Archived 4x4 walks?

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Hey all

I was told that I needed to start doing 4x4 walks, or rather that I needed to start delegating this task to a team member. Most days I really don't have anyone to give this to, other than my camera person, so I am not sure how this is going to work. Also these are supposed to be done Wednesday through Sunday, with each department being done on a certain day. In addition this team member is not supposed to fix anything, but rather just hand me their sheets and let me follow-up on everything. I would just love to tell them to fix the small stuff like missing signs or labels and leave the big things like in-stocks concerns to be Mysupported. Just wondering how everyone else is doing this. Also wondering who sees that these get done on your days or weekends off. I already see problems with call-ins or NCNSs and these getting done.
 
we just talked about these in our tl meeting. so i'm understanding its just they walk the area, fix labels, signs, flex and ptm, right?
 
I participated in a 4x4 for the first time the other day. At my store, we do a few aisles each day. In each aisle, we super-zone, note instocks issues and missing signs/labels, and eventually someone follows up on any issues that were noted.
 
In our store, its *kind of* replaced the LOD task list. The LOD takes it...instead of a TM, and creates a hyper-focused task list for one or two areas of a department. This is not how it was the first week or so (it DID start with a TM doing it, and me (TL) following-up), I can't stand it. especially at the "busy" time in SL with fewer TMs. ugh
 
Hey all

I was told that I needed to start doing 4x4 walks, or rather that I needed to start delegating this task to a team member. Most days I really don't have anyone to give this to, other than my camera person, so I am not sure how this is going to work. Also these are supposed to be done Wednesday through Sunday, with each department being done on a certain day. In addition this team member is not supposed to fix anything, but rather just hand me their sheets and let me follow-up on everything. I would just love to tell them to fix the small stuff like missing signs or labels and leave the big things like in-stocks concerns to be Mysupported. Just wondering how everyone else is doing this. Also wondering who sees that these get done on your days or weekends off. I already see problems with call-ins or NCNSs and these getting done.

The TM is actually supposed to fix the "easy to fix" things, they are really supposed to walk around with a portable printer, a PDA, a circular, and a cart that way they can do a light zone, print labels, and make a batch for any missing sale signs from the ad. If things on the list require more than just touch-ups (say, zone all panty bins...), that's when you follow-up and delegate tasks.
 
I do most of our 4x4 walks. I'll typically put up rain checks, print shelf labels, and do a light quick zone if needed. Missing sale signs, and in stocks issues, and anything else I just leave for follow-up.
 
How are you guys getting them done? Right now we're doing intense and in depth 4x4s on a handful of aisles rather than light zone and noting issues on all of our aisles.

Just curious how many people are actually completing everything.
 
We are definitely NOT completing 4x4s consistently! We can usually get through the whole store monthly. I don't know how some stores are able to do it all in one week! If I didn't have salesplans to set, clearance to push, ptms to pull and push, abandons, and backup I would probably be able to.
 
They just sprung these walks on me all of a sudden. I wasn't trained to do it. I don't even know how to print signs and labels for the peghooks and such. I have to go do one now in baby food, diapers, wipes and something.
 
These were brought up in January at my store in a huddle. They never actually started happening (to my knowledge)... Unless its only a sales floor thing...
 
They just sprung these walks on me all of a sudden. I wasn't trained to do it. I don't even know how to print signs and labels for the peghooks and such. I have to go do one now in baby food, diapers, wipes and something.

If your store keeps logs of each 4x4, note on the sheet that the signs and labels need to be done. Whoever does the follow-up will have to take care of it (or they'll complain about having to do it and make someone train you on printing).
 
I found the 4x4 walks were often used as a hammer if they were looking for something to use against a particular TL or even a TM.
It was very popular for slamming plano and electronics.
They used it on me a lot as well.
 
I absolutely hate the 4x4s. We have to do them everyday at the store I work at. It's mainly plano and pricing hit the hardest with this, but electronics is hit pretty bad at times too. The instocks team rarely has to do them, because the STL says she needs to "protect her instocks team" and our ETLs and STL don't help with them at all. We are all usually given about seven aisles to do (sometimes more than that), and it has to be very detailed. We are talking perfectly zoned, printing labels, printing missing sale signs, cleaning up anything that looks dirty, replacing dirty label holders, and filling empty spots. If anything is even the slightest bit out of place, we have to redo all of them. This generally takes an hour or more. Plano and pricing have a hard time finishing our work as it is (we have four people total; 1 pricing, 3 plano), and since the 4x4s started we have even less time to do our work. We spend 2+ hours pushing truck, and another 1-2 hours doing 4x4s. We're basically left with less than 4 hours to set our planograms, and pull/push our batches (yes, our backroom team members complained about having to pull our batches, so they no longer have to do it). I was asked my honest opinion on all of it by the STL, and I stupidly gave my honest opinion. I was coached the next day, and was told that it will never change, and that if I complain about it, they will be more than happy to take "corrective action" against me.
 
I absolutely hate the 4x4s. We have to do them everyday at the store I work at. It's mainly plano and pricing hit the hardest with this, but electronics is hit pretty bad at times too. The instocks team rarely has to do them, because the STL says she needs to "protect her instocks team" and our ETLs and STL don't help with them at all. We are all usually given about seven aisles to do (sometimes more than that), and it has to be very detailed. We are talking perfectly zoned, printing labels, printing missing sale signs, cleaning up anything that looks dirty, replacing dirty label holders, and filling empty spots. If anything is even the slightest bit out of place, we have to redo all of them. This generally takes an hour or more. Plano and pricing have a hard time finishing our work as it is (we have four people total; 1 pricing, 3 plano), and since the 4x4s started we have even less time to do our work. We spend 2+ hours pushing truck, and another 1-2 hours doing 4x4s. We're basically left with less than 4 hours to set our planograms, and pull/push our batches (yes, our backroom team members complained about having to pull our batches, so they no longer have to do it). I was asked my honest opinion on all of it by the STL, and I stupidly gave my honest opinion. I was coached the next day, and was told that it will never change, and that if I complain about it, they will be more than happy to take "corrective action" against me.
My store is doing the same thing...except everyone has to do the 4x4. ...and we don't do a few aisles they will makes us do all of A in one day, B another so on and so forth. Usually, we are at this for about an hour and we still have to do our usual work and with less hours ( thanks mytime!) . We have been told that if we are overheard complaining about it on the floor we will be coached and if it happens after that it will be a right up. They say that the 4x4 is not going anywhere etc etc....which is fine I just wish they explain how we are suppose to get our own work load complete.
 
@Adawehi I'm not surprised that they would ask for your honest opinion and then punish you for it,
That is SOP for most Targets, for those of you who just have to say "not at my store", notice I said most.
I'm pretty sure that some of my comments in the meetings where you're supposed to be able to be honest was part of the reason for my being performanced out.

On a completely different note, love your avatar.
We have a Dr Who thread in the off topic section.
 
We've been doing 4x4s for a few months, a different block each day. Everyone and I mean everyone drops what their doing and 4x4s.We have seen some really good results in sales and in stocks.
 
Leave it for follow up? There is no one that will ever follow up. Most people seem to complain that their lod's are lazy or incompetent. Why would you expect follow up? I agree with dash11. It works really well for my store. We fix everything when we see it though. It gets easier once you do it for a few weeks. The first few times I did HBA it took me all day so don't feel bad. Making the store look great should a reward in itself in my lame opinion.
 
We did HBA plus paper/chem. today. We also fix everything as we go. Label maintenance, cleaning etc. It does get easier after a few weeks, Market plus coolers/freezers take us under 2 hrs.
 
My store started doing the 4x4 with everyone in the morning in one area, annnd I hate it. It sounds nice... you know, teamwork and all that jazz, but then my area is neglected, I get frustrated because I don't have equipment, if I do have equipment, I have to worry about those areas where no PDAs work (weird wifi problems lately), and SL gets the short end of the stick. 4x4s 5 days a week and only one of those days is within a single softlines area.
 
My store started doing the 4x4 with everyone in the morning in one area, annnd I hate it. It sounds nice... you know, teamwork and all that jazz, but then my area is neglected, I get frustrated because I don't have equipment, if I do have equipment, I have to worry about those areas where no PDAs work (weird wifi problems lately), and SL gets the short end of the stick. 4x4s 5 days a week and only one of those days is within a single softlines area.
It would be great if they spent more time/payroll on softlines given the huge profit margins and (once upon a time) that was something that drove people to shop at target.

I don't know how the follow up ever gets done. I don't ever have the time to follow up once TMs turn in their 4x4s to me.
 
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