Modem Deliveries – Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa

Why do I need to complete a Jump Profile Form?

I received an email from a partner yesterday who had just completed a mini stock-take and discovered 3 modems listed on their GSheet that they no longer had. He thought this was probably because Profile Forms had not been completed by some staff members when the modems were issued.

So this led him to ask was: “what is the impact of us not completing the profile form?” He wanted a compelling reason to explain to staff issuing modems why this is important. Fair enough, I thought.

Sure, we ask for a lot of demographic information – this is used in our annual report to programme funders, providing evidence that the modems are reaching the target groups. But that is not the most important thing.

We ask for the address where the modem is going to be used, so that we can avoid issuing more than one modem to the same household. But that is not the most important thing either.

We also use the address information to provide summary reports by town and region to provide evidence that Jump is reaching the most digitally disadvantaged communities. But that is not the most important thing either.

We ask customers to tell us who is helping them set up their Jump modems. We think the support provided by libraries and local community partners is absolutely critical to the ongoing success of Jump, and this helps provide the evidence. But this is not the most important thing either.

We ask customers if they have school-aged children and therefore qualify for free internet connections with programmes like Ciena. But that is not the most important thing either.

We ask for the phone contact details of the customer and their explicit approval for any follow up calls to get feedback on how Jump is helping them. But that is not the most important thing either.

OK, enough, I hear you cry! What then is the most compelling reason for completing a Skinny Jump Profile Modem??

Quite simply, so that we know when to send you more modems!

We (DIAA) manage the modem supply process for Jump, and for probably rather obvious reasons, we do not have access to Skinny’s customer database. So we rely on the Profile Form to update us on the modems being issued. We closely monitor all partners’ stock levels and each week, prioritise deliveries to those with low stock. So if partners issue a modem without completing a Profile Form, we think you still have this modem, and you move down the re-order priorities.

We strongly recommend that all partners periodically do a stock check and confirm that the number of modems they actually have aligns with the number in cell E2 (Actual Stock on hand) of your Jump GSheet.

If there is a mismatch please send a schedule of the IMEI numbers of the modems you are holding to jump@diaa.nz and we will update your GSheet accordingly.

The good news for the partner who raised this issue was that when his Gsheet was corrected, it immediately flagged the need for a new order, which we have actioned.

Chat GPT drops the ball! But Tim comes to the rescue.

Tim Edmonds, one of our Digi-Coaches based at Kapiti District Libraries, has given us a timely reminder that GPT doesn’t have all the answers to life, certainly when it comes to data analytics!

We have been trying to present our Jump stats by local and regional authority area, but have been struggling to find a look up table that groups NZ towns and cities into these regions. I thought this would be an excellent job for Chat GPT. Chat GPT helpfully identified StatsNZ as a source of data (something I sort of already knew), and directed me to some stats tables that might have been useful if I had the skills to navigate them, but after numerous frustrating attempts I failed to get the output I needed.

So with nearly 50 Digi-Coaches now working in libraries in Northland, Waikato, Central North Island, Wellington and the Top of the South Island, I threw out this challenge to them and Tim came up with the goods, in less than an hour, he said.

His solution was not to use Chat GPT, nor Claude, nor Gemini, nor Co-Pilot, but a proprietary tool called ArcGIS Pro, something he was familiar with as an Insights Data Analyst in a previous life.

So what are the results? Here’s a taster. Probably not a lot of surprises. We are planning to develop this a bit further – we are missing 10% of all issues in smaller towns and this also doesn’t include the online orders (another 10%). So with Tim’s help, we plan to add these to the pot and also do a sort by TLAs (Councils).

Are you an avid follower of fashion?

This message is for all ‘avid followers’, not actually ‘fashion’ in this case but Jump Partner GSheets. I know these are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they do play a critical role in our efforts to ensure a smooth flow of modems.

I know that at least one of you is such an avid follower of Jump GSheets that if her one is not updated with any new modem issues by the time she arrives at work each day, she is firing off an email, wondering if there has been a mistake.

Now that was the day (nearly a year ago) when there was an Alistair, who made a point of starting his day at 5am by updating everyone’s Gsheet (transferring the Profile Form data to partner Gsheets). We thought we might have an AI replacement for Alistair by now, but sadly not. Instead we have Tori (Talented, Outstanding, Resourceful and Industrious), who is not an AI engine but a very talented and competent student. Unfortunately, she still at school, and can only work for us on Saturdays.

So this means the Jump Profile data only gets transferred to partner GSheets on Saturdays. But all is well, this is in time to shuffle order priorities for the next week’s orders, which are processed every Thursday.

Jump modem orders: next week’s deliveries

As I have mentioned before, the most common question from partners is “when am I getting more modems?”. I thought it might be helpful to share the current order processing list with partners, so that you have some idea about when to expect further supplies.

The following modem orders have been sent today to CEVA for processing. This means that you can expect these to be delivered next week. Orders for another 100 partners have still pending, so if you are not on this list, then further supplies are at least two weeks away.

With Christmas coming soon, I’ll have a go at connecting this information to individual partner Gsheets, so that this “in processing” data is displayed dynamically.

18	St Andrews Library
18	Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-po Levin
6	Naenae Community Library
6	Raglan Community House
18	Dinsdale Library
12	Ashburton Library
18	Elma Turner Library
12	Kerikeri Procter Library
18	Northcote Library
6	Mangere Bridge Library
6	RaWiri Residents Association
6	Ngaruawahia Community House
6	Te Ahurei a Rangatahi
6	Southern REAP Gore
6	Tairua Library
6	Mangakino Central Charitable Trust
12	Ranui Library
24	Te Paataka Koorero O Takaanini
6	Pakuranga Library
12	Fendalton Library
6	Leys Institute Little Library
6	Stratford Library
6	Hawera LibraryPlus
12	Tupu Youth Library Otara
12	Wairoa Library
24	Otara Library
18	Avondale Library
12	Glen Innes Library
12	Dannevirke Library
12	Opotiki Library
12	Whangarei Central Library
18	Papakura Library
18	Rotorua Library
12	Manurewa Library
12	Te Paataka Koorero o Waimaahia (Clendon)
6	Waitara Library

A reminder about Jump waiting lists (and the price of fish)

I had a call today from a couple of Jump partners asking about our Waiting List process and how this “affects the price of fish”. Well to be fair, they didn’t actually use this expression, but I think what they wanted to understand was why do Jump waiting lists matter. If you want to know more about the origins of ‘the price of fish’, ask ChatGPT.

First of all where do you find your Jump waiting lists? I know some partners like to keep these in their top drawer, and this might be helpful as a local reminder, but the down side is that we (DIAA) have no access to your top drawer and therefore your waiting list has no impact on modem deliveries.

So scroll down your GSheet to the blue line. Waiters should be added below the blue line, as in the example below:

And how does affect the price of fish, I hear you ask. Well, we count the number of dates below the blue line in column E and take this into account when placing new orders. We aim to supply you with enough modems to cover your waitlist as well as enough for the next 4 weeks, based on the number issued over the last weeks.

If customers hang around on your waitlist for too long (over 3 months), we assume this is because they no longer want Jump, and as such they should be removed for the waitlist, or if you do want to keep a record of their interest, the application date must be moved from Column E (we suggest you put this in Comments – column H – along with any other relevant notes). Some partners like to keep the customer’s contact details here as well and you are welcome to do this – please use columns I to N.

Do I include customers who don’t currently have Jump coverage on my waitlist? Another good question. You are welcome to do this, but you must not include any date in column E (use column H), as dates here do affect the price of fish, or in our case, the delivery of modems. If we ever find dates in column E with a note in column H, saying this customer does not have coverage, we transfer the date out of column E.

We do encourage partners to actively manage their own waiting lists in their Partner GSheets, but if when processing the Jump Profile Forms we discover a modem has been issued to a customer who is on the waiting list we will delete them from the waiting list.

ChatGPT’s response to my ‘cunning plan’

A Cunning Plan (Jump Modem Edition)

“Wait, my lord, do not despair,
For I have a cunning plan to share!”
So whispered Baldrick, full of pride,
With hope that fortune’s on our side.

The modems stalled, the shelves ran bare,
Partners waiting everywhere.
But last week marked a turning tide,
As 396 were set to glide.

No longer thirty in one big stack —
Just twelve or six in every pack.
High-turnover partners get smaller loads,
But restocked faster down the road.

The goal? To spread supply more wide,
To every partner far and wide.
No more giant boxy heaps,
No modem droughts, no stockpile weeps.

Let’s hope this plan will smoothly run,
Unlike Baldrick’s — which came undone.
But if it flops, as Baldrick’s tend,
I know you’ll tell me in the end!

“Wait my lord, do not despair. For I have a cunning plan.”

Fans of Blackadder will be all too familiar with this phrase that frequently popped out of the mouth of Baldrick. Most of Baldrick’s “cunning plans” ended up in disaster, but I am hoping for better things with my latest cunning plan to get Jump modems flowing again.

Last week was a milestone (I hope) in freeing-up the Jump modem supply chain. Orders were placed on CEVA for 396 modems and 204 of these had been shipped by Friday. But while these volumes still fall well short of our targets, we are trying a new approach (“cunning plan”) to keep more partners supplied.

29 partners have either already received a shipment from last week’s batch or will do early next week. This contrasts with an average of only 9 partners receiving shipments each week for the rest of May.

So what is our cunning new plan? Put simply, this involves limiting individual partner shipment quantities to no more than 12 (previously 30). So all last week’s shipments were for 6 or 12 modems, 6 for partners with low turnover and 12 for those with high turnover.

At month end (yesterday), partners were holding 1613 modems in stock; a few are well stocked having recently received a new supply of 30, while over 200 partners have 2 or fewer modems. So the new ‘cunning’ plan is to get modems flowing to more partners.

Those with very high turnovers will not miss out; it just means supplies will arrive more frequently in smaller quantities. Some partners might even think this is a better idea, avoiding the need to find storage space when five boxes of modems arrive at the same time!

So let’s hope this ‘cunning plan’ does not end up like Baldrick’s ones. If it does, I have no fear that you will let me know!

Oh dear – another ‘annus horribilis’?

2025 is rapidly becoming for Jump modems what the late Queen Elizabeth II referred to in 1992 as an ‘annus horribilis‘. In a speech marking the 40th anniversary of her accession to the throne she said: “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘annus horribilis.'”

Now, the Queen was not referring to Jump modems in 1992 – the internet had only recently been invented. She was in fact referring to troubles within her own family.

But we also have troubles within our Jump family. We have reached an all-time low with the supply of Jump modems; it was bad enough during the Covid years when suppliers in China closed their factories and international freight was disrupted.

We currently have 179 Jump delivery partners waiting for just under 3000 modems. 40% of these partners have no stock or almost no stock. So far this year, the supplier (CEVA) is 2000 modems short of their agreed shipment levels (1400 per month).

One of the reasons for the lag is that CEVA is refurbishing modems and while that in itself is a good thing (and good for the planet), it is taking a lot longer than simply provisioning new modems.

We are doing the best we can to prioritise deliveries to partners with no stock or only 1 or 2 modems, so it is more important than ever for partners to make sure their Google Sheet record matches reality.

Check the top of your GSheet for these cells. ‘Actual Stock on hand’ is the number of modems we think you have available for issue, including delinked modems, and this controls your delivery priority; so if this number doesn’t match the number that you actually have, please email jump@diaa.nz the IMEI numbers of the modems you are holding so that we can get your GSheet back in order.

The Queen got through her ‘annus horribilis‘ and lived for another 30 years, so we are hoping to do the same.

CEVA Jump elves taking a break

Like everyone else at this time of year, the elves at CEVA who send you Jump modems are taking a break – the last order is currently being processed, so more modems are on the way for the following partners and these are expected to arrive during the Christmas- New Year holiday break:

Rotorua Library

Waipukurau Library

Mangere Bridge Library

Papatoetoe War Memorial Library

Takaanini Library and Community Hub

For everyone else, processing will re-commence during the week of 13 January and these should arrive during the following week. Depending on how long it takes for the CEVA elves to recover from their Christmas break will determine how many are sent, but I am hoping further supplies will be dispatched in January for:

Dannevirke Library

Grey District Library

Papakura Library

Otahuhu Library

Mt Albert Library

Hamilton Central Library

Morrinsville Library

Naenae Community Library

Hastings War Memorial Library

Mahurangi East Library

Dinsdale Library

Matatiki Hornby Centre

Moera Library

Waitara Library

Whakatane Library

Botany Library

Feilding Library

Helensville Library

Porirua Library

Warkworth War Memorial Library

Kawerau District Library

Southern REAP Gore

Highland Park Library

Shirley Library

Te Manawa (Massey Library)

Waahi Whanui Trust

Te Ahurei a Rangatahi

Waimarie: Hamilton East Community House

Pukekohe Whanau Resource Centre

Friendship House (Huntly) Community Charitable Trust

Ngaruawahia Community House

Bream Bay Trust

Smart Newtown

Tauranga City Library

Otaki Library

Invercargill City Library

Geraldine Library

South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services

Opotiki Library

Hastings War Memorial Library

Manurewa Library

If you are not on this list, you are unlikely to receive any further supplies until February. Please add applicants to the Waiting List section of your Jump Register and I’ll use this as a guide when prioritising shipments. You are also welcome to contact me at jump@diaa.nz when you run out of modems.

Thank you for all your efforts during the year. You have already set a new record by helping another 15,600 households get access to a truly affordable internet service (and there is still more than a week to go).

Christmas is coming and so is our annual Jump modem stocktake!

🎶 Time to stocktake, let’s get it right,
2024 Jump modems in sight,
Partners, count what you’ve got, check it with care,
Look at cell W2, compare what’s there! 🎶

🎶 If the numbers don’t match, don’t you delay,
List those IMEIs and send them our way,
We’re updating records, let’s make them shine,
Jump modem stocktake – it’s audit time!* 🎶

Last year it took over 3 months to hear back from all our partners; this year our goal is 2 months, ie. by 30 November 2024. This helps us to start the new year with a clean slate. If your Jump stock matches the number in cell W2, please send us a short email confirming this (jump@diaa.nz). If you don’t know how to access your GSheet, send us an email and we’ll remind you.

Our most frequent request from partners is about modem supply “we’ve run out of modems”. We do our best to try and avoid this but if your Jump GSheet is showing unallocated modems, we give priority to those who have run out. The most common problem is that someone has simply overlooked completing a Profile Form when issuing a modem. So the stocktake is really important in keeping the Jump wheels turning.

Of course, you don’t have to wait until this becomes a problem. At any time during the year, you can check that your stock in hand matches the number in cell W2 in your Jump register. If not, just send us an email (jump@diaa.nz) with the IMEIs of the modems on hand and we’ll update your records.