Archived How Did Your Store Schedule Instocks with the New ULV Strategy?

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I had to put together the schedule last week for BR/IS starting next Monday when we go live with this 7:30a unload. I have all of my BR TMs cross training to IS and will come in on Tuesday/Thursdays at 7a to doe SA RSCH until 12p. 5 on Tuesday to do HL and 4 on Thursday for softlines. We will start doing a wave where we only shoot SA RSCH on empty locations only. I will be doing RIGs as we wave and ensuring all outs are researched and all Rain checks are set up correctly.

Thoughts or any knowledge on how other ULV stores are changing their BR/IS process. I looked through the "7am truck unload" thread but didn't see anything.
 
I'm not really familiar with the ULV stores so I'm wondering why SA research. Do you get a daily instocks task list? I am also wondering about only scheduling 4 for softlines on Thursdays. I think that most IS schedulers completely underestimate the time it takes to scan tables, jean walls, shoes and intimates, especially with the continually changing adjacency and typically poor zone accuracy. I don't scan all of softlines on a regular basis, but it is my experience and that of most scanners that the pathing is almost always ineffective and the POG ties incorrect. It is absolutely essential that the night before a softlines scan that zoning and reshop be completed and correct.

We get a great headstart on the rainchecks by having a tm work the store specific ad guide before scanning begins (typically at 5 am - definitely after the truck has been acknowledged so that nothing with an OH count over 2 is changed to zero OH) but actually making the rainchecks and subs for all outs in the aisle, not just the one or two indicated on the SSAG. We used to have one tm move ahead of the rest of us just completing RIGs so that scanners had very few rainchecks/subs to make, but we don't anymore. It was better when we did.

Instocks scans can begin as early as 6:25 am, so I would actually start scans at 6:30 on non-truck days and have the team follow the flow wave. The backroom needs to be trained to pull in the same order as the flow wave. The flow team can then work the pulls as they are working the freight in an area. I would also schedule IS for 6:30 on truck days to help with completing pulls and ensuring that reshop is done so that scans can begin as soon as the first flow wave area is complete. If it's a big truck, they can complete the previous day's PTM task list. You just have to make sure that you log into it before 6 so that it doesn't roll over into that day's work. On your HL all-out-scan day, have one of your backroom tms ensure that entertainment is backstocked immediately and get them on your browser scan before the store opens and then go back to do the rest of entertainment. Since you're doing it on Tuesday, your plano team will be doing a lot of the video and gaming research so that will help cut the time needed there.
 
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So I decided to test run Instocks today. I had my 3 backroom TMs who normally pull autos and push them on Tuesday/Thursdays start at 9am and for the first time in years, we did use the task list. Before today, we had to do SA RSCH between 5-6a on M/W/F and I shot electronics on my own on Thursdays. We couldn't use the Task List before because it wasn't ready at 5am. On Tuesday/Thursdays, I had one BR TM do the RIGS after pulling Autos.

Today, we made it through 90% of HLs doing the task list as a wave. It will go much faster once the BR TMs are fully cross trained and comfortable. They just need to get the hang of toggling between RSCH, EXF, RAIN, etc. and when to skip an aisle for bad zone. But I think this is doable.

Softlines RSCH for us doesn't include shoes or intimates. We have the older shoe aisles and we can never get a good zone in shoes or intimates. We found it more efficient on payroll to have a regular TM zone and EXF shoes for a few hours a week instead of RSCH. We have become really good at surgically RSCHing softlines as we have only had 1 hour with 5 TMs on Fridays from 5-6a until now.

Plano can't do research due to time restraints. I go behind them after a new transition and EXF to ensure everything comes out of the backroom and to monitor their set/push performance. POG also doesn't do the weekly browser but the electronics TM starts on it Monday night close and finished it throughout Tuesday's shift. We also could never RSCH MMB as it would consistently destroy our AP scores. We only do a return scan once every month or two.

I like the idea of doing PTM the next day after they drop and having Flow push them out the next morning. But then I just remembered we can't do that anymore as we can't be in the building until 7am starting next week.

Thanks for your help RJ. It has sparked some ideas I would like to try in the next few weeks. I'll let you know how it goes!

A few more questions - we never RSCH'ed MPG aisles. I am guessing that if we are following the task list, we should now? I noticed RIGs in MPG aisles so we RSCH'ed the whole aisle anyways. I ask because we never RSCH end caps as they basically set as MPG.

- Why does the gun ask for a TM to scan the POG label on certain scans? Duel location issues?

Thanks!
 
we never RSCH'ed MPG aisles. I am guessing that if we are following the task list, we should now?
Nope. The task list tells you which sections of the aisle it wants scanned. For MPG aisles it will skip any MPG sections, asking you to scan only planograms that are still active, as well as encaps and sidecaps.

Why does the gun ask for a TM to scan the POG label on certain scans? Duel location issues?
Exactly. If it knows the product is on multiple POGs, it wants to know which you are zeroing so it can pull the capacity for just that location.
 
So I decided to test run Instocks today. I had my 3 backroom TMs who normally pull autos and push them on Tuesday/Thursdays start at 9am and for the first time in years, we did use the task list. Before today, we had to do SA RSCH between 5-6a on M/W/F and I shot electronics on my own on Thursdays. We couldn't use the Task List before because it wasn't ready at 5am. On Tuesday/Thursdays, I had one BR TM do the RIGS after pulling Autos.

Today, we made it through 90% of HLs doing the task list as a wave. It will go much faster once the BR TMs are fully cross trained and comfortable. They just need to get the hang of toggling between RSCH, EXF, RAIN, etc. and when to skip an aisle for bad zone. But I think this is doable.

Softlines RSCH for us doesn't include shoes or intimates. We have the older shoe aisles and we can never get a good zone in shoes or intimates. We found it more efficient on payroll to have a regular TM zone and EXF shoes for a few hours a week instead of RSCH. We have become really good at surgically RSCHing softlines as we have only had 1 hour with 5 TMs on Fridays from 5-6a until now.

Plano can't do research due to time restraints. I go behind them after a new transition and EXF to ensure everything comes out of the backroom and to monitor their set/push performance. POG also doesn't do the weekly browser but the electronics TM starts on it Monday night close and finished it throughout Tuesday's shift. We also could never RSCH MMB as it would consistently destroy our AP scores. We only do a return scan once every month or two.

I like the idea of doing PTM the next day after they drop and having Flow push them out the next morning. But then I just remembered we can't do that anymore as we can't be in the building until 7am starting next week.

Thanks for your help RJ. It has sparked some ideas I would like to try in the next few weeks. I'll let you know how it goes!

A few more questions - we never RSCH'ed MPG aisles. I am guessing that if we are following the task list, we should now? I noticed RIGs in MPG aisles so we RSCH'ed the whole aisle anyways. I ask because we never RSCH end caps as they basically set as MPG.

- Why does the gun ask for a TM to scan the POG label on certain scans? Duel location issues?

Thanks!

Corporate frowns upon the use of EXF and I would question your use of it instead of research. Research will update counts and trigger "orders" from the DC. You should try to use research for better inventory and shortage management. You will get RIGs in MPG aisles to check counts on items that may be carry forward, on sale (still needs rainchecks and subs), has backroom locations and a zero OH count, or will be on sale in the near future. It is best practice for plano (and salesplanner setters) to research a newly set POG. I would challenge my peers to do this - strongly challenge them, in fact. It's one thing to help out another team, but quite another to enable poor performers to keep their jobs. I sort of feel the same way about the concern over poor AP scores versus accurate inventory in MMB. Just some food for thought. I realize you have a lot on your plate right now, but those are the sorts of things that lead to discontent.
 
I don't disagree with you at all Rarejem. A little more background just to clarify:

- We were on something called a "Perpetual Inventory Test" for the past three years. I have never shot an OUT or had an actual IS Team in that time. Back when we had a Pricing TL separate from our Presentation TL, he did the stand alone RSCH with his pricing tms. We are just coming off this test as we transition into this new ULV strategy next week.

- Our DTL and Logistics field partners have passed down a consistent message to the ULV stores in our area that RSCH's purpose should be to get product out of the backroom in small stores. Because small stores have fewer scan opportunities and therefor our DTK metrics are more impacted by, say, Scans with BRLs. This is a common problem in ULV stores with metrics and, at least in our district/group, we are encouraged to find and implement a lot of unique ideas to keep scores competitive. For example, if a FRZN batch doesn't drop for an entire day, it hits our Data Integrity Sequencing Score red at 100% missed. Keep in mind that if we are only pulling around 10 eaches every day on average, one missed batch or backstock opportunity makes us red for THE ENTIRE WEEK! So to make it fair, we hold off on any QMOS from SDA or damages for a few days and if a batch doesn't drop, we QMOS the bin to generate a pull for FRZN. Just a workaround that doesn't actually negatively impact Guest Service.

So we are encouraged to EXF a lot more to keep ratios competitive in our metrics. Please understand that it took me a year of pushing back and adjusting myself to the idea of not doing process task to BP. But in the end, I have to answer to my boss and my boss's boss who say EXF everything and don't worry about the Pull types report. As long as we know where our problem areas are (YES, POG team needs to RSCH/EXF their own stuff and that is a performance issue we are working on currently) and have the trust of our bosses to fix them, Green scores are all that matter. I don't like it, I don't agree with it, but I like having a job and it keeps everyone happy.

- I don't understand why Plano would need to RSCH a new transition. Wouldn't it say NEW at the bottom of the screen after a RSCH scan, indicating that no count update could be done? I am referencing Formina Sage's Instock Guide ( http://www.thebreakroom.org/showthread.php/102-Instocks ) that states:

Tip: There are many filters that are built into Research that you should be aware of… and these block any count changes with the exception of a count ups.

  • If the item was received on a truck in the last 72 hours
  • If the item was pulled from the backroom in the last 48 hours
  • If the item is on an MPG planogram
  • If the item is tied to a planogram that is set within the last week
  • If the quantity entered isn’t a critical low

So going behind them with an EXF would pull everything that didn't come out in the New POG Fill due to that mysterious glitch that causes stuff to not pull the entire POG.

- I remember reading when Corp updated the Sales Planner BP last year that Sales Plans are basically thought of as MPG when the set because we are encouraged to flex when needed and they rotate about every 6 weeks like MPG sets. So what is the advantage to RSCHing end caps, especially after they are first set, unless it does NOT have a home location and is only tied to that endcap? I am really not trying to be difficult but really just trying to think through this.

- I agree with you 100% on the AP scores vs accurate inventory. Our MMB section looks like a shotgun blasted through it with so many holes after Tuesdays and there isn't anything I can do about it. Our store was THE worst store in the Eastern US for Shrink/Theft/Loss a few years ago ( think $1 million gone from a total of $15 million YTD sales) so they fired everyone and the replacement ETLs started enforcing changes like no RSCHing MMB, only ETL-AP can change anything on the Drastic Count Report over $50 (meaning some things don't get changed for several weeks until the AP scores can take the loss to maintain a more even average over time), and anything QMOSable gets tossed as out of date.

Please understand that I do agree with you 100% and I hope one day I get to see a store that runs on BP instead of the mess we have. I am just looking for extra help in order to try and make chicken soup out of the chicken S**T I have been handed.

Thanks for your help!
 
That sounds terrible. I guess I just don't understand how ULV stores are even supposed to work when your leaders are insistent that you don't follow best practices at all. If you can never research MMB, how are you supposed to get stuff in when the counts aren't accurate. No outs? Research for an hour? It sounds like there's no chance to sell more because there's never anything to sell. It just sounds like a nightmare. I'll take the "my store is way to busy and we have no hours" over ULV problems any day.
 
All I can do is say Wow. There must be some reason for all of that, but ....Wow. I do see more and more that my store is being more score-driven and best practice is more of a best-case scenario. Sometimes I think I can smell the fear of a low score in some of the leadership and CYA is an underlying theme. I am sometimes reminded of a past career in which some of my colleagues were known to "teach to the test". It's sometimes difficult to maintain a sense of integrity, isn't it? It sounds like you are doing a really good job in a very difficult situation.
 
All I can do is say Wow. There must be some reason for all of that, but ....Wow. I do see more and more that my store is being more score-driven and best practice is more of a best-case scenario. Sometimes I think I can smell the fear of a low score in some of the leadership and CYA is an underlying theme. I am sometimes reminded of a past career in which some of my colleagues were known to "teach to the test". It's sometimes difficult to maintain a sense of integrity, isn't it? It sounds like you are doing a really good job in a very difficult situation.

Do Best Practice the Best you can.
I hear this almost every day.
 
- I don't understand why Plano would need to RSCH a new transition. Wouldn't it say NEW at the bottom of the screen after a RSCH scan, indicating that no count update could be done? I am referencing Formina Sage's Instock Guide ( http://www.thebreakroom.org/showthread.php/102-Instocks ) that states:

Tip: There are many filters that are built into Research that you should be aware of… and these block any count changes with the exception of a count ups.

  • If the item was received on a truck in the last 72 hours
  • If the item was pulled from the backroom in the last 48 hours
  • If the item is on an MPG planogram
  • If the item is tied to a planogram that is set within the last week
  • If the quantity entered isn’t a critical low

So going behind them with an EXF would pull everything that didn't come out in the New POG Fill due to that mysterious glitch that causes stuff to not pull the entire POG.

- I remember reading when Corp updated the Sales Planner BP last year that Sales Plans are basically thought of as MPG when the set because we are encouraged to flex when needed and they rotate about every 6 weeks like MPG sets. So what is the advantage to RSCHing end caps, especially after they are first set, unless it does NOT have a home location and is only tied to that endcap? I am really not trying to be difficult but really just trying to think through this.

The biggest difference between RSCH and EXF in the transition process has nothing to do with changing counts, that is not the reason they are suggesting one over the other (since RSCH is not changing counts in that scenario)! The reason they want you to RSCH after a set is so that it can go against your scans with locs %... Your store and district may be wanting to get around these numbers from the sound of it, but the company still uses this as a valuable tool and is weighted heavily on your DPS reporting! If there are actually issues in the replenishment process, it should show in your metrics...

The New POG Fill error you see is not a glitch, it is functioning like it should! Try and follow this...

1) Aisle goes MPG... there are tons of outs so we remove a couple rows of shelves and pegs and flex everything we have out! We make labels for what is left and throw away the rest...
2) Over the next 6 weeks before the reset, some of that product that had labels comes back in on a truck and is marked as push (since it is "empty" on the floor)... the accumulator now thinks that the product is full on the floor as soon as the trailer is acknowledged
3) We send product to the salesfloor for the flow team to stock... they pick up the box that is bowled out in the aisle, look for its spot and can't find the label/peg at all and probably put it as backstock!
4) Items get backstocked in your stockroom (so now the accumulator thinks the floor is full when it actually has none on the floor and it sits in the backroom with no label to scan to get it back out)
5) After six weeks of this happening to items, Plano resets the aisle and drops a New POG Fill! The New POG Fill will only pull brand new items to the store to capacity and checks a trigger for items that are carry forward from the previous set. This is to prevent HUGE batches that would result in 90% backstock since it would pull anything you have to capacity. However, the items that went through the first four steps will NOT pull because the accumulator is saying the item is already full on the floor and therefore not needed
6) Plano scans RSCH in the aisle after working the New POG Fill and realize that tons of items are in the back and it counts against the store's scans with locs % They think it is a bug or glitch and nobody understands why their New POG Fills aren't working (attempthing mysupports) and then give up and decide to EXF instead!

This is why Scans with Locs are so high after resets!
 
Too funny, Rock! Outs with locs is a big focus at our store right now. They were all over the IS team about not scanning correctly until I explained the whole MPG thing. Eyes wide open? We'll see.
 
- I don't understand why Plano would need to RSCH a new transition. Wouldn't it say NEW at the bottom of the screen after a RSCH scan, indicating that no count update could be done? I am referencing Formina Sage's Instock Guide ( http://www.thebreakroom.org/showthread.php/102-Instocks ) that states:

Tip: There are many filters that are built into Research that you should be aware of… and these block any count changes with the exception of a count ups.

  • If the item was received on a truck in the last 72 hours
  • If the item was pulled from the backroom in the last 48 hours
  • If the item is on an MPG planogram
  • If the item is tied to a planogram that is set within the last week
  • If the quantity entered isn’t a critical low

So going behind them with an EXF would pull everything that didn't come out in the New POG Fill due to that mysterious glitch that causes stuff to not pull the entire POG.

- I remember reading when Corp updated the Sales Planner BP last year that Sales Plans are basically thought of as MPG when the set because we are encouraged to flex when needed and they rotate about every 6 weeks like MPG sets. So what is the advantage to RSCHing end caps, especially after they are first set, unless it does NOT have a home location and is only tied to that endcap? I am really not trying to be difficult but really just trying to think through this.

The biggest difference between RSCH and EXF in the transition process has nothing to do with changing counts, that is not the reason they are suggesting one over the other (since RSCH is not changing counts in that scenario)! The reason they want you to RSCH after a set is so that it can go against your scans with locs %... Your store and district may be wanting to get around these numbers from the sound of it, but the company still uses this as a valuable tool and is weighted heavily on your DPS reporting! If there are actually issues in the replenishment process, it should show in your metrics...

The New POG Fill error you see is not a glitch, it is functioning like it should! Try and follow this...

1) Aisle goes MPG... there are tons of outs so we remove a couple rows of shelves and pegs and flex everything we have out! We make labels for what is left and throw away the rest...
2) Over the next 6 weeks before the reset, some of that product that had labels comes back in on a truck and is marked as push (since it is "empty" on the floor)... the accumulator now thinks that the product is full on the floor as soon as the trailer is acknowledged
3) We send product to the salesfloor for the flow team to stock... they pick up the box that is bowled out in the aisle, look for its spot and can't find the label/peg at all and probably put it as backstock!
4) Items get backstocked in your stockroom (so now the accumulator thinks the floor is full when it actually has none on the floor and it sits in the backroom with no label to scan to get it back out)
5) After six weeks of this happening to items, Plano resets the aisle and drops a New POG Fill! The New POG Fill will only pull brand new items to the store to capacity and checks a trigger for items that are carry forward from the previous set. This is to prevent HUGE batches that would result in 90% backstock since it would pull anything you have to capacity. However, the items that went through the first four steps will NOT pull because the accumulator is saying the item is already full on the floor and therefore not needed
6) Plano scans RSCH in the aisle after working the New POG Fill and realize that tons of items are in the back and it counts against the store's scans with locs % They think it is a bug or glitch and nobody understands why their New POG Fills aren't working (attempthing mysupports) and then give up and decide to EXF instead!

This is why Scans with Locs are so high after resets!



Thanks for this info..I have never known why that happens and no one has ever been able to explain it to me, I always got "thats just the way it is"
 
Yep most don't realize how it works... A perfect process would flex out ALL product for an MPG aisle whether its a flow team member pushing freight to a sftm working a pull
 
There was an update to best practices recently to use stand alone research on new POGS instead of EXF scans as the new cheat to beat the research with location metric. This actually is in the planogram setting best practice. So now you can deal with blowing up the shortage indicator and get told not to scan research at all on new POGS. Funny how this so called glitch is actually caused by Logistics ETL's who think the PTM process is bull**** and key batches solely looking to get out D-Code merchandise but skip the carry forward merchandising piece of PTM's. I'm testing out something next week with my Planogram TL where I'm going to do a stand alone PTM batch just before she does her reset and ask for carry forward items, let planogram do the set with a New POG fill and then research it in task list to keep the POG filter in place. I figure some variation of a carry forward batch fixes this so we get the count update and label drops that are the benefits of doing research after you do a reset. Will update you guys on how it goes.
 
If you are regularly dropping PTM batches you will have already pulled out the carry forward needs. Dept. TL's are supposed to be doing this on a regular basis. (ROFL)
 
There was an update to best practices recently to use stand alone research on new POGS instead of EXF scans as the new cheat to beat the research with location metric. This actually is in the planogram setting best practice. So now you can deal with blowing up the shortage indicator and get told not to scan research at all on new POGS. Funny how this so called glitch is actually caused by Logistics ETL's who think the PTM process is bull**** and key batches solely looking to get out D-Code merchandise but skip the carry forward merchandising piece of PTM's. I'm testing out something next week with my Planogram TL where I'm going to do a stand alone PTM batch just before she does her reset and ask for carry forward items, let planogram do the set with a New POG fill and then research it in task list to keep the POG filter in place. I figure some variation of a carry forward batch fixes this so we get the count update and label drops that are the benefits of doing research after you do a reset. Will update you guys on how it goes.

Hmm interesting idea... I suspect you are referring to Carry Forward/Capacity batches being dropped? If you use Carry Forward/Need it wouldn't fix the issues I have described above... Capacity theoretically would fix the issue and result in green scans with locs % for the department (fixing the New Pog Fill gap we have been talking about, not fixing other TM issues if they exist obviously like burning batches or whatever)... However, you will have to decide if its worth the extra work as well because I would bet you that you will also have to flex out any extra carry forward items as well that are already represented on the salesfloor, and then turn around and be backstocking them again within 24 hours after they reset the aisle... I suspect that ULV stores could find this process extremely valuable though since you rarely have enough product to fill to capacity in the first place for most items!

That is actually pretty smart... Perhaps Target should make it in the PTM process routines! Starting at 6 weeks out start dropping PTMs for areas about the reset... Get all Dcode out by 2 weeks out... At 1 week out drop a Carry Forward/Capacity batch (fixing the issues found in New Pog Fills)... Plano resets the aisle, drops a New Pog Fill, and scans stand alone RSCH with theoretically no br locations!
 
There was an update to best practices recently to use stand alone research on new POGS instead of EXF scans as the new cheat to beat the research with location metric. This actually is in the planogram setting best practice. So now you can deal with blowing up the shortage indicator and get told not to scan research at all on new POGS. Funny how this so called glitch is actually caused by Logistics ETL's who think the PTM process is bull**** and key batches solely looking to get out D-Code merchandise but skip the carry forward merchandising piece of PTM's. I'm testing out something next week with my Planogram TL where I'm going to do a stand alone PTM batch just before she does her reset and ask for carry forward items, let planogram do the set with a New POG fill and then research it in task list to keep the POG filter in place. I figure some variation of a carry forward batch fixes this so we get the count update and label drops that are the benefits of doing research after you do a reset. Will update you guys on how it goes.

Hmm interesting idea... I suspect you are referring to Carry Forward/Capacity batches being dropped? If you use Carry Forward/Need it wouldn't fix the issues I have described above... Capacity theoretically would fix the issue and result in green scans with locs % for the department (fixing the New Pog Fill gap we have been talking about, not fixing other TM issues if they exist obviously like burning batches or whatever)... However, you will have to decide if its worth the extra work as well because I would bet you that you will also have to flex out any extra carry forward items as well that are already represented on the salesfloor, and then turn around and be backstocking them again within 24 hours after they reset the aisle... I suspect that ULV stores could find this process extremely valuable though since you rarely have enough product to fill to capacity in the first place for most items!

That is actually pretty smart... Perhaps Target should make it in the PTM process routines! Starting at 6 weeks out start dropping PTMs for areas about the reset... Get all Dcode out by 2 weeks out... At 1 week out drop a Carry Forward/Capacity batch (fixing the issues found in New Pog Fills)... Plano resets the aisle, drops a New Pog Fill, and scans stand alone RSCH with theoretically no br locations!

This is basically what the PTM task list does. I use the MPG planogram report to monitor the pulls as to when they've been dropped, what d-code is left in the backroom and pull carry forwards to fill the aisle as necessary. Our plano team backstocks their newly set POGs and the time is not allotted for them to do this, so we try to keep the carry forward limited to capacity.
 
We started the ULV process last week in our store(our ETL-Logistics likes to get the jump on things). Let me tell you its been rough for the backroom. Hopefully your stores have a strong Flow team. It does seem to work when the trucks are in the 1300-1600 size. Good luck everyone.
 
I find it laughable that they can blame the IS team for scans w/loc. Start with the beginning of the process....the flow team. Are they pushing correctly? The zone team...are the aisles zoned correctly? The daytime push team??? Outs w/loc is not a scanning problem, it's usually from another process not being followed correctly. Bite the bullet, take the hit on the score and use the information from the metric to find out what the hell is going on.
 
i find it laughable that they can blame the is team for scans w/loc. Start with the beginning of the process....the flow team. Are they pushing correctly? The zone team...are the aisles zoned correctly? The daytime push team??? Outs w/loc is not a scanning problem, it's usually from another process not being followed correctly. Bite the bullet, take the hit on the score and use the information from the metric to find out what the hell is going on.

thank you!
 
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