Archived AE 2017

[Rock Lobster]

I actually have one BIG and SIMPLE suggestion for Target.... Improve payroll management and allocation!!! Right now, MyTime supposedly allocates the store payroll, but nobody follows it. Every store is allocating payroll however they damn well please depending on the whims of the STL or ETL-HR. This is a major expense at the store levels, and yet Target seems to have no idea at all what is going on in stores around this. Let's simplify the process a bit. Just figure hours per truck times amount of trucks for flow, and have mytime show that as the allocation. Figure out a certain amount of cashier hours per sales, and allocate that. Give plano and pricing hours based on the adjacency calendar and pricing workload....

This literally could be the easiest thing in the world, but you have some unqualified ETLs or STLs honestly making decisions within stores about how much payroll different workcenters should be getting, and it messes up the building.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I actually have one BIG and SIMPLE suggestion for Target.... Improve payroll management and allocation!!! Right now, MyTime supposedly allocates the store payroll, but nobody follows it. Every store is allocating payroll however they damn well please depending on the whims of the STL or ETL-HR. This is a major expense at the store levels, and yet Target seems to have no idea at all what is going on in stores around this. Let's simplify the process a bit. Just figure hours per truck times amount of trucks for flow, and have mytime show that as the allocation. Figure out a certain amount of cashier hours per sales, and allocate that. Give plano and pricing hours based on the adjacency calendar and pricing workload....

This literally could be the easiest thing in the world, but you have some unqualified ETLs or STLs honestly making decisions within stores about how much payroll different workcenters should be getting, and it messes up the building.

Hey spot corp, are you listening?

 

[jenna]

This literally could be the easiest thing in the world, but you have some unqualified ETLs or STLs honestly making decisions within stores about how much payroll different workcenters should be getting, and it messes up the building.

And you have some teams that drag ass, and eat up all the Payroll leaving other teams to do more with less. Looking at you Flow. Looking at you "leaders" that allow this to happen.

 

[Yetive]

So many added trucks for us, but no added hours to work them.

 

[Logo]

An amazing thing is happening. Hours were cut drastically as we all know. Our flow team is only working minimum call in and guess what we are most days coming clean by the end of their shift! Heavy repacks can cause us to have to extend but its only 1 or 2 people and its usually for less then an hour. I'm truly impressed with how well they are doing. Most have figured out if they hussle they will get asked to work in other work centers, which is how they supplement their hours.

 

[Bosch]

So many added trucks for us, but no added hours to work them.

or the pricing workload says one thing that day rolls around and its three times as large. Projected a 1000 tickets, reality 5000 tickets..

And you would still have STLs and ETLs chopping payroll the way they want. I have seen the allocation for In-Stocks should have been 120hrs but we were given 60hrs.. Cause we had an STL who wanted a golden contributor award. So he shorted all workcenters to the bone and when the wheels came off it was our fault..

You need to burn the culture of "make it work" and the "throw bodies at the problem" it won't matter what anyone does cause in order to keep those above them happy they will lie, cheat and steal to make it look right. You need the culture to change of actually do it right even if it looks for horrible for a while. It will get better and stay better. But nope spit and duct tape to make it look right. While its all broken and ready to collapse.

 

[soyaxo]

We've been blessed with a good VML. I can't stand the Hardlines Sr. TL and Cafe TL sometimes. They drive me insane!

 

[TGT411]

Umm... that is my exact suggestion I've been saying for at least 6-8 months lol

You and me both. I think I posted this in the AP thread last year and I've been telling everyone I know this is the best way to "fix" AP. We won't get any credit but at least they're finally doing the right thing..

 

[BigEyedPhish]

I actually have one BIG and SIMPLE suggestion for Target.... Improve payroll management and allocation!!! Right now, MyTime supposedly allocates the store payroll, but nobody follows it. Every store is allocating payroll however they damn well please depending on the whims of the STL or ETL-HR. This is a major expense at the store levels, and yet Target seems to have no idea at all what is going on in stores around this. Let's simplify the process a bit. Just figure hours per truck times amount of trucks for flow, and have mytime show that as the allocation. Figure out a certain amount of cashier hours per sales, and allocate that. Give plano and pricing hours based on the adjacency calendar and pricing workload....

This literally could be the easiest thing in the world, but you have some unqualified ETLs or STLs honestly making decisions within stores about how much payroll different workcenters should be getting, and it messes up the building.

What is funny is that my Hour allocation for Signing for this huge Cosmetics Reset was 1 Hour....

I joked with my TL that, that was fine, I'd come in give everyone high fives for a couple minutes, then clean the Fixture room for 30 more min, then leave.

 

[Rock Lobster]

You and me both. I think I posted this in the AP thread last year and I've been telling everyone I know this is the best way to "fix" AP. We won't get any credit but at least they're finally doing the right thing..

Yep I agree. With the switch in direction over the last year on theft exclusively (internal and external) in the world of AP, it makes more sense for it to be an APTL position. An ETL-AP makes sense when it was a balanced approach among operations and theft, since it often meant they needed to influence other aspects of the business, but now it is not really merited.

Plus I like the Investigator/APBP combination and attrition. I know in our districts, we didn't have an APBP present anywhere close to us, and the investigator was at our DO. We often times reached out to her over our APBP because she would be more familiar with what was going on. Our APBP we could call, but we would have to retell the entire situation since she had so much on her plate.

Operationally, Target is on the right track in this regards. The next step to reducing shortage would then be to make logistics easier. There is a serious problem when most ETL-LOGs have to be extremely experienced to navigate a green workcenter. An ETL-LOG has to micromanage trucks to no-end in most stores (probably B Volume and higher) because its just such a crazy workload with the systems we have in place. The trucks need to be easy enough for the Flow TL to manage as the main leader, and the ETL-LOG needs to take on a larger Operations role like in most companies. In many stores the ETL-LOG is a Flow TL in terms of scope simply because they are stuck pushing trucks.

 

[signingminion]

What is funny is that my Hour allocation for Signing for this huge Cosmetics Reset was 1 Hour....

I joked with my TL that, that was fine, I'd come in give everyone high fives for a couple minutes, then clean the Fixture room for 30 more min, then leave.

Brilliant. I would actually do this. Just to see if they caught on.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Brilliant. I would actually do this. Just to see if they caught on.

popcorn coming out.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

I liked the part about guest service TM's having to spend 5-10 minutes with the guest as they make their registry.

Followed by the new schedule which slashed service desk hours.

"Sorry angry line of people trying to return things! I have to spend another 8.2 minutes over here with this guest! Then I can help you!"

LMAO..most of the time we have one opener and one closer. I barely have time to do the work I have now.

 

[Rock Lobster]

or the pricing workload says one thing that day rolls around and its three times as large. Projected a 1000 tickets, reality 5000 tickets..

And you would still have STLs and ETLs chopping payroll the way they want. I have seen the allocation for In-Stocks should have been 120hrs but we were given 60hrs.. Cause we had an STL who wanted a golden contributor award. So he shorted all workcenters to the bone and when the wheels came off it was our fault..

You need to burn the culture of "make it work" and the "throw bodies at the problem" it won't matter what anyone does cause in order to keep those above them happy they will lie, cheat and steal to make it look right. You need the culture to change of actually do it right even if it looks for horrible for a while. It will get better and stay better. But nope spit and duct tape to make it look right. While its all broken and ready to collapse.

Well said! Upper leadership at Target has no idea that this is how stores operate. They get presented fantastic looking stores, but in reality they are far worse that what they see a majority of the times. I know freight rolled in most of the stores in my district this fourth quarter, but when upper leadership visited it all went onto storage trailers or hidden. Once they leave it all comes back out. Stores will not run how they think on the payroll they have... it doesn't just magically get done on less, it just gets hidden when you come around.

 

[glo]

or the pricing workload says one thing that day rolls around and its three times as large. Projected a 1000 tickets, reality 5000 tickets..

And you would still have STLs and ETLs chopping payroll the way they want. I have seen the allocation for In-Stocks should have been 120hrs but we were given 60hrs.. Cause we had an STL who wanted a golden contributor award. So he shorted all workcenters to the bone and when the wheels came off it was our fault..

You need to burn the culture of "make it work" and the "throw bodies at the problem" it won't matter what anyone does cause in order to keep those above them happy they will lie, cheat and steal to make it look right. You need the culture to change of actually do it right even if it looks for horrible for a while. It will get better and stay better. But nope spit and duct tape to make it look right. While its all broken and ready to collapse.

We managed golden contribution without too much short staffing. Too bad we (the TLs that put in a shit ton of work) don't get to see any of the benefits.

 

[Tar Ghetto]

I actually have one BIG and SIMPLE suggestion for Target.... Improve payroll management and allocation!!! Right now, MyTime supposedly allocates the store payroll, but nobody follows it. Every store is allocating payroll however they damn well please depending on the whims of the STL or ETL-HR. This is a major expense at the store levels, and yet Target seems to have no idea at all what is going on in stores around this. Let's simplify the process a bit. Just figure hours per truck times amount of trucks for flow, and have mytime show that as the allocation. Figure out a certain amount of cashier hours per sales, and allocate that. Give plano and pricing hours based on the adjacency calendar and pricing workload....

This literally could be the easiest thing in the world, but you have some unqualified ETLs or STLs honestly making decisions within stores about how much payroll different workcenters should be getting, and it messes up the building.

So what's the solution? Hard lock hour allocation so there is extremely little or no room for adjustments? STLs will just schedule in one workcenter and use in another.

 

[slinesslave1]

But, PB & J in the breakroom!

Ha our store did that during the month of December peanut butter and jelly all month long. It was kind of an insult really they could have afforded to feed us a nice meal or something on Christmas Eve. The company I work for now they close the store early one day during December and we go to a local banquet hall and have a huge party

 

[slinesslave1]

If that "packet" would include bringing back some of the things that actually made Spot standout in terms of quality, that would be awesome. (Hours, Specialists, etc.) All Focus should be getting us all as a company back to what we once was, instead of what we have become.

I was a specialist for target long time ago well till 2010 I did shoes we were the only greatland in my state and I had 31 aisles of shoes to zone every day I took over the department and it was red. I had no support for when I was not there so my dept would not get touched and our stl at the time was a 28 years with the company and knew everyone's job and would tell anyone she hated how we specialist have it so easy.

 

[jenna]

I was a specialist for target long time ago well till 2010 I did shoes we were the only greatland in my state and I had 31 aisles of shoes to zone every day I took over the department and it was red. I had no support for when I was not there so my dept would not get touched and our stl at the time was a 28 years with the company and knew everyone's job and would tell anyone she hated how we specialist have it so easy.

 

[Rock Lobster]

So what's the solution? Hard lock hour allocation so there is extremely little or no room for adjustments? STLs will just schedule in one workcenter and use in another.

Essentially. The point is that honestly, trucks should take a certain amount of payroll/trailer and you can apply that for almost all stores. However, I have seen stores fluctuate some 50-70 hours PER TRAILER on their allocation depending on the store. MyTime makes no sense on the allocation, but at the same time every STL runs their buildings completely different. Its a serious issue (at its core) with the productivity $ calculation they use to allocate payroll in the first place, and then the STLs making decisions based on what ends up coming out.

 

[SFSFun]

Essentially. The point is that honestly, trucks should take a certain amount of payroll/trailer and you can apply that for almost all stores. However, I have seen stores fluctuate some 50-70 hours PER TRAILER on their allocation depending on the store. MyTime makes no sense on the allocation, but at the same time every STL runs their buildings completely different. Its a serious issue (at its core) with the productivity $ calculation they use to allocate payroll in the first place, and then the STLs making decisions based on what ends up coming out.

But mismanaged Log processes are going to fail miserably if they are given a set amount of payroll and told to stick with it. What happens when they consistently don't get trucks finished on time and continue to overspend payroll? Like @Tar Ghetto said, they will just schedule TMs under other workcenters and make them push the truck.

 

[signingminion]

But mismanaged Log processes are going to fail miserably if they are given a set amount of payroll and told to stick with it. What happens when they consistently don't get trucks finished on time and continue to overspend payroll? Like @Tar Ghetto said, they will just schedule TMs under other workcenters and make them push the truck.

But even that won't work if the actual team sucks...ask me how I know...

 

[PPTL95]

Oh its okay, plano will finish truck even though thry have a large workload


Also, every store should follow best practice and have the backroom pull and backstock plano stuff. If you have not been in plano, you do not understand. I have been in just about every area of the store, and have never gotten screwed over as much as our team does now.

 

[qmosqueen]

Oh its okay, plano will finish truck even though thry have a large workload


Also, every store should follow best practice and have the backroom pull and backstock plano stuff. If you have not been in plano, you do not understand. I have been in just about every area of the store, and have never gotten screwed over as much as our team does now.

welcome to my world in pfresh, never finishing a truck no one to help finish the previous truck.
LOTS and LOTS of back stock in the freezer .

 

[HRZone]

If you have not been in plano, you do not understand.