Archived Research batches dropping late

[54gy6dm]

Our research batches have been dropping after 11 and today even after 12. The task list is being completed before 11 and nobody is scanning after the cut-off time. I looked the issue up on MySupport and there was some information on it but I was hoping someone on the board would have more information or ideas on how to get this to stop. So, any thoughts?

 

[Rock Lobster]

If it is the IS-FILLGROUP batches, those are straight from the Task List... If you finish the list before 11AM then it shouldn't be too much after 11 that they drop into the gun? And you are sure that every task in the list is completed? Are you a store that is doing only RSCH and not OUTs?

If it is a RSCH- Aisle # batch, those are from stand alone research and someone is most likely not hitting the "create batch" button on the bottom after they are done...

 

[Ajax11]

It happened at my store today as well. Had an instocks TM come ask me if there was anything I could give them to push since their pulls weren't dropping. I don't remember what time it was, but 15 minutes later when I checked the gun there still weren't any pulls in there.

 

[walruses]

Like Rock Lobster says, it's probably someone who has done Stand Alone Research and if they don't hit create batch it will take one hour from the last scan for it to close. Also, I know you said they finished, but if your task list isn't finished at 11 sometimes it can delay the time it will take to drop because it is waiting on the rest of the fillgroup to get scanned (something I've seen happen first hand in my store), like batteries are in electronics and also on sidecaps so if the sidecaps haven't been researched then sometimes it won't drop right at 11.

If it's not that, there could be an issue with your systems. I wouldn't worry too much about it for the next week because I know Target is messing around with the In-Stocks task list for next week. After that though? I would definitely give the CSC a call, if it's not a software/global issue MySupport can't help. CSC: 1-612-304-HELP

 

[frugm]

Also as noted in the Instock best practice and something to bare in mind, "If your instocks team is skipping tasks and not following the task list it will delay batches dropping in by up to one hour while the system waits for hidden batches." Not an exact quote but close to it. lol

 

[54gy6dm]

It's funny this popped back up again. I meant to follow up with it but... well better late than never. It turns out that the team was/still is in fact working research and rigs first and once those were completed then starting the outs. So that was part of it. It also turned out that the task list was not always being completed and when that happened research dropped after 12.

It's funny how the backroom team members always asked what we were doing when this happened... they still do but since I've made it a point to pull anything that drops after 11 myself they have made less accusations.

There are 4 of them but hours have been low these past couple of weeks and the days we miss there are only 2 other people besides myself. Does anyone have any ideas on how to help this? Should they stop doing research and rigs first? what happens on days that we just aren't going to finish... should they focus on getting a fill group finished and then just stopping before starting another fill group even if it's before 11? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[frugm]

What volume is your store?
The updated instocks best practice has a scheduling outlined for all volume stores.
How many hours per week are being scheduled for instocks?

 

[Rock Lobster]

It's funny this popped back up again. I meant to follow up with it but... well better late than never. It turns out that the team was/still is in fact working research and rigs first and once those were completed then starting the outs. So that was part of it. It also turned out that the task list was not always being completed and when that happened research dropped after 12.

It's funny how the backroom team members always asked what we were doing when this happened... they still do but since I've made it a point to pull anything that drops after 11 myself they have made less accusations.

There are 4 of them but hours have been low these past couple of weeks and the days we miss there are only 2 other people besides myself. Does anyone have any ideas on how to help this? Should they stop doing research and rigs first? what happens on days that we just aren't going to finish... should they focus on getting a fill group finished and then just stopping before starting another fill group even if it's before 11? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If they consistently have problems finishing, a bandaid for this problem would be to "clear out" all the tasks at 11AM... Scan everything they can up until that point (prioritizing the rsch areas first) and then at stop time hit "Aisle Done" over and over... This isn't a best practice fix but if it were my store, I think it is important for the batches to drop ASAP and make it to the salesfloor right away! There is no score on completing all your tasks, so this isn't changing any scoring issues... Its just going to get your batches to drop faster! Any other type of coordination is just too hard to get a handle on... focusing on certain fillgroups is difficult because if you shoot all of food, but forget a sidecap in infants that is considered that department, it will wait an hour to drop!

Long-term answer, your team needs to get onto a routine where they WILL finish everyday! Figure out how many hours it takes everyday to get 100% done as close to 11AM as possible (its important to not overschedule and get done too early, or underschedule and not get done at all)... Use that exact amount of hours every week on scanning (this is your bare min hours to get done, and your STL should know this number)... Any extra hours should go to PTM process IMO... Also once the team is getting scanning done consistently, they need to follow the pathing setup in the store... There should be no need to do rsch before outs, because it all needs to get done! Following a good pathing (the least amount of steps to get the task list done) will improve their efficiency as well!

 

[54gy6dm]

My store is an A+ volume org 5 and we get 140 hours a week with 40 of them going to me as the tl.

Thanks for the band aid tip Rock, but as you mentioned I definitely want to focus on a long term solution as well.

Right now the team comes in and starts scanning at 6:30 takes their lunch at 11 after scans and then are scheduled to leave at 1 or 2 depending on how many of them are there. On days that they are there until 2, I usually shoot stand alone ptms and pull them myself and stage it for them (and myself) to push as well as their research. Hours across the board are hurting and the back room is no exception. Usually someone is there at 5 to pull pogs and then focus on research with another tm coming in at 8 to help. That's not always the case and Plano and I will partner to figure out how to prioritize the pulls.

Is this how most stores are running right now? I don't mind jumping into so much and do enjoy it but I don't always get to focus on ptms and don't even get me started on completing the drastic change report.

 

[frugm]

You know, I hear what your saying Rock. I don't know how it works at other stores. But we are a C Volume (Low volume) and our instocks team is expected to push there own pulls after lunch when they have finished scanning. They are also expected to go to huddle and start at 7am. so all in all they have about 3 hours to get the store completely scanned everyday we usually have 2 people scanning, most of the time they get at least 90% of the list done, but it does vary from day to day.

They have always seen instocks as an issue in my store because whenever our DTL walks they will randomly scan stuff and if it does not show a last research date of that week, there like omg the rest of the store must be like this.

Do you run the backroom as well 54gy6dm? I have Instocks and the backroom and i will say its such a pain trying to juggle both. As for the drastic count report just make sure your being accurate with your counts and it wont get big, if when your scanning research something doesnt look right, take a note of the DPCI, skip the task and come back to it later.

Worth noting on the PTM process and as outlines in the new PTM Best practice. (And I will say I have battled with SF TLs for a year now about this) After instocks as gone through on Monday and done the initial PTM tasks. It is the the salesfloor TL from that area's responsibility to maintain, shoot and pull and push their PTMS.

 

[54gy6dm]

Luckily I'm not also in charge of the back room. I'm back there so much now and working with them so much that some of the other team leads joke with them that I'm their new tl :|

Going into in-stocks, I knew what the struggle with sf tls and ptm was already like so I've just slowly been working it into our own responsibilities. I could argue with them forever about getting it done and have come across one or two tls that think it's dumb to have so much of the same item out even if it does mean the aisle is empty. How can you work with that? So when they find their aisles full because my team pushed it, what are they going to do, backstock it all?

 

[Rarejem]

Luckily I'm not also in charge of the back room. I'm back there so much now and working with them so much that some of the other team leads joke with them that I'm their new tl :|

Going into in-stocks, I knew what the struggle with sf tls and ptm was already like so I've just slowly been working it into our own responsibilities. I could argue with them forever about getting it done and have come across one or two tls that think it's dumb to have so much of the same item out even if it does mean the aisle is empty. How can you work with that? So when they find their aisles full because my team pushed it, what are they going to do, backstock it all?

We've always only filled MPG aisles with the D-codes and then did CFN fills. The thought behind it was to save time and payroll when plano resets. The plano tl asked us to do this. That was a no. We tried to keep labels of CF so flow could just fill since they continue to backstock if there are no labels, but that was a no. Yesterday our StL said he didn't care if the entire 24 feet was filled with one item, that's what he wanted us to do. That will be productive with regard to reset times, backroom productivity, and guest perceptions of being instock.

 

[frugm]

We've always only filled MPG aisles with the D-codes and then did CFN fills. The thought behind it was to save time and payroll when plano resets. The plano tl asked us to do this. That was a no. We tried to keep labels of CF so flow could just fill since they continue to backstock if there are no labels, but that was a no. Yesterday our StL said he didn't care if the entire 24 feet was filled with one item, that's what he wanted us to do. That will be productive with regard to reset times, backroom productivity, and guest perceptions of being instock.

Well the PTM process is a 1st quarter priority, and I have been told by my ETL-LOG they want the aisles full ALL of the time, if there is no D-code then pull out the carry forward so it fills the aisle. We previously as Rarejem mention would just fill with D-code, I never saw the sense in pulling out 50 tons of carry forward just to backstock it again in a week when plano resets it.

Read over the new PTM best practice and email it to all the sales floor, challenge your peers and remind them it is in there core roles to ensure that there area's are always full and impactful, if that does not work go to the ETL-HL. That is what I was told by my ETL-LOG. But I still feel like i'm banging my head against a brick wall. lol

 

[Rarejem]

Well the PTM process is a 1st quarter priority, and I have been told by my ETL-LOG they want the aisles full ALL of the time, if there is no D-code then pull out the carry forward so it fills the aisle. We previously as Rarejem mention would just fill with D-code, I never saw the sense in pulling out 50 tons of carry forward just to backstock it again in a week when plano resets it.

Read over the new PTM best practice and email it to all the sales floor, challenge your peers and remind them it is in there core roles to ensure that there area's are always full and impactful, if that does not work go to the ETL-HL. That is what I was told by my ETL-LOG. But I still feel like i'm banging my head against a brick wall. lol

I have read it. The oddest thing that I see is that pricing will be replacing labels in MPG aisles. Are they supposed to go to every MPG aisle every day? I also see that many of the things that my IS team did are now the responsibility of SFTL's and SFTM's. It looks like all I have to do is work the MPG report and scan (and work pulls once the scans are done) - not even have to pull anything!I hope they tell them and re-think the staffing per these best practices.

 

[frugm]

I have read it. The oddest thing that I see is that pricing will be replacing labels in MPG aisles. Are they supposed to go to every MPG aisle every day? I also see that many of the things that my IS team did are now the responsibility of SFTL's and SFTM's. It looks like all I have to do is work the MPG report and scan (and work pulls once the scans are done) - not even have to pull anything!I hope they tell them and re-think the staffing per these best practices.

Yeah its kind of funny and my ETL agrees that allot of the new best practices are not really practical. I don't know how other stores do it but as I mentioned my team is expected to push the pulls after they finished scanning. In the best practice it mentions that instocks pulls should be pushed up until 11am then the left over work load to be filtered out to other work centers. Usually there is only maybe 1 or 2 people on the salesfloor and there either doing reshop or smart huddles. according to the new instocks bestpractice they should be scheduled 7am - 11.30am and thats it. I think for my store a C volume it says about 64 hours a week, right now i'm given double that for instocks.

 

[54gy6dm]

Yeah its kind of funny and my ETL agrees that allot of the new best practices are not really practical. I don't know how other stores do it but as I mentioned my team is expected to push the pulls after they finished scanning. In the best practice it mentions that instocks pulls should be pushed up until 11am then the left over work load to be filtered out to other work centers. Usually there is only maybe 1 or 2 people on the salesfloor and there either doing reshop or smart huddles. according to the new instocks bestpractice they should be scheduled 7am - 11.30am and thats it. I think for my store a C volume it says about 64 hours a week, right now i'm given double that for instocks.

Which best practices are you seeing that in? Is it in maintaining a strong salesfloor or another one? That seems crazy to me. The salesfloor team members would never be able to get done with caf pushes on top of instock pushes, it's bad enough have a backed up line for the closers coming in at 4 or 5 to work on but that would make it even more difficult.

In our A+ store the in-stocks team is expected to push their pulls as well and like I mentioned I try to include ptm with that. They are expected to go to huddle in the morning and help with any smart huddle tasks. Thankfully my team is really good at pushing at can manage all of the push and putting up any sub signs they may have. If they are there until 2, hopefully when hours pick back up they will be there until 3 like they used to be, they grab any caf pulls that are on the line as well.

 

[frugm]

Its in the updated instocks one updated in Dec 2011, I forget what its called, pretty sure its maintaining a strong sales floor. I know its not in the follow up one. I'll look on Monday when i'm back.

yeah i told a SF TL that they were going to have to start pushing her pulls and she just laughed at me. lol

 

[Ludwig3]

Ours lag all the time, even dropping into the 1's, 2's. Also we have other TM's who drop batches and fail to tell anyone. They typically sit until the ETL-LOG asked us why no one pulled them the day before.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I am salesfloor, I do pulls, & push them.

 

[walruses]

At my store the InStocks team starts at 7 goes to the huddle and participates in the Smart Huddle if there is one. The issues we came across are usually the push priority versus research. They always do research and RIGs first. They usually have issues trying to finish everything due to the high knowledge our team has of the Instocks process. They understand the Item Merge and the Drastic Count Change and the Shortage Indicator, so there ends up being a lot of communication/partnering as opposed to pure shooting/dotting. I would definitely say that you should focus less on stand alone PTMs and more on the task list and helping your team, like others have stated, PTM merchandising is owned by the SFTL; granted as an InStocks TM I often found myself remerchandising because I thought I could do a better job than the TLs. As a TL I wish the Instocks TMs would do it for me. *sigh*