Archived 2 Weeks into Flow TL Training: Questions

[keepushing]

It's been a few weeks since I've started training to be a Flow TL at my store. The transition from overnight to 4 am has been tricky for myself as well as the store in general. In short, the goal is to push everything with the exception of market (which is pushed by "consumables team members off u-boats by line until 2 pm) by 12 pm. On a typical day, the ideal benchmarks for our timetable (realistic - not necessarily Workbench-generated) are: unload and breakdown (bowling) finished by 6:30; HBA/pharmacy, paper, chem, pets, sports, and seasonal (the only sections that are bowled onto the floor) done by 8, when store opens; the remaining hardlines (which is all of blue, pushed off of shopping carts, working around guests) over the remaining 3 hours of work, with a half hour - one hour devoted to cleaning up, bulk pallets from the morning's truck that sit on the line, and pushing seasonal CAFs. Trucks average 1,800 - 2,200 pieces, with about 160 repacks, with a double almost once per week. Whenever there is a double, 2 or 3 TMs are on the floor pushing after the first truck finishes.

This is usually very manageable on the days where our Logistics ETL is LOD, as he seems to schedule slightly stronger teams for himself and quite simply has better logistics plans, in my opinion. In particular, he always finds a way to get me on the floor bowling after I am throw long enough to back up the line and at least partially fill up the chem, paper, and pets/sports pallets. With many new TM's, the unloading are consistently lackluster, but breakdown is usually done a few minutes after the truck is finished. It is made more feasible for me those days by the fact that he is a very active runner, bringing out 2 pallets at a time quicker than they can fill up, prioritizing the ones that I bowl out.

On the other hand, the SrTL who is LOD on the other days (uncoincidentally, I am scheduled every day as she) has it rough and I do what I can to make it manageable for her, one of the most high-energy workers there with somewhat-limited logistics experience. I come in 30 minutes early those days to receive/acknowledge the truck and help organize a backroom that is usually messy from the previous day - often with heavy stuff she would struggle moving - while she lets in TM members arriving so the line is ready for them by 4 am. On those days, it takes a lot of scrambling around from 3:30 on to stay on the manageable pace that our logistics ETL maintains every morning.

In particular, there are often so few people that I am stuck throwing the truck. My training involves coaching and instructing TM's, especially new ones and that's rarely possible on these days. I am stuck in the truck for 90 minutes-plus, unloads that our logistics ETL admits increased in time by 50 percent since the transition to 4 am, mainly due to inexperienced TMs and the fact that that the market cartons are puts onto U-boats by line (there are 11 of them) instead of three separate pallets. It does not take two fast throwers to back up the line. It is the most she could do to help out on the market block, trap the repacks, softlines, and products that are high in volume (often water) onto separate "flex" pallets just outside of the truck; It keeps the far end of the line from getting bottled up with market, softlines, repacks, seasonal/seasonal backstock, and domestic backstock, which are some of the heaviest blocks all located in one area. Meanwhile, there is often a box pushes/pacer on a line that is mostly full anyway. The new presentation and signing TL often scans or pushes boxes instead of helping out blackline or pulling pallets. When I suggest a shift in the logistics plan to her is always met with heavy opposition by her. She has once or twice begrudgingly walkied to the SrTL to make the shift, often putting me on the floor bowling. The result is often 1 hour, 50 minute - 2 hour unload with everything bowled out by It is frustrating for me, as I know I how much time could be saved by making needed adjustments to increase efficiency. When the Logistics ETL is present, she has gladly thrown the truck at his urging so I could help out to bowl, but this new TL behaves very differently in his absence.When it done the way I'd prefer, I've found it to be more efficient, but also very difficult. I have to find a balance between pulling out my pallets to bowl and sharing duties as a runner, so that the box pusher or blackline TM does not have to. When I get back there, there are often 2 or 3 pallets nearly full or lined up to be sent out, while the line is backed up. Said pallets are often stacked poorly by new TM's and sometimes need re-organized.

Some examples - when I got there early and was throwing by myself around 4 when people were filtering she asked me who I wanted to throw with: a new TMs with little knowledge of custom blocks and blackline or a veteran who is one of the few capable blackline TMs. When I requested the new TM, she doubted me. I was frustrated to explain my reasoning to her. The line was still filling up even with the veteran on blackline. She often quizzes me as to who is on each block while I'm throwing. She has even sent different TMs than myself out to bowl, since "I am the best unloader they have." The result is often boxes bowled to the whole line, aisle, or section. "They need to learn," she said, but those days that she insists on it there is simply not time for learning. She once wanted to send aforementioned experienced veteran from blackline to bowl on the floor, even though he is an exceptionally slow bowler. Her decisions on the days the SrTL is there only make it more difficult for us to scrape by without any freight for repush. She scanned several times with a separate TM designated as "box pusher" on very full lines.

There has been just one day where I have parterned with her and we did not finish the floor, leaving all of blue for repush the following day. To put it in perspective, we recovered fully and cleaned up all the blue repush the following day, the day of a 2,100-piece truck - one that the logistics ETL scheduled for himself.

Even new TM's always wonder if said ETL is LOD for the day as soon as they arrive, as he both deals himself the right cards and knows how to play them, whereas it is usually the most we can do to finish and clean up the floor by noon when I partner with the SrTL. Both the ETL and SrTL greatly appreciate the work I do, mainly on those tough days, giving me recognition at every huddle. When I thanked him and told him the recognition means a lot since it can often be overwhelming to micromanage and grind at the same time, he told me "all I know is that (said SrTL) is always really happy to see you're on the grid the same days are her." Honestly, I told him, I am too, since the energy she has is infectious and she deserves to have someone with her those days. She deserves someone who makes the difference between her getting overwhelmed and running around to barely finish several times per week.

But what I can't deal with is the attitude the new TL (my superior, I know) has toward me. She has been increasingly unfriendly toward me since my training, which I can turn a blind eye to, but the way that she doubts basic logistics decisions I have thought out makes a tough job almost overwhelmingly. In addition, veteran TM and new TMs alike are hesitant to listen to me, even when the ETL instructs me to assign them certain duties.

For example, I was to tell a reliable veteran who was still pushing carts in domestics at 11:30 to push the remaining pulls for back to school, with the logic that many of those back to school pulls have second locations in blue near domestics. "Who will finish this then? It's already past 11." I replied that she not worry about it and explained the logic, but she looked at me doubtingly. A backroom, even on days it is tough to finish the truck, has me challenge all of the plastic, even that scanned as backstock, since it is time-consuming to backstock. This would not be such a big deal if the plastic department and backroom were not on opposite ends of the store and dragging so much freights on pallets usually meaning two extra trips. Another veteran TM bowled chemicals only into carts and I explained the difficulty new TMs will have quickly challenging boxes that are not fully bowled out, that they sometimes simply finish bowling it out once they reach that line, decreasing production. He just gave me a funny look. Another new TM always starts bowling out the product that is not fully bowled out after the first break instead of pushing HBA (already bowled out by someone else) unless I tell him otherwise. I now often work through part of my break just to finish bowling everything.

I have no problem with the extra work since my training - even enjoy it (those who saw my previous post know I was desperate to even keep my hours after change)- but the attitude fellow TMs who were previously nothing but friendly toward me makes work stressful, often wearing me down and keeping me from enjoying life outside of work as well, as it has been very difficult to get the gym lately more so than the 9 - 10 miles I am usually running around the store for, hundreds of boxes I challenge every day, etc. How much should I speak up about my disagreements with the TL? Will things get better? I am being too strict? I want to contribute as more than a horse for them, but have found being a jockey much more involved and difficult.

 

[HRZone]

Tldr if you have a weak team on your days you need to focus on training them. Rather than making up the difference by pushing extra. You are filling the gap rather than making a team which is not a path to long term success.

Maybe you explained this in your post but to be honest I kind of got lost in it.

 

[Him]

First off, Kudos on your new role. Flow/Replenishment process can be very stressful/difficult, but can be done if executed right. First thing you need to establish is a better relationship with your peer and during those times when it's just your peer and you, explain the reasoning and your way of thinking in regards to decisions you make. Simplify. When people in general hear "wordy" explanations, they tune said persons out. In essences "lose" respect for said person. "I need you to bowl out chem" "Why, xyz.." "It's quicker and more effective for us all" When people hear explanations as such, they will more reasonable than this conversation.. "I need you to bowl out chem" Why,xyz" Because I'm the Flow TL and I said SO!" People accommodate to you when you are inclusive and make things not only "personable", but crystal clear. It obviously takes some practice and time tailoring your messages to your audience, but you will get the hang of it. For some of your peers or even your leadership above you, best lessons to teach them is when you follow there direction only for them to fall flat on their faces. It might hurt said process a couple of times, but a good lesson is WORTH it's weight in gold and more beneficial in the long run when EVERYONE is on the same page. Good luck in all you do!!

 

[semantics]

New team needs to be trained, training just doesn't mean knowing what they should be doing at all times of the day and what and where everything is but also is training them how to be quick.
Many new people to flow will pick up a box with one hand and stock with the other. Two hands should always be used for everything, if you're dedicating a hand just to hold something you have to move twice as fast to do the same work. There is also a ton of extra information on DC labels and label strips telling you what an item is, greatly speed up location recognition without the need to scan items. Also having people decdated to areas so they know where everything is to loose items without scanning. Just observe how people stock, steps and touches is what wastes time. Looking to reduce that reduces the work a TM has to do to stock. Target loves pushing off training to TMs, TMs who never got any training on how to train people. Creating a plan and a routine with your trainers is a must. It's the only way to ensure all topics are covered, you'll also have to go over how the train with them. Some TMs are fine with teaching speed but others are not which is where you come in, training a new TM helps makes you more approachable if done right, doing the work with the team gets your respect. Also just because someone had some training for 1-3 days doesn't mean they're good forever, follow up with them after a week and the next week just ask them if they had any questions, be honest if you don't know the answer. Building a relationship with the TMs are important, it makes communication happen, so if problems occur they'll tell you before shit hits the fan because they actually care.

To Target things can always be broken down to processing the freight to freeing up vehicles vs supporting sales. If you're behind in Q4 and you had only 1 thing to push, that would be toys as that is where your sales are most likely. Even if it's not the best way catch up and you could have spent the time freeing up many more vehicles that kind of thinking can be more desirable at times. That can be extended to any time of the year, what is in-stocks scanning today? Maybe you should insure that is all pushed before instocks has to go through there so nothing extra is pulled out of the back. There are a bunch of other cases just depends on what's going-on. At the end of the day target logistics doesn't only think about freight and payroll but also helping out sales. Always look to justify your answers in one of those to areas more often than not supporting sales is the answer ETLs and STL wants over saving payroll by knocking out more freight doing something else.

Also about ETL scheduling themselves a bigger team. ETL is probably only counting hours on Flow. He's doesn't take hours on Flow, you do, so that 8 extra hours is 2 TMs part time. Flow is a process where you can do more with more bodies, just talk to the ETL about it but make sure you have a point and proof, it's something an ETL can do without even noticing; maybe direct some of those hours to days where you're expecting bigger trucks like a monday. If it's simply scheduling the more desirable TMs on the days they have that might be a more sticky subject because they're doing that knowing what they're doing.

 

[SFSFun]

That is quite the post. From what I can tell, you're not actually a TL? But you're stressing out like you are one?

Don't focus on what you perceive others to expect of you. It's not reasonable to think you can run the unload from inside the trailer, so I doubt anyone actually expects you to.

 

[SrTLall]

Is there a TLDR version?

 

[Logo]

Wait you're a TL and you throw the truck? Who manages the team? No way not in my store!! Yes you have to help pull and bowl but you need to be with the team so you can remove obstacles. U boats were best thing we could have done for our store! Training at target has always been a challenge....

 

[SFSFun]

Wait you're a TL and you throw the truck? Who manages the team? No way not in my store!! Yes you have to help pull and bowl but you need to be with the team so you can remove obstacles. U boats were best thing we could have done for our store! Training at target has always been a challenge....

It sounds more like he's a TM but the store is abusing him by telling him he's "training" to be a Flow TL.

Actual TL training is when you already have the job and are being paid as such.