- Joined
- Aug 19, 2013
- Messages
- 2,407
For those that don't know, item merge is a backroom process where TMs have to print out a report of items that have changed DPCIs, subtract the old DPCI out of location, and STO the new DPCI back in (or use LOCU depending on preference).
I can not understand why this process isn't completely automated. There's no reason we can't have a computer script that would accomplish the following things and make the item merge require no human interaction at all:
1. Associate all barcodes from old DPCI with new one. If xxx-xx-0001 changed to xxx-xx-0002, then scanning 49xxxxx0001 should ring up as xxx-xx-0002. You can already do this manually with DPCI/UPC Maintenance menu.
2. Use a basic Find/Replace function to update the store's backroom database automatically. If xxx-xx-0001 is located in 01A 001A25, it changes it to xxx-xx-0002 for you.
Those 2 simple steps could be written into a script in no time at all by any fresh-out-of-school programmer. Instead, it's deemed necessary to waste thousands of hours across the company every week to do something that....shouldn't even be necessary in the first place. Which brings me to the next rant on item merge:
Why does it even exist as a weekly process? I can understand the necessity if say....you temporarily have a bonus packaged item with a different DPCI on a sales planner that is very similar to something carried in the home. For example, you have some diapers that are being packaged with some freebie baby wipes on an endcap, the endcap is coming down, and the plan is to just stock those with the normal diapers and let them sell. Item merge is just fine for migrating that over.
However, I never see that type of item in the item merge report. Instead, I get a full page every week of random crap that's changing DPCIs for no apparent reason. They aren't from a salesplanner at all, they weren't part of some promotional event, they're nothing but average merchandise that someone decided "Hey, let's make this item go from xxx-xx-0053 to xxx-xx-1697. Why? Well, why not?"
I can not understand why this process isn't completely automated. There's no reason we can't have a computer script that would accomplish the following things and make the item merge require no human interaction at all:
1. Associate all barcodes from old DPCI with new one. If xxx-xx-0001 changed to xxx-xx-0002, then scanning 49xxxxx0001 should ring up as xxx-xx-0002. You can already do this manually with DPCI/UPC Maintenance menu.
2. Use a basic Find/Replace function to update the store's backroom database automatically. If xxx-xx-0001 is located in 01A 001A25, it changes it to xxx-xx-0002 for you.
Those 2 simple steps could be written into a script in no time at all by any fresh-out-of-school programmer. Instead, it's deemed necessary to waste thousands of hours across the company every week to do something that....shouldn't even be necessary in the first place. Which brings me to the next rant on item merge:
Why does it even exist as a weekly process? I can understand the necessity if say....you temporarily have a bonus packaged item with a different DPCI on a sales planner that is very similar to something carried in the home. For example, you have some diapers that are being packaged with some freebie baby wipes on an endcap, the endcap is coming down, and the plan is to just stock those with the normal diapers and let them sell. Item merge is just fine for migrating that over.
However, I never see that type of item in the item merge report. Instead, I get a full page every week of random crap that's changing DPCIs for no apparent reason. They aren't from a salesplanner at all, they weren't part of some promotional event, they're nothing but average merchandise that someone decided "Hey, let's make this item go from xxx-xx-0053 to xxx-xx-1697. Why? Well, why not?"
