Archived SFS

[anathema]

Anyone working SFS that can clue me in on what the daily process is like and possibly a picture of their workstation?

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Do you mean the new fullfillment thing?

 

[anathema]

Yes, ship from store. We're getting prepped for it, I checked some other threads but didn't find a guide or a picture of what the workstation looks like when it's completed.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

This may help:
http://www.thebreakroom.org/index.php?threads/ship-from-store-tm.11802/#post-194179
There is no pictures, but there is info on how to do the setup.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

There are going to be a lot of new ESFS stores in the near future. Because of this huge increase the rest of us are going to be lowered to 300 orders from 700 (according to a redwire) in July which will cut our hours in half (team of 13-14 people scheduled per day down to probably 8-10)

Also, as a heads up, ESFS is a supreme space hog. Huge backrooms are a requirement because of the extra 400+ DPCIs of online only merch and 5-10 pallets of each sized boxes and other supplies. For example, we have 11 pallets of just 439s. We have about 5 aisles in the BR dedicated to just online only and 2 bulk aisles in the steels for just boxes and supplies. On top of that, we have 4 pack stations (some have 6) and 20 cart hold locations. Needless to say, it's a huge change to the backroom and the store's team in general. You'll have to hire and train 10-15 or even 20 new people for the SFS team depending on your payroll and order max. Once the dust settles though, ESFS is pretty fun for the most part. (except for digging through 1000 boxes on a 53' UPS truck to find an order a TM messed up on)

Moosechives, May 26, 2015Report
#40Like+ QuoteQuote
From the flexible fulfillment. The correct name is ESFS.

 

[SFSFun]

I'll look for a picture of the workstation and post it when I find it.


Here is our daily routine:

6am - clock in, get PDA, walkie, and electronics keys. Check for "Return to Stock" items and then head to the SFS workstation.

6:05am - Check to make sure the closer filled supplies and put water in the WAT machine, then pick the Store Pick-up orders (usually 1-3 every morning).

6:20am - Create batches of orders to pick (I usually just choose all options), grab a cart and start picking. If all went well the night before, there will be nothing waiting to pack, no leftover batches, and no more than 40 items waiting to be batched.

8am - First break

8:15am - Usually my batches will be picked and in hold by now, and there will be only a few new orders. I will go to receiving and check to see if we got any supplies in recently. If we did, I'll clearly mark everything with a sharpie and put it all away.

8:30am - The mid-shift arrives. If there are a decent amount of orders needing to be picked (15+), he will start picking and I will start packing. If orders are dropping in slowly, one of us will go help backroom or flow until things pick up.

10:05am - Any orders due today are automatically batched. If one of us is helping another workcenter, we will come back and start picking at this point. Once today's orders are done, we move on to tomorrow's, creating batches as needed.

11am - Lunch for opener and break for the mid, then we continue packing and picking.

2pm - If all orders from today are packed, the opener (usually me) will bring all of the outgoing packages to receiving and stage them on the dock for UPS to pick up later.

2:15pm - Last 15 for the opener and lunch for the mid. The mid will either pack or pick after lunch, depending on their preference and what needs to be done.

4:30pm - The closer arrives, gets an update on how things are going from the mid, and then takes over while the mid takes his last 15 then leaves.

I don't close so I don't know the timeframe, but they will make sure everything is picked and packed and that the workstation is stocked with supplies and clean. There is a list of closing duties needed to be done daily. Once everything is done, the closer will help backroom or salesfloor and leaves at 10pm.

 

[SFSFun]

There are going to be a lot of new ESFS stores in the near future. Because of this huge increase the rest of us are going to be lowered to 300 orders from 700 (according to a redwire) in July which will cut our hours in half (team of 13-14 people scheduled per day down to probably 8-10)

Also, as a heads up, ESFS is a supreme space hog. Huge backrooms are a requirement because of the extra 400+ DPCIs of online only merch and 5-10 pallets of each sized boxes and other supplies. For example, we have 11 pallets of just 439s. We have about 5 aisles in the BR dedicated to just online only and 2 bulk aisles in the steels for just boxes and supplies. On top of that, we have 4 pack stations (some have 6) and 20 cart hold locations. Needless to say, it's a huge change to the backroom and the store's team in general. You'll have to hire and train 10-15 or even 20 new people for the SFS team depending on your payroll and order max. Once the dust settles though, ESFS is pretty fun for the most part. (except for digging through 1000 boxes on a 53' UPS truck to find an order a TM messed up on)

Moosechives, May 26, 2015Report
#40Like+ QuoteQuote
From the flexible fulfillment. The correct name is ESFS.

regular SFS stores are going from 50-150 orders currently, down to 25-100 orders in July.

ESFS is drastically different from SFS. He is describing ESFS in that post

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

regular SFS stores are going from 50-150 orders currently, down to 25-100 orders in July.

ESFS is drastically different from SFS. He is describing ESFS in that post

I wasn't sure. At my store, we don't have it. But, thanks for the correction.

 

[anathema]

Do you deal with FF as well? You mention return to stocks.

And thank you, this is immensely helpful!

 

[SFSFun]

Do you deal with FF as well? You mention return to stocks.

And thank you, this is immensely helpful!

Yes. We aren't supposed to be doing it with the lastest PDA update that made it seperate...but we do anyways.

We have decided the best way to remember to check is to sign in to redwire on the PDA. There is an option for "leader alerts" and we just choose the one for Flex Fulfillment TM. The PDA will then alert every time a new store pick up order drops in (usually).


All SFS workstations are setup slightly different, and I'm not inclined to out myself be taking a picture of ours. But here are some pictures I found on twitter (edited to black out TM faces and nametags):

 

[Triscuit]

We have been doing SFS at our store since October. I have never been scheduled for it, but I do help pack a lot because the team is always behind. Its actually kind of relaxing to me, its something different. Our store gets 150 orders a day, there is one opener, one mid, and one closer. STL says after black friday our orders are increasing to 700 a day. Has anyone heard anything about that? I find this to be outrageous but he confirms its happening.

 

[SFSFun]

We have been doing SFS at our store since October. I have never been scheduled for it, but I do help pack a lot because the team is always behind. Its actually kind of relaxing to me, its something different. Our store gets 150 orders a day, there is one opener, one mid, and one closer. STL says after black friday our orders are increasing to 700 a day. Has anyone heard anything about that? I find this to be outrageous but he confirms its happening.

I heard it will be a max of 300 starting sometime in Q4.

But it feels like online sales are growing rapidly, so who knows if they can accurately predict what the order caps will need to be in 5 months.

 

[Moosechives]

I really doubt a non enhanced SFS will do 700 even for Q4 unless you guys are going to bump your team up to 20 seasonal sfs tms. It takes a minimum of 10 tms to get 700 done by 2pm and that's if everyone is on their A game. I do know we're supposed to be moving up to 900 for Q4 though.

 

[SFSFun]

@anonymousflowmember

There is an awesome picture with labels and everything for the SFS packing workstation.

- Log in to Workbench
- Logistics
- Ship from Store
- Packing station planogram (not 100% sure thats what the link is called but it definitely said planogram somewhere in there).

 

[anathema]

I will take a look tomorrow. We're in the process of setting up now, it's all coming together. Many thanks for the info.

 

[luna831]

how do i get into sfs

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

how do i get into sfs

Apply for it. Look on ehr.

 

[Leonhart621]

We're a B store so we only get 75 orders per day, which started last week (normally 150 orders). They're trying to get only one TM per day to do it but to me it's impossible to finish everything in just 8 hours.

This week is a little different. One person comes in from 6 and a second person from 830. To me, this is makes more sense but hurting the first TM because they only have 5 hrs and second have 7hrs.

We tend to separate the single item orders and multiple item orders in the beginning of the shift. This way it's more organized and easier packing (the packer doesn't stress out).

I'm not sure if it really affect the scores but we tend to drop the batches for tomorrow if the second person finishes everything that's due today and resupply the area. We get more than 75 orders the next day most of the time. Of course in my store, they send us to the backroom to help with backstock if we finish early

 

[SFSFun]

how do i get into sfs

It's only in a few hundred stores right now. But the job is called "Flexible Fulfillment" if you want to see if any nearby stores have positions posted for it.

We're a B store so we only get 75 orders per day, which started last week (normally 150 orders). They're trying to get only one TM per day to do it but to me it's impossible to finish everything in just 8 hours.

This week is a little different. One person comes in from 6 and a second person from 830. To me, this is makes more sense but hurting the first TM because they only have 5 hrs and second have 7hrs.

We tend to separate the single item orders and multiple item orders in the beginning of the shift. This way it's more organized and easier packing (the packer doesn't stress out).

I'm not sure if it really affect the scores but we tend to drop the batches for tomorrow if the second person finishes everything that's due today and resupply the area. We get more than 75 orders the next day most of the time. Of course in my store, they send us to the backroom to help with backstock if we finish early

Interesting. Also a B Volume store here but we still seem to be getting 150 orders per day. And I don't think the HRTM saw the redwire post about order volume dropping because we still have an opener, mid, and closer every day for all of the posted schedules. 21-24 SFS hours on the schedule per day.

 

[Leonhart621]

At first it's one TM @ 6-130, another @8:30-5, then another @12-5a, which makes 20hrs per day. When SFS TMs got their own workcenter, since we were under Backroom when we started, the 6am and 830am were the only ones under Flexible Fulfillment workcenter.

I have to see what's going to happen from now on. As far as I know, I'm going to main SFS, which is why I'm scheduled 830-4pm this week and next week to make sure everything's done before UPS comes in (I'm also the most knowledgable and fastest on SFS). The only downside is I don't come in at 6am so I have to deal with the TM who comes in at 6am.

 

[SFSFun]

Yeah we are under Flex Fulfillment now and I know for sure that it has been changed to my primary workcenter.

My ETL and the HRTM have been really good about giving me 5 days of 6-2:30 shifts and the only TM who gets 40 hours of just SFS shifts, so I am optimistic that they will try to keep my schedule the same.

On the bright side, the rumors about us moving to Enhanced SFS have been increasing a lot. We've had contractors come out and look around recently, and apparently there is a ton of unused space in a closed off area near the electrical panel and roof access.

 

[anathema]

We're a max 50 order, I am assuming my shifts will be somewhat split between it and backroom? I'm not sure what a 50 order day looks like for two TMs.

 

[SFSFun]

I don't even know why you would need two TMs for 50 orders.

But yeah since you are working in the back, you will probably end up helping Backroom.