Archived Creating a Schedule

[Him]

I'm just curious as to all the components that goes into creating a schedule. And I ve read a couple of threads on here as some TL's creating schedules?? I thought only ETL's had that privilege.. But ok.. Please share your insights everyone.

 

[PassinTime]

My store one of the HR TMs (not ETL or TL) made part of the schedule.

 

[redndkhaki]

ASANTS. My old store I (GSTL) did all the schedule for the front end including the GSTL schedules. But at my store it is the ETL GE that does the GSTL schedule and another GSTL does the rest of the front end.

 

[Yetive]

I make the schedule for Starbucks now, and have made it for whichever departments I have run in the past. It's just balancing the needs of the business and the team with the number of hours allotted. So, I schedule coverage from open to close first. Then account for any new sets, ordering, food inventory, training, etc. . . . look at when peak times are and schedule double coverage there when there are enough hours. Once I have the shifts written out, I fill the team in.

 

[HRZone]

ASANTS. My old store I (GSTL) did all the schedule for the front end including the GSTL schedules. But at my store it is the ETL GE that does the GSTL schedule and another GSTL does the rest of the front end.

This is so true, at my store HR does the front end.

To answer the OP question. It starts with those who have a set schedule. Sometimes ETLs or TLs will key a certain shifts ahead of time. Especially if there is a project to be done. Also usually TLs are keyed ahead of time - they always get the most hours.

Next on (edit) Tuesday night MyTime writes its own schedule using the availability given by tms. Mytime also weighs "coverage" as it anticipates what days and times the store will be busy.

Once this is done HR and leadership go over the schedule MyTime made and make edits until they spend whatever their work center has been budgeted. By Wed or Thursday your schedule is posted.

 

[SFSFun]

Most TLs in the store do the schedules for their team. Some of them rely heavily on myTime and adjust where needed, while others start from scratch and spend hours crafting the perfect schedule. My TL does the BR, SFS, and instocks schedules from scratch (though most of the morning TMs work the same shifts every week), and he lets myTime do most of the Flow schedule.

 

[Xanatos]

Next on Wednesday night MyTime the Target system writes its own schedule using the availability given by tms.

It's on Tuesday night, I'd guess around 8 or 9pm eastern.

 

[HRZone]

It's on Tuesday night, I'd guess around 8 or 9pm eastern.

Yes thanks for correcting that.

 

[Spitfire]

To elaborate on a few comments, first myTime (Target's scheduling system) will automatically generate a completely useless schedule. From what I can tell it takes some key lessons about writing a good schedule and completely subverts them. Our myTime generated schedules have produced such hilarity as having 4 cashiers by 9 AM and no closers, or having the closing sales floor team leave 30-60 minutes before the store closes.

Sidebar: it does this because much of the data it's based on is guest traffic. There are practically no guests in the store an hour before close, so myTime reasons that we need practically no team members at that time. What it doesn't take into account, however, is tasks! You need closers to zone a store, but myTime only sees in terms of guests. You need some early shifts to set sales planners on heavy weeks, but again, myTime only sees guests. Even in this regard, however, it is a huge failure as left to its own devices it will consistently fail to predict even simple guest traffic patterns, like the fact that you need more mid cashiers than openers on a Saturday.​

Next, the TL or ETL for their department (or an HRTM/ETL-HR) will delete the myTime generated schedule and write a schedule that makes sense for their departments. They will consider the workload for that day or week, and the best shifts to accomplish it (while balancing that with the everyday needs caused by guest traffic - helping guests, strays, zone, etc.) They will ensure the schedules are fair and consistent, like not having many (if any) clopenings and giving TMs a fair mix of shifts. Among other things.

Apologies if this post is coming across as snarky, but I firmly believe that some workcenters' and stores' biggest problems are their schedules, and most of them don't even realize it. A schedule written by a leader familiar with the workcenter, store and market will always be better than a one-size-fits-all computer generated one, at least in its current implementation. Sure it takes a while to learn, but it becomes much quicker once you get the hang of things, and the results are so worth it.

 

[LUR99]

I am an HR TM and I make the schedule for the front end. Our ETL GE used to make to make the schedule for the front end but now I am doing it. Backroom TL makes the backroom schedule, Flow Team Lead makes the flow schedule. ETL GE makes the sales floor schedule and the schedule for the Softlines Team Lead.