I still don’t get the point of the term DBO.... if anyone is truly a DBO are the TL/ETL.
TL/ETL literally has the call to redesign/reorganize the Backroom to what they feel is best for their business ( I did in all my TL roles), TL/ETL are in constant communication with Vendors and has the authority of dictating where products go, authority to refuse an order from a vendor or accept (Beverage for example), authority to reassign TMs to various workcenters depending on the needs of the overall store/business.
What the hell is a TM the DBO of??? Following orders? Yes they’ll know where products are on the floor, or what they have in the back, they do their pricing, sales planners, and can read off the sales off MPM....but what are they owning? Where is the true ownership? The only thing they own is the blame if their routine tasks aren’t completed.
The Experts in each area don’t have the authority of ownership. Yes they’ll know their area (making them an expert) but they don’t own a damn thing about it lol. They don’t get the final say, they do their routines and follow what leadership tells them to do. 🙄
I cringe anytime I have used the term DBO because it’s a bunch of crock.
I've laughed at the coined term before. I mean, heck, if I'm truly a 'business owner' couldn't I decide to do my own sale price points? Maybe decide to have a flash sale and mark everything down for a day to push my own sales? I guess I could but that would mean I'd also be looking for another job the next day LOL.
I guess Target is really good at fancy wording to make someone feel more included and bring empowerment to their role. Instead of 'manager' which may seem daunting to an employee, the term 'lead' is used. Instead of associates, you are a TEAM member. All these phrases encompass that feeling of positivity. We don't have a daily 'budget', it's a sale's GOAL. You already feel a difference saying it.
So, in the spirit of Dedicated Business Owners.... It should be more like 'dedicated day-to-day area accountability'. And there are some opportunities that present themselves as well within this role title, or at least how my store runs it and understands it.
I am responsible (accountable) for getting product to the sale's floor from a truck unload- including case stock and repacks, do my own pulls, shoot outs and pull them as well, update numbers, audit my outs, do sale's planners, zone, reshop or go backs, etc etc etc. Basically termed owning how this part of the store runs. (You probably know this but for those who haven't experienced the DBO thing, here it is.)
But I can change it up and it's left up to me, the owner of this part of the business, how to go about it and what I can do that day and what I could leave for another day. I 'own' one of the most largest areas in our store, so sometimes my repacks are stupid insane (due to me having even more of the C & D block for a while and recently telling them to give HIPA to someone else so I can succeed has left the numbers in disarray especially from another DBO that owned part of my area and never got numbers corrected- and I am currently working on that). I am confirmed by my ETL that it's impossible to do every step every day in my section, so it's up to me to speak to what business decisions I make each shift. Currently, I have made rounds in chunking up my area for the week and shooting audits. I won't EXF my outs all together, I do it when I shoot the audits in that section. I'm also working in small batches to update my numbers, my biggest challenge is still my towels. And while I am nearly capped on hours, I still get scheduled FF and have someone else work my area on truck days if they take me to fulfill... fulfillment. So there's a challenge yet where I have begun to give -some- direction on problem areas and how I'd like my area and backroom locations to be handled. So far it's well received and found my direct lead lurking and smiling at my current game plan I discussed with another DBO that tends the area.
I'm doing more than just handling truck and zoning. Literally, the company wants these DBO's to get to a point to make decisions that a leader-type would and fully understand and carry out business processes. You mentioned vendors.... while we generally expect TL's to make large decisions in areas (like market), it's certainly not above any TM's working over there to know what is expected and have carried out regular meetings with them- especially those working the area all the time and with know-how. Heck, when I was a GSA and my GSTL wasn't around, I would help vendors from time to time with space on endcaps should I have had some I was willing to part with. Just like empowerment with guests and decisions up front for a sale, it's empowerment for the sale's floor. It's the company reflecting 15 an hour and what responsibilities within the role you will have to accomplish to earn that (it's not quite 'livable wage' but that's a whole conversation for another time).
DBO is just another Target-coined phrase to get those in this role feeling empowered and positive. The leads themselves are there to make sure the wheel is well-oiled and holding the DBO's accountable.
