Archived Flow Question(unloading)

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I figured I would just make a new thread to ask a few more specific questions since I had my first night last night.


I got paired with my trainer at the very end of the conveyor belt and this was the only thing that really left me a little confused for the night. It didn't help that the music was loud and made it hard to hear him.


He basically just pointed to pallets and would tell me 10-15 goes on this one, 16 on this one. Cut 39s open and put on 16 if there are hangers, 10-15 if not. 5 goes here, 4 or 6 and 35 go here, and 36 goes here.


It was really confusing for me and we got a little backed up, thankfully he handled it for me. Is there any easier way to determine what should be placed where?



As far as the actual stocking the sales floor goes, I feel like I have that figured out for the most part, and reading on here how to read the labels helped a bit. I am still not quite fast enough but I confidently feel that after a bit more practice I can bump up my efficiency and speed quite alot.
 
Odd that they would put you at the end with all the repacks. Our store doesn't use anything above 16 unless we have transition, so I can't tell you where it would go. Just remember what departments will get repacks: electronics, HBA (health and beauty), stationery, softlines, and everything else. You don't have to remember what the numbers mean off the bat, just look through the side or cut the box open and see what's inside. If you don't remember, ask. If he gets impatient, oh well, he'll live. You'll be better than him in no time anyway.

I know most stores separate softlines onto two pallets: hanging and the rest (I am obviously very informed about softlines). If it has a hanger, put it on the hanging pallet. Everything else should be on the other one. I'm not sure what they use 35, 36, and 39 for...we don't use those but for transition in which case we send them to backstock. There SHOULD be signs hanging but we were lucky to have a good TL and trainer that put detailed signs up for repacks and case packs so I'm unsure.

For stocking, use the biggest box in your aisle and stuff all your boxes into it. Save yourself a few trips to the cage and you'll be cleaning the aisle as you go. Stocking is easier compared to unload, less information to know.

Anyway, it's normal to feel flooded. Just keep asking over and over and commit as much to memory as possible, even if it's one department a day. I get trainees asking me questions they should have asked week 2 when they've been here nearly a year. Don't be that guy. Sounds like you're doing fine, just takes a bit of practice.
 
Thanks for the info. Yea I saw so many numbers coming past me that he hadn't even mentioned, 30, 31, 40. He moved me down the line a bit to where I was mainly focusing on the 36/5/4-6-35 pallets but it still felt a little overwhelming.


That being said I do think I will enjoy this job after doing it a little more. I hadn't really kept in shape or exercised much up till about 2 weeks before starting this job so it is quite a workout considering I have a 12 minute walk to and from work as well. However I do really like that it is fast paced and you are constantly busy. One of my past jobs I dreaded everyday because if it was slow the day felt like a year.




One more question I didn't really feel like I got the hang of. When I got around to some isles with kitchen pans and skillets that would be hanging the aisle location would have a P in front of the shelf # and I reallllly had trouble finding where they went. I mainly only got them up by trying to find the dcpi # or w/e on the aisle.
 
That...seems like a lot of repack numbers. Are you including the cases in this as well? The red/black boxes are repacks, everything else are cases. It seems like the ones he didn't mention might be block numbers, which are the big bold numbers on the right side of the label for regular casepacks.

I've lost something like 20 pounds since doing unload combined with not drinking soda...it's definitely a workout.

P means it's a hanging location. I can only guess it stands for peg or something similar. You will also see some with F in front, not sure what it means. They're a bit confusing but just go by the last four of the DPCI, it's unique to every item. 1-P1-1 for example is the first location. Then, 1-P1-2, 1-P1-3. Next section will start 2-P1-1 and if there's hanging above it will look like 2-P2-1. IIRC.
 
When it has the "P" as in 1-p1-2 that does stand for Peg. When it has the "F" as in 1-f1-2 that is for fixture. Its funny though because some times it seems they are backwards.
 
When it has the "P" as in 1-p1-2 that does stand for Peg. When it has the "F" as in 1-f1-2 that is for fixture. Its funny though because some times it seems they are backwards.

P is usually an ordinary peghook and F is whatever random fixture the planogram calls for (see: wall art and curtain rods).
 
Okay that makes sense. Thanks alot for the info. Hopefully my next day goes a little smoother on the unloading part.
 
Kind of off topic question, but here goes:

Can anyone give me an approximate estimate on what unload times should look like? If it makes a big difference, what kind of difference does it make when you don't scan the truck? (Push all)
 
I don't have enough experience with all push, but it should make a big difference as you'll have an extra person to push the line down and even pull pallets. My TL has always said something to the effect of '4 panels per truck, 15 minutes a panel'. I think. Someone who knows better than I would have to answer. I honestly don't know what the hell a panel looks like.

Our trucks are usually like 1800-2200 and they shouldn't take more than an hour and 15 minutes.
 
Our repacks work that any red / white box the guy in the first spot takes them and puts them on flats or security cage. Hes also responsible for 1-12 with 2's going on the electronics pallet.

Last spot on the line handles 3 blocks as well as infants (55) and softlines (57-59) and puts them on flats. So 98% of the time the repacks that get to the last guy can be easily moved to a flat. We don't sort the SLs off the line itself, the TMs who take it out to the floor do that. I've only worked that spot a few times, wasn't too bad.
 
I don't have enough experience with all push, but it should make a big difference as you'll have an extra person to push the line down and even pull pallets. My TL has always said something to the effect of '4 panels per truck, 15 minutes a panel'. I think. Someone who knows better than I would have to answer. I honestly don't know what the hell a panel looks like.

Our trucks are usually like 1800-2200 and they shouldn't take more than an hour and 15 minutes.

On the inside of the truck there is wood paneling in sections, should be 6 large sections and 1 small section either at the front or the back. General rule at my store is 10 minutes per panel so our trucks are unloaded in about an hour. I would pay attention to the panels and how long its taking to unload and then set goals to beat the previous one till you can get it controlled. Most times its a matter of adding 1 more person to the line in the right spot.
 
Thanks nomoretrucks! That is a good way to look at it. We tend to unload in about an hour and a half, two hours (about 2,300 is average for us as of lately). Sounds like we have room for improvement.
 
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