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CB/LTH/PC NW 06 01
4th May 2000
CIRCULATION: NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL - BY FAX
General Secretary: Coun BAkeR
Assistant General Secretaries
Kevin Davis + KATE Davis + PALL HEASMAN
Dear Executive Officer,
PROBLEMS WITH HORIZON 3RD MAY 2000
You may no doubt be aware that there were significant difficulties with Horizon
balancing at some post offices yesterday. We are waiting for a definitive answer
from POCL on the problems encountered. However what we know so far is that a
problem arose last Thursday morning in the uprating of stamps and, resulting from
poor advice, some subpostmasters did not correctly complete the upgrading of stock
reconciliation that day. That manifested when they tried to balance yesterday.
As a result of the difficulties the system tried to produce a negative balance but
Horizon will not allow a negative balance, and therefore subpostmasters’ balances
could not be completed.
When this was first discovered the Helpline constructed a contingency procedure
which they had to walk subpostmasters through. This procedure took 15 minutes.
The rate at which they were receiving calls was much faster than that, to such an
extent that there was a back log and subpostmasters could not get through to the
Helpline.
at 3.30 the backlog was around 100
at 4.30 around 50
at 5.30 it was down to 4
However it was known that at 5.30 there would be a flood.
I was able to monitor the situation up to 7 pm when it appears that events reached
such a stage that they advised subpostmasters who contacted them not to wait to
balance and we are seeking to understand the implications of this.
We will be insisting that the Post Office contacts all affected subpostmasters,
providing them with an explanation of precisely what events took place leading up to
and on the day in question and of the response needed.
A helping hand for SubPostmasters...everywhere!
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LATEST NEWS ON HORIZON (as at 10.00 am 4.5.2000) ;
The difficulties with Horizon yesterday, we were advised, was primarily not a
systems fault, it was primarily difficulties encountered by subpostmasters fast
Thursday in understanding the instructions for uprating their postage stock which
lead to balancing difficulties yesterday, 3rd May.
Investigations so far have revealed that the Helpline received some 8,000 calls and
they worked until 10 pm Some of these would have been a number of call backs
and at 9.30 this morning they had received a further 586 calls.
They have responded to 327 and there is a high abandonment rate which is (
understandable, being Thursday morning in post offices. They anticipate significant
problems today.
They have accepted there is a clear learning point fo make sure instructions are
more understandable and they have also accepted a need to review and
communicate the difficulties of what they have learned both to those within the
Business and to subpostmasters. They are however trying to deal with the problems
today and clearly this is the most critical aim for them to focus upon.
If there is any further information I will keep you advised of developments.
Yours.sioreralw...
COLIN BAKER
General Secretary