Archived Instocks changes coming...again

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Lovely. But our hours have been slashed so bad we are lucky we can actually set up rain checks.
 
So looks like instocks will be going through a big revamp in May. Some select stores are now starting to test, ours starts 4-13. No more instant substitutions will be done, set up rain check and that's it. This should help cut down time with RIGS since you wont have to print signs, scan them in and hang them.
This is big! What volume is your store at? I work at a ULV store and I'm curious if this will be rolled out company wide or if it's only certain volume or prototype stores that will be implementing this. Thanks for the heads up!
 
The number of rainchecks and subs generated has dropped dramatically with all of the TPC's and BOGO. Tell us about scanning and PTM's and task lists!!!! I have been looking forward to this showing up as a thread!!
 
I've noticed that rainchecks & subs have dropped dramatically through out the years. Back when i was doing InStocks in 2008, i remember the RIG task list being at around 130-150. there use to be 3 of us on the team (including the Instocks-TL) i remember printing out around 80 subs on average haha. What was worse, was before this new rollout, we use to write down the aisle number and schematic, and the last four of the dpci to remember where the sub went & what aisle to scan it in to. such a tedious task!! haha.
 
So looks like instocks will be going through a big revamp in May. Some select stores are now starting to test, ours starts 4-13. No more instant substitutions will be done, set up rain check and that's it. This should help cut down time with RIGS since you wont have to print signs, scan them in and hang them.
Works for me. I only make subs half the time as it is anyway so it will save more time. I wish I knew what was going on with PTMs I guess it is a store by store thing. Only time it is even talked about anymore is Mondays when our red MPG labels drop. Otherwise it has pretty much been left up to salesfloor team leads, which means some aisles look like disaster areas. We have been doing a lot of Easter PTM work this week though.
 
This is big! What volume is your store at? I work at a ULV store and I'm curious if this will be rolled out company wide or if it's only certain volume or prototype stores that will be implementing this. Thanks for the heads up!

We are an A volume, I believe. My STL hasnt given us full details yet on what all they are thinking of changing just that changes are coming. Not sure what that means with Target it could mean anything.
 
Works for me. I only make subs half the time as it is anyway so it will save more time. I wish I knew what was going on with PTMs I guess it is a store by store thing. Only time it is even talked about anymore is Mondays when our red MPG labels drop. Otherwise it has pretty much been left up to salesfloor team leads, which means some aisles look like disaster areas. We have been doing a lot of Easter PTM work this week though.

Subs are a pain anyhow and half the time there is nothing to sub. Before I took over the instocks team fully they were subing stupid stuff, oh you wanted blue ink sorry were out how about a calculator instead. PTM task list was never done neither was any stand alones for PTM's. Just trying to get the team on task and the correct process is a beating.
 
I've always been told a sub sign is a must. Even if the only thing to sub for ink is a calculator. Even if the ink is $5 and the calculator is $50. Most of the time there is something to sub. It just has to be the same dept number. Of course all they care about in my store is the scores. Not the guest.
 
I've always been told a sub sign is a must. Even if the only thing to sub for ink is a calculator. Even if the ink is $5 and the calculator is $50. Most of the time there is something to sub. It just has to be the same dept number. Of course all they care about in my store is the scores. Not the guest.

Your right everyone is told to do a sub regardless this is a case where best practice and the scoring contradicts each other. Best practice if nothing is there to "logically" be a sub then no sub. Scoring says no sub you get dinged.
 
so today I came in at 8am, thinking i was going to work in market & i got pulled for instocks! the rig task was 523, but we had inventory last week so that explains a lot. I just wanted to spin off on what someone was saying about ptm. At my store we have to drop a ptm batch everyday, (monday's of course because of MPG's) but every day at 8am, we check the PTM task list and drop batches, no matter how big or small. after 11, the instocks team at my store is suppose to work out the ptm, and ptm aisles. We never push our research batches or CAFs, they have other SF team members designated to push.
 
yeah pretty much, i havent seen a pull clip with a yellow clip on it in a while!! but nonetheless, push is push, right?
 
So looks like instocks will be going through a big revamp in May. Some select stores are now starting to test, ours starts 4-13. No more instant substitutions will be done, set up rain check and that's it. This should help cut down time with RIGS since you wont have to print signs, scan them in and hang them.

We've been testing this at my store. Way it works is we will shoot RIGs daily (no more than 25 RIG tasks each day). The new process is more focused on 4x4 zone walks of all the aisles (ensuring good zone, label maintenance, brand, etc). You would do 4x4 walks on non-scan days (there is a schedule for which department gets walked each day). Research in full is split up into two all-store scan days. Tuesday is Grocery/Softlines and Wednesday is the rest of Hardlines. The rest of the week (including Saturday/Sunday) you will do just 4x4 walks and PTM tasks. The overnight flow team will shoot and push OUTS batches on non-scan days. Rain checks are definitely affected because thanks to the4 reduction in RIG tasks, we are not setting up rain checks to the extent we were before (Suggestion: Take your Store-Specific Ad Guide on Sundays and walk the ad and create rain checks). I have not heard anything about Instant Subs... although if those go bye bye I wouldn't be upset...

It will depend on how your store leadership wants to work the 4x4 walks in deciding who does them. In our store, my Instocks team is super-detailed and our STL decided to use them for the 4x4. Other stores it depends. The test has been mildly successful over the past few weeks... definitely been some bumps in the road but hopefully it will come together in the end.
 
Sounds like our store, Tuesdays & Wednesdays are the all scan day, Tuesdays (Softlines basics, and baby 360, MMB, electronics, toys, & seasonal) Then Wednesday ( Market & the rest of hardlines) We only use the Instock task list to complete rigs, otherwise research is done through stand alone now, and Sunday , thur, fri & sat We do stand alone outs and rigs. Mondays they have us PTM'ing the entire day, dropping as many batches as we can and working them into MPG aisles.

This week has been nothing but rig tasks though because of inventory. Today (435 rigs) with 32 research batches in the gun still from YESTERDAY!! its been one hell of a week and its only tuesday.
 
so wait, your flow team also shoots outs when they work? thats crazyyy, the flow team at my store has a hard enough time coming clean every night. and forget it when there's a FDC truck coming in that night too! i can't imagine them having to do outs as well. there's always a plethora of backstock left in the main and cardboard everywhere!
 
Instocks has been a broken process from day one. In fact if they would focus on fixing all the other problems it would not even have to exist to begin with.

I can see it still existing as more of an audit process, double checking that stuff was pushed correctly off the truck. Which we know its not. But the amount we pull, is obscene. But spot refuses to actually pay decent enough to get the quality people they really need to run stock with the time, where you wouldn't need the actual "In-Stock" process.
 
All I have to say is they need to keep it simple. I am getting a feeling that this is getting too intricate (4x4 walks, certain departments get scanned on certain days etc) and the secret to a successful process is going to be streamlined processes. If they can accomplish that, it will fix itself.
 
I agree that it's getting too complicated. 4x4 walks are basically what we did years ago with brand walks. Except brand walks were more effective and clear cut. With a 4x4 you can't get through many aisles. You just can't. At my store, sales floor is responsible. When there are two or three people on the sales floor from 8-12, how in the holy hell am I supposed to super zone, clean, check prices, replace fixtures in any department to the detail they want? And then you want me to scan stand alone research while there is push leftover from the last two trucks and backstock from the last two or three?

Honestly, the current iteration of the Instocks task list seems to be fairly simple and streamlined. Everyday houshold stuff (food, chemicals, paper) get scanned everyday and certain departments get scanned on certain days. But you followed the task list and it worked. The only thing the Instocks team would really need to be aware of are endcap locations so they can spread out product if there are no Backroom locations and stuff that they're scanning but replenishment is not coming. Otherwise, they can go on auto pilot. Have them use stand alone if the company decides that's best. The way the current programs and systems work is not conducive to whatever the hell Target is doing right now with Instocks. 4x4 walks are not going to save the company. There just isn't time for them with everything else that is going on each day with the slim hours were getting. Back in the day I saw te need to cut the fat. At this point. every team member is stretched so thin that it's a struggle every day to accomplish a majority of anyone's workload.
 
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