs actively manage the operations and keep people on position. Use ACD data to address individuals with much higher than average unavailable time.
• Managers should be held to a standard and also acknowledged for improvement.

 Adjacency

Expertise gained from briefing the same area repeatedly is important to the service we provide. However, using a cascade plan that requires adjacency may complicate the offload plan unnecessarily, and impact facilities that do not need to be affected. Matching AFSSs with opposite demand/capacity profiles can effectively support each other in their respective off-seasons. ATCSs at the matched facilities can gain expertise on each other's area, simplifying the training and improving the sustainment plan.

Automatic Call Distributor (ACD)

• Leave the Call Waiting Chime on. Occasionally, specialist may not readily hear a call drop into their ear, additionally this alert others of that a call is waiting.
• Broadcast and Flight Data should always sign on Gate 1 unavailable; when not performing Broadcast or Flight Data duties they should pick up Pre-flight calls
• Properly using the ACD to identify when a specialist is on break assists the supervisor in properly managing resources by not having to chase people down. Also, it also helps to track cost by appropriately associating time with work or non-work.
• E-Board - display number of calls waiting, service level, and longest call waiting time for all operational personnel to view.
• Purchase a light from Radio Shack, have AF attach the light and a chime into the ACD, whenever there is a call waiting the light will flash and the chime will ring. All non pilot briefing positions will go available and help answer calls.

Equipment Management

•  Re-map ICSS to terminate some phone lines at more positions (i.e. clearance line to IF and SUPV positions).
• Move/install HIWAS equipment at IF.
• Transfer calls into Fast File if a customer only wants to file a flight plan.

Facility Performance

• The call data reveals facilities with similar traffic & staffing profiles whose performance is dramatically different. Facility culture, work ethic, watch scheduling, supervision, and training need to be evaluated and acted upon.
• Use the marquee/message board for the ACD system mounted on the wall, if you are so equipped. This is a valuable decision making tool for the supervisor/CIC. I know of at least one facility that still has this board in storage and, as I understand it, there was a point in time that a decision was made that AFSS' did not need to have this board so some facilities never got one when the new ACD phones were installed. The board alternates between two messages for us (it can be programmed for many); number of briefers signed on along with number of briefers on calls and number of calls waiting along with time of longest call waiting. This allows the supervisor/CIC to make decisions like canceling training, returning people from breaks etc. based on the number of phone calls in queue. Without this board we would have no quick way to determine how many calls were in queue.
• Install an ACD at In-flight so they can help take PWB, and clearance requests via phone

Labor/Management Relations

• Go through great pains to develop a good relationship with FACREP. Work to identify practices that are wasteful or inefficient. Compare traffic to staffing. Peaks and valleys of traffic should proportionally match peaks and valleys of staffing. Consider lunch periods and other staffing needs with a focus on increasing the availability of service to the customer.
• Front end load NAATS and get their buy-in. Have them do some of the work. This gives them ownership and they cannot complain after the fact. They being the ones that actually do the work may have a good idea, or two.
• Talk to your people. A facility newsletter is nice, but nothing makes people feel better than being able to talk to the boss on an informal bases. Make yourself available.
• Rotate persons to positions in accordance with Article 26 for maximum customer service.

Management

• Be open to new ideas regardless of the source. Be flexible enough to see that there may actually be a better way.
• Don't forget quality.
• Teach the supervisors how to conduct effective TTDs.

Provide Customer Service Training

• Statistic show the main reason customers are turned away from company is the attitude of the service provider and tone in which the service is given. Provide at least some rudimentary customer service training. We all know how to technically perform the job but we have rarely provided training in how to provide service. Help is available on-line or through books and tapes in lending libraries.

Seasonal Demand

• Facility areas with more extreme seasonal changes have corresponding differences in demand. If these are not taken into account in the offload decisions, we may simply spread rather than alleviate lost calls and delays. We need to look more closely at the month-by-month data to identify peak demand and significant capacity, to see when and where there is real need for help, and who typically has the capacity to provide help at another's time of need. Prime time vacation periods should also be considered.

Staffing/Resource/Position Management

• Supervisors/CIC should make leave decisions on their own shift when adverse staffing decisions are to be made, i.e., leave approval, training and specialist removed for special programs. Clear guidelines should be followed based on sound statistical data.
• Supervisors pick up calls to alleviate short-term calls waiting
• Rotate specialist on the half-hour, this has been found to be productive since the bulk of traffic occurs between H+45 and H+15.
• Develop a schedule that has staggered shift transitions with enough overlap to cover the customer during rotation.
• Allow no breaks during a shift rotation, except physiological breaks.
• Allow specialists to schedule position rotation themselves and control their own breaks, realizing they can be called back if needed.
• Only open the broadcast position when needed. Supervisor should monitor weather and assign as needed.
• Manage the receipt of personal calls outside of emergencies. Do not interrupt a specialist or supervisor during a busy period except for emergencies. Take a note so the call can be made during a break in traffic.
• Combine midshift positions - obviously all into 1 position.
• Normal operations has FD and NO combined, BC and WO (weather observer) combined and if there are only 3 specialists on duty they are IF, FD/NO, BC/WO and all are backup briefers.
• Identify designated briefing positions maybe during the hours of 0600 - 1600 and assure all are CIC qualified. In event of an evening staffing shortage we have arrangement with an adjacent facility to off-load traffic. As you go lower in staffing continue to staff our daytime shift and short the evening so that excess calls may be off-loaded to an adjacent facility.
• Cover daytime shortages by Support Specialist and have OSs pick up calls and work their currency time. Credit hours are more commonly requested to fill shortages during the day and you can take advantage of this also.
• With any off-loading, it should be a tiered approach - ripple effect. We off-load to the neighboring facilities, they off-load to their neighboring facilities, etc. Area knowledge packages need to be shared and training programs need to be mandatory where specialists are learning and being tested on those packages so they can provide more safe briefings with increased off-loading
• We need to eliminate the compressed alternate work schedule. The compressed choice is not cost effective. The flexible alternate work schedule is a great help in the correct proportion, i.e., for a schedule of 16 we have 5 slots that are AWS, through attrition we will have to reduce those slots but it does help coverage to have a couple 10-hour people each day. Now if all the 10-hour folks take leave the same day it creates bigger holes. So far it has worked well for us. The compressed AWS is not cost neutral and so should be eliminated.
• While most Flight Watch facilities do not routinely assign other duties to the flight watch position some have determined that there are periods with little to no EFAS traffic, i.e., between 6 and 7 a.m. That person will pick up overflow preflight calls during that hour rather than sitting there doing nothing. Additionally, if traffic circumstances warrant, the supervisor can sign on and be responsible for the FD position for short periods of time to free up a specialist to handle preflight calls.
• We have a lunch sign up sheet for the employees in operations with two spots next to each half hour increment. If staffing/traffic warrants the supervisor/CIC will block out the second spot, allowing only one person at at time for lunch. This requires the supervisor/CIC to be proactive in monitoring staffing vs. traffic. Due to our staggered shifts, we have never had a complaint on limited lunch breaks during a 4th through 6th hour of a person's shift.
• Evaluate TIBS usage. Curtail, reduce or delete making TIBS recordings.
• Utilization of AWS is a function of workload, number of personnel available and our ability to apply our personnel resources to the needs of our users.
• Operations position management - do not have everyone change positions at the same time. Send two 5 minutes early and hold one for 5 minutes so to speak.

Training

• Have a couple sit down sessions a year with all CICs. You can provide
  them with your expectations and they have the opportunity to ask for
  clarifications and what you really mean.

Now my rant:

I'm sorry, I happen to take offense at being "front end loaded". Management chose to meet before hand, as a Strategic Planning/Sustainment team, then tried to get NAATS to buy  in to their plan.

90% of the plan had to do with loading the wagon! Make them work harder... Less breaks... Additional responsibility... Restrict personal phone calls... More bells and whistles to let people know the work is piling up...

I didn't see one thing in there about reducing the overhead positions - staff, supervisory, etc.

Then for SupCom to say "NOBODY in the room could do anything about" the present situation is simply more denial. Where were the AFSS Managers from day one? They were more interested in seeing how they could get more work out of you. And how to reduce the benefits the Union has negotiated for you.

The question was asked "How many FacReps had meetings scheduled with their political representatives for after hours?" A vast majority of the FacReps raised their hands. When the same question was asked of management...  I saw TWO hands raised.  Yep, a whole 2 of your "leaders" had scheduled personal time to go and talk to their representatives.

Darrell and I met with both our Senators' Staff and our Congressman's Staff for 15-20 minutes each and talked in the Hallways with Trent Lott and Max Bacus for 5 minutes or so each.

"Yes" NAATS was frustrated and "yes" we were inclined to walk out. The Strategic Planning/Sustainment team was typical management eye candy generated in a vacuum by people who do not work the positions. But the Union stayed and provided some realistic suggestions. Stop the stupid things we have to do.... (International cautionary advisory, "temporary" flight restrictions that are permanent, tower light NOTAMs, etc.) reduce overhead...  use all available resources... Install the equipment we need... and so on.