Archived Ask any Instocks/Backroom Questions :)

[Kroneru]

The trick is that if you find something that doesn't have a quantity (unless you know it shouldn't, ie women's clothing) answer Yes and pull all from location. That way, when the audit goes there next day there won't be an error there with your name on it. I used to also utilize U-pdate within STO and just update the baffle's quantity. I find that this also kept me off the report. Granted, this is all speculation but I was always the top batch puller and I would walk away with one or less baffles a week.

Thanks, duly noted. The U-pdate tactic is a habit of mine as well.

 

[asidius]

One day I'm going to go on spree and print backroom labels for the entire backroom when I have free time. Alot of our labels are missing or just torn and beat up.

 

[Dekaf]

Backroom question:

Have you experienced a glitch/bug in the system, in which an item STO'd into a location will then show up located somewhere else instead?

example of what I mean: I'm backstocking a tub of items, and I STO candles into aisle 33 (the dedicated STAT aisle). 30 minutes later, I'm working on a different tub, and I get more of the same candle that I backstocked earlier in aisle 33, but when I scan it, I get a Previous Location in aisle 29 (HIPA). I'm thinking maybe its a similar item instead of the exact same item. I check the HIPA aisle for that misplaced candle so I can move it to its proper fillgroup, and find that its a ghost. I go to where I backstocked the candles earlier, and scan the ones that I STO'd previously to A) compare DPCI's, and B) see if its located where I scanned it, only to find out that it is the same candle, and somehow it did in fact scan into an entirely different aisle. So I fix the ghost, rescan the candles (with the new quantity) into the proper location, and double check to make sure it scanned properly into location.

I've personally experienced this a couple times, I've talked to other people who have had it happen as well, and we occasionally just run across something strange like apple sauce scanned into the shoe aisle (and it turns out to be a Ghost). I've reported the issue to various leaders over the years, and either it isn't being communicated up the chain so that it can be fixed, or it is and they just aren't fixing it.

I've ran into it a few times. It's been attributed to the software on the 9200 PDA's. Occasionally the software bugs out and uses the last scan location as the location for the product you are currently attempting to STO. It also has been attributed to a team member number being signed into 2 different PDAs, I'm not sure if this is true, but it was claimed that it causes RFapps to tweak out and this also leads to random location ghosts.

Whether or not either of those are the exact answer I'm not sure. Either way it appears to be an unresolved software issue. I've ran into it where I'll be pulling a batch for the presentation team to help them get a headstart on their workload, and it will claim I have 2 cases of tide in my snack aisle lol.

 

[LogisticsFox]

It's been attributed to the software on the 9200 PDA's.

Actually, I've been able to track it to a particular PDA about a dozen times and it's usually the old style PDA. I haven't been backroom since they went byebye so I have no idea if the error is any more or less prevalent.

 

[SFSFun]

Backroom question:

Have you experienced a glitch/bug in the system, in which an item STO'd into a location will then show up located somewhere else instead?

example of what I mean: I'm backstocking a tub of items, and I STO candles into aisle 33 (the dedicated STAT aisle). 30 minutes later, I'm working on a different tub, and I get more of the same candle that I backstocked earlier in aisle 33, but when I scan it, I get a Previous Location in aisle 29 (HIPA). I'm thinking maybe its a similar item instead of the exact same item. I check the HIPA aisle for that misplaced candle so I can move it to its proper fillgroup, and find that its a ghost. I go to where I backstocked the candles earlier, and scan the ones that I STO'd previously to A) compare DPCI's, and B) see if its located where I scanned it, only to find out that it is the same candle, and somehow it did in fact scan into an entirely different aisle. So I fix the ghost, rescan the candles (with the new quantity) into the proper location, and double check to make sure it scanned properly into location.

I've personally experienced this a couple times, I've talked to other people who have had it happen as well, and we occasionally just run across something strange like apple sauce scanned into the shoe aisle (and it turns out to be a Ghost). I've reported the issue to various leaders over the years, and either it isn't being communicated up the chain so that it can be fixed, or it is and they just aren't fixing it.

I've personally had this happen twice, and other BRTMs have mentioned it happening occasionally.

Both times it happened to me, I found the item in the aisle it was supposed to be in but in the exact location that the PDA thought it was in the other aisle.

Ex: It tells me to pull a box of diapers from 001K02, but aisle 001 is CNDY. I went to aisle 012 where diapers usually are and sure enough the item is sitting on shelf 012K02 but not in location.

 

[LogisticsFox]

I've personally had this happen twice, and other BRTMs have mentioned it happening occasionally.

Both times it happened to me, I found the item in the aisle it was supposed to be in but in the exact location that the PDA thought it was in the other aisle.

Ex: It tells me to pull a box of diapers from 001K02, but aisle 001 is CNDY. I went to aisle 012 where diapers usually are and sure enough the item is sitting on shelf 012K02 but not in location.

Exactly the same thing that occurs here.. Wa pulling CHEM one day and it wanted me to go to 003k28 which is SNCK! After pulling up the report, I found the item in 023k28

 

[Ozland]

What exactly is BRLA? What is the metric grading? Is it just to measure cutting down on errors and having everything sto'ed correctly? Does sto-ing in correct fillgroups play a part in BRLA?

 

[HRZone]

1

What exactly is BRLA? What is the metric grading? Is it just to measure cutting down on errors and having everything sto'ed correctly? Does sto-ing in correct fillgroups play a part in BRLA?

Backroom location accuracy?

 

[anathema]

Backroom Location Accuracy deals with the percentage of pulls that didn't include errors that week. Y-Usage, M-Delete, and LOCU errors are the types of errors you'll encounter and want to avoid. STO correctly, LOCU with caution, and ensure you're pulling everything when it asks if you did. STOing in proper fillgroups is only a part of backroom organization and brand, not BRLA. The system doesn't care if you have 12 fillgroups in one aisle or only 1.

Green = 97.5%+

 

[ReneP]

If I have 10 errors caused by LOCU and the team member detail says TM Baffle% 100 does that mean that every time I tried to fix a ghost I caused an error 10 times?

I feel like whenever I LOCU a location I do it very through and I go back to the detail report and I make sure I didn't miss a Dpci when sto'ing everything back into location

 

[BackroomBear]

If you LOCU then I throw something in that location without STO'ing, YOU get the Baffle, because the system thinks you missed it when LOCU'ing. That's why STO is the go to usually. You could avoid that by LOCU then STO'ing individually, I think. Or cut the problem of people throwing things on a shelf (probably better). I LOCU bulk all the time when moving freight in the steel to make space, different tactics for bulk and light duty, however.

 

[Bearsona]

What happens if the backroom closers burn all of their CAF pulls? I've had backroom closer shifts sometimes for almost a year and the main guy that trains us and taught us about burning batches told us not to tell anyone. Well he trained a new guy, same way as everyone else, and our ETL suddenly had a report about us burning batches. Is there really a report that shows this or did this new guy snitch? Also what happens when we burn CAF batches?

 

[Rock Lobster]

What happens if the backroom closers burn all of their CAF pulls? I've had backroom closer shifts sometimes for almost a year and the main guy that trains us and taught us about burning batches told us not to tell anyone. Well he trained a new guy, same way as everyone else, and our ETL suddenly had a report about us burning batches. Is there really a report that shows this or did this new guy snitch? Also what happens when we burn CAF batches?

Yes if you pull an item and immediately STO it back, it triggers as a suspect item. We can now see how many, who did them, and even way to drill down to the exact items and when they were done.

If you want a work around (it takes longer), you will have to carry a second PDA and LOCU the location back in after you pull it, as this will not trigger it. There is always a work around, but just do it if you legit need to burn a batch (for example, a dropped fill that is not actually needed by the SF)

 

[Bearsona]

Yes if you pull an item and immediately STO it back, it triggers as a suspect item. We can now see how many, who did them, and even way to drill down to the exact items and when they were done.

If you want a work around (it takes longer), you will have to carry a second PDA and LOCU the location back in after you pull it, as this will not trigger it. There is always a work around, but just do it if you legit need to burn a batch (for example, a dropped fill that is not actually needed by the SF)

The reason we do this is because they expect us to pull these batches and push them all out too, there just isin't enough time to finish with backstock and myFAs... A friend from another Target told me at his store hardlines pushes their CAFs, that would be nice! I will try out your method, it seems faster than having to push all those carts.

 

[Logo]

Sometimes it makes sense to burn. i.e an assortment or you literally just backstocked items and you know for a fact that the item isn't going out. (Bedding because the caps were set at 32 instead of 1). As long as you can speak to why you burnt a batch there should be no issue.

 

[Rock Lobster]

The reason we do this is because they expect us to pull these batches and push them all out too, there just isin't enough time to finish with backstock and myFAs... A friend from another Target told me at his store hardlines pushes their CAFs, that would be nice! I will try out your method, it seems faster than having to push all those carts.

Ahh you are one of those stores that still has the BR push their own CAFs. This is going away (or should) because of the efficiency reporting. BR should only be pulling/backstocking and myFA. That is all the hours they get in MyTime. The reason for this should be obvious (you don't want the same team pulling as the team that works the batches, because then they will burn them out... just as your store does).

 

[YourPPTL]

Sometimes it makes sense to burn. i.e an assortment or you literally just backstocked items and you know for a fact that the item isn't going out. (Bedding because the caps were set at 32 instead of 1). As long as you can speak to why you burnt a batch there should be no issue.

Your plano team should have reset those caps. In bedding when they set the revision. My team did. The first pull for the revision was huge, she changed all the caps back to one and she and. one of my other plano team members backstocked all the over stock.

 

[Logo]

My plano team "doesn't have time"! You are already using a mydevice to push the product!! Fix the freakin caps! You have no idea how frustrating it is. They create all this unnecessary work. Whoever creates the POG should have at least an ounce of sense to know a shelf isn't going hold 33 7pc king comf sets. We've even volunteered our in-stock team to change the caps but they would need to let them know there's an issue. Grrrrrrr

 

[SitSpotSit]

My plano team "doesn't have time"! You are already using a mydevice to push the product!! Fix the freakin caps! You have no idea how frustrating it is. They create all this unnecessary work. Whoever creates the POG should have at least an ounce of sense to know a shelf isn't going hold 33 7pc king comf sets. We've even volunteered our in-stock team to change the caps but they would need to let them know there's an issue. Grrrrrrr

When I trained for plano changing the capacity wasn't a part of the process. It wasn't until one of our instocks tm told me it was a part of setting. When I asked about it I was told it wasn't our job at our store. Instocks begs to differ but it's no use. I do it now, though....sshhhh!!!

 

[ISMike]

My plano team "doesn't have time"! You are already using a mydevice to push the product!! Fix the freakin caps! You have no idea how frustrating it is. They create all this unnecessary work. Whoever creates the POG should have at least an ounce of sense to know a shelf isn't going hold 33 7pc king comf sets. We've even volunteered our in-stock team to change the caps but they would need to let them know there's an issue. Grrrrrrr

I ended up just going through that entire aisle and set cap to 1 for everything after flats were coming out with duplicates and 90% backstock after it set. Lots of 24,27,30+ capacities for bed sets, a couple that were already 1, and a random 3 here and there.

 

[YourPPTL]

My plano team "doesn't have time"! You are already using a mydevice to push the product!! Fix the freakin caps! You have no idea how frustrating it is. They create all this unnecessary work. Whoever creates the POG should have at least an ounce of sense to know a shelf isn't going hold 33 7pc king comf sets. We've even volunteered our in-stock team to change the caps but they would need to let them know there's an issue. Grrrrrrr

I know how frustrating it is to have to change all these caps all the time I've been doing this job for a very long time 25 plus years.. No use crying about it just fix it. At least thats what i tell my team.

 

[SrTLall]

Ahh you are one of those stores that still has the BR push their own CAFs. This is going away (or should) because of the efficiency reporting. BR should only be pulling/backstocking and myFA. That is all the hours they get in MyTime. The reason for this should be obvious (you don't want the same team pulling as the team that works the batches, because then they will burn them out... just as your store does).

The wordaround for that is to just schedule the BR closer until 6 then change their workcenter to HL from 6-close.

For stores who have not yet replaced autos with manuals, they reduce the size of the CAFs, which is nice.

 

[Kompa]

How can you access the report that shows who and what was burned. We usually burn challenge but I eventually want to cross compare to see if the shit would actually fit out

 

[Logo]

Myperformance. I think the link it backroom tm report. It will show name how many pulls and #suspect. If tm has a suspect pull it will indicate the number. Select the number and i think it will show you the item.