Archived Instock Test Pilots

[MisterLogistics]

SrLOGtL talked about these on the old site, and I was wondering if anyone had any updates or new information about them. I think there was three or four different kinds of Instock Pilots being tested at different stores, one was doing Instocks in the evenings after 6pm, one was doing less OUTS and RSCH, but much more RIGs, and one was a "Research-only" test.

My store started the "Research-only" one today. There was an email sent out last week to select store STLs, ETL-HLs, ETL-LOGs, ETL-APs, ETL-HRs, Instock-TLs, and DTLs, GOLs, GMLs, GD/GVPS, APBPs, GAPTLs, and "headquarter partners, about the new test.

It said my store is one of 300 stores chosen to participate, beginning July 18th. As per the email, this process involves using the "Stand Alone RSCH" application, instead of completing OUTS and RSCH in the Instocks Tasklist. The email said they've seen positive results in the initial 12 test stores, earlier this year. It says the goal of this test process is to reduce workload, increase value-add of scans (updating counts with every scan), and increase scanning execution.

Key Details

-The Instock Team scans all new outs and new critical lows everyday in Stand Alone RSCH.

-The entire salesfloor should be scanned daily, with the following exceptions:
1. Jewelry, and Apparel & Accessories Tables (scanned by Merchandising Brand TM).
2. Cosmetics and Intimates (scannned only on Wednesdays).

- The Instocks Team also re-scans all dotted and non-dotted out-of-stocks and critical lows on Fridays, rather than following the Rescearch Schedule.

- RIGs continue to be completed in the tasklist everyday. RSCH and OUTS in the tasklist should be ignored. Completion of RSCH and OUTS inside the tasklist is NOT going to be measured.

That's all the main points of the email, and the test itself. Anybody else here also starting this at their store, or one of the other pilots?

 

[dek067]

eventually it will come full circle to the old way of doing research, and their millions of dollars in pilots and software will be worth nada...

we started today too. will let you guys know how it goes.

on top of it, our stl will no longer let us use exfs. so i go to flex a trend run which doesnt reset for three weeks. flexed in btc stuff. but couldnt shoot an exf. had to subt piece by piece. it sucked.

we are also getting rid of our tipps table. anyone else doing this?

 

[ISIS639]

I've tried to shoot exfs a couple of times in the last few weeks, but it wouldn't allow me to. Are you saying you "couldn't" b/c the STL said so or has the function been taken out entirely? I can't imagine they can disable it from store to store, can they?

 

[Formina Sage]

Our Instocks team was doing the pilot for scanning after 6, and today they just got an email about the one where they only shoot OUTS 1 day of the week and spend more time shooting RIGS.

 

[Rock Lobster]

HECK YA! I am loving this news! Finally they are talking this process somewhere that makes sense!

 

[RedDog]

Shooting outs is big waste of time. I can only hope one of these things works out.

 

[Rock Lobster]

Shooting outs is big waste of time. I can only hope one of these things works out.

I couldn't agree more! I mean outs was a decent idea in theory, but in practice (with the filters in place in research) why not just scan new outs in research?

 

[Rock Lobster]

[I would like to add though that these test stores might be alittle annoyed having to sort through the task list to get to all the RIGs... I am assuming if this new system works they will invest in getting the task list to just drop RSCH and RIG tasks accordingly...

 

[RedDog]

I couldn't agree more! I mean outs was a decent idea in theory, but in practice (with the filters in place in research) why not just scan new outs in research?

That is a great question.

 

[itvgeo]

RIGs

I can't understand why only RIGS when most of the time nothing comes out of RIGS anyway. At least from what I've seen, more product comes out via OUTs than do RIGs.

 

[Dynastic]

[I would like to add though that these test stores might be alittle annoyed having to sort through the task list to get to all the RIGs... I am assuming if this new system works they will invest in getting the task list to just drop RSCH and RIG tasks accordingly...

I have to do this from time to time if I'm only doing RIGs following a heavy truck day. It's not too bad once you have the priorities sorted, you just have to back out to the list sometimes, which is the only tedious part, but I got used to it fairly quickly. If I know the next rig task is one or two ahead I'll hit RSCH aisle done instead of backing out.

 

[Dynastic]

I can't understand why only RIGS when most of the time nothing comes out of RIGS anyway. At least from what I've seen, more product comes out via OUTs than do RIGs.

Just being hypothetical here, maybe a RIGs only process that has more RIGs loaded has some tasks that simply verify a true out? I can't speak for stores doing this particular pilot, just my assumption.

 

[Rarejem]

[I would like to add though that these test stores might be alittle annoyed having to sort through the task list to get to all the RIGs... I am assuming if this new system works they will invest in getting the task list to just drop RSCH and RIG tasks accordingly...

Just hit the "!" and the RSCH and RIG tasks move to the top of the list.

 

[MisterLogistics]

So, how is this going for anyone's store doing the pilot?

It's been a disaster at my store, not because of the pilot itself, but a combination of other stuff. We're a B volume store, and after finishing our PFresh remodel in June, hours across the store got majorly cut. They said it was because we weren't making sales. Since June, we've got at least four trucks a week, 2200+, not including the PFresh truck. They were sending Flow TMs AND Backroom TMs home between 8am-9am, (we're a 4am store). Since our PFresh grand opening, the Flow/Backroom process has NEVER "come clean" on a truck-day, there's been stuff to PUSH and backstock, everyday. So any TMs scheduled for Instocks were either pushing with the Flow team or backstocking, for their entire shift, with no Instock process done at all, tasklist or "Stand Alone Research" pilot.

To add to this, our LOG-TL was on a LOA, and everything has gone to hell. The salesfloor looks empty, with no rainchecks and no subs being setup. Every aisle in the backroom is nearly full, and there's always mountains of backstock everywhere.

Well, the sh*t hit the fan this week, when the DTL called our STL asking why wasn't Instocks being done. According to my ETL-LOG, the DTL said a lot of stores are having problems with the pilot, and he said we're now allowed to scan until 1pm, just for the next few weeks to get back on track, again this is just according to my ETL-LOG, who is known to lie, or just talk bullsh*t sometimes.

I'm wondering if anyone else here has had problems like this, or heard of this "scanning until 1pm" thing?

 

[MisterLogistics]

Anybody?

Today I was the only person scanning from 8:30am - 1pm, (I pushed the truck before then), and only got the Rigs, C, D, and E scanned, because of how bad the salesfloor is. I think a B volume store should have the payroll for at least two Instock TMs per day.

There were 30+ Research batches in the PDA when I left, with nobody to pull or push them. To make matters worse, the Backroom Day TM wasn't scheduled to come in until 12pm, and nobody pulled the 11am CAF batches! The 21 batches from 11am rolled into the 12's, then 42 (large) batches dropped at 12pm for only 1 person to pull. He didn't get them all pulled, so they rolled into the next hour, etc.

My store feels like it's totally broken and going to hell.

 

[LogisticsPeon]

All I know is that something in the pilot forced them to start sending us double trucks. And we've been cutting back hours.

So...it hasn't been going too well in the backroom lately, day or night...

 

[SrLOGtL]

Our pilot stopped on the first of august, and we went back to morning instocks. Staffing forced us to make the change, even though er liked the evening process. The truth is, just like every new ETL that comes in with "new ideas" that have actually been tried, and failed, many times before, this pilot has happened several times all over the country. Our DTL told us he's seen it 3 or 4 times and its never gotten out of the test phase. This is just another HQ new project manager's pet project that fizzled out. I'm sure we'll see it again an a couple years when all the experienced people are gone again.

 

[Rarejem]

Just being hypothetical here, maybe a RIGs only process that has more RIGs loaded has some tasks that simply verify a true out? I can't speak for stores doing this particular pilot, just my assumption.

RIGS are a way for the company to research a number of things and, as you hopefully know, will send a flag to either fill from the backroom or get from the DC. Some of the things the RIGS are looking for are:
- is a raincheck/substitution needed
- is an item set up as a substitution still available or is a new sub needed
-items that have been in the backroom for a long time with little activity may need to have the shelf filled to capacity or moved to d-code status
- does an item that will be in an upcoming ad need replenishment
- tracks sales from different locs throughout the store (checklanes vs. salesfloor vs. salesplan vs. specific dept. vs. seasonal/promotional) This is why you only enter the amount you see in the exact location specified.

There are probably more, but I think these are the main uses for RIGS.

 

[coolcatmom]

I can see keeping the RIGS just for the raincheck effect. But I seriously hope we go back to a day where we have a team leader responsible for single departments in a store. For example, if you are the team leader of toys then you do the rsch, push the pulls, set the salesplanners and so on. The way we do it now there is little accountability and in my opinion we waste manpower and productivity. If we have four tms in the store then why not have those tms be the team leads of their departments doing whatever they need to do? Someone at corporate office got the "bright idea" to wave every process in the store I think. I don't think it works.

 

[Rarejem]

I seriously agree with the need to go back to departmental TLs. We were talking about what a negative difference it has made in zone, random flexing, missing signage, disappearance of salesplans that are still tied, etc.etc.etc. There is NO accountability for what the department looks like and it feels like a free for all.

 

[talan123]

Free for all? To me it seems more like pure chaos.

Our DTL came by and announced that he didn't want to see any more out spots on the endcaps. He included Music in that. As a result, our entire department is a free for all because he also declared that all of music is an endcap.

 

[Rock Lobster]

Sadly I agree with what is being said... There are some things at Target that are making me seriously doubt what is going on in HQ... I am starting to see some serious problems finally hitting my district (for a while there things seemed fine while others complained, but I think we just are delayed compared to some of the other districts), the hiring practices for not only ETLs and STLs, but TLs now too are questionable at best! The ETLs that I would rank as "worst" in my store are up for their PG13 interviews and passing... My STLs used to be the most experienced and most respected people in the store, and mine now reminds me of Tori Spelling! This is retail, and usually the simplest systems work the best, but we have become so complicated and process based, it is just starting to really throw things off I think!

 

[sigma7]

In my store we haven't scanned instocks in three weeks. You can definitely tell.

 

[choseone]

Wow, its crazy that the same issues hit the fan all over, Instocks is in complete shambles with the RDC unload/staggering theory at my store, it just doesn't work for a 6am process. My Instocks TMs are stocking the truck because we cannot be done in a timely manner, even with the whole damn store helping out.

And yea they definitely need to go back to dept TLs. The ones at my store don't do anything but "lead a zone." Which looks like crap most of the time.