MEGATHREAD Signing Tips, Tricks and Quips (along with howls of despair)

VibeNup said:
I'm not signing, but I was walking past the fixture room the other week and could not believe how clean it was. So I took a picture! Just felt like sharing:
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Thanks Vibe. This photo motivated me to get back to where our fixture room was a year ago (it was a rough year). 5 hours later and all my shelves are aligned, sorted by size and type. The opposite side is completely grey boxes, so it always looks good, but now they look good inside too.

I wish I could post a photo, but our fixture room has 1 very distinguishable landmark...
 
DontTouchTheHeaders said:
Has anyone checked out the February Signing Update yet? One look at the Spring FOS and I already hate it.
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Yep, saw it on Tuesday. I went ugh. I just hope it stays up long enough (especially if the build is complicated)....I really liked last year's "Color Changes Everything" FOS even though it was definitely crazy to put together.
 
random Q for back on the infant flat......did you guys get new full sets of the info cards for the flat - or was it just for the new displays? (strollers, play yards, high chairs, cribs, bouncers, swings.......etc). this is going to be one miserable wait as this stuff trickles in through fed ex.

ps - did anyone get an ISM pallet this week? three supply pallets, no ISM. nothing on online packslip when i checked this morning either.
 
You should have received full sets, even new cards for the carry forward displays.

I haven't received an ISM pallet yet but my signing pallets have been coming in on such a random basis that I have no idea what truck it's going to be on.
Can't tell you how frustrating that is and how hard it is to plan out the week, especially with hours being cut to the bone.
 
greydot said:
random Q for back on the infant flat......did you guys get new full sets of the info cards for the flat - or was it just for the new displays? (strollers, play yards, high chairs, cribs, bouncers, swings.......etc). this is going to be one miserable wait as this stuff trickles in through fed ex.

ps - did anyone get an ISM pallet this week? three supply pallets, no ISM. nothing on online packslip when i checked this morning either.
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Full sets of everything, even the carry-forward signs. Didn't receive any pallets today.


commiecorvus said:
You should have received full sets, even new cards for the carry forward displays.

I haven't received an ISM pallet yet but my signing pallets have been coming in on such a random basis that I have no idea what truck it's going to be on.
Can't tell you how frustrating that is and how hard it is to plan out the week, especially with hours being cut to the bone.
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It's frustrating because I wanted to start on next weeks workload because this week there is really nothing to do except shoes and some entertainment. I wanted to get a head start on the softlines CSE signs that should be coming in and RTW signs. Hours are getting really low and with sporting goods next week, I know I'm going to be over there a lot, so I want to get as much out of the way as I can.
 
TargetOldTimer said:
Just thought I'd give you all ideas of how to deal with those pesky sl bars and fencing.....




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Excellent, thank you! I have mine set up kinda like yours, but without the shelves, and I didn't think about using softlines fixtures for softlines fixtures. I had an excess amount of lawn and patio fixtures, so I used those instead. But now I see a few more things that I can do.
 
Thank you for the pictures TOT.
Great ideas.
We use the shelves but I never would have thought of the soft lines fixture idea.
Very smart.
 
My store does a similar thing, but instead of using softlines bars to hang that stuff up we use the crossbars with the holes on top (AX2600 if memory serves) and the corresponding pegs.
 
It's been a little while, but thanks TOT for getting the toothbrush sign #!

Now a question for you signing experts: how do you keep your signing files and papers organized? I'm open to any and all suggestions, as I'm brand-new to signing.
 
I'm a big fan of the hand it all to the PTL and let him/her do it for you technique but I don't know if you can get away with that one.
I was lucky enough to for a while.
After that I went with the huge 3 ring binder, everything get punched and stuck in there.
After three months I dump it and start over.
 
alloverthefloor said:
It's been a little while, but thanks TOT for getting the toothbrush sign #!

Now a question for you signing experts: how do you keep your signing files and papers organized? I'm open to any and all suggestions, as I'm brand-new to signing.
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I staple PPA orders to the original PPA followup sheet. Thats it. I don't keep anything. I used to keep a binder, but found I never referenced it, so I abandoned using it.
When I order on TIPP, I name the order, such as "John's request for label holders", or "1/20/13 PPA follow up".

I have worked for leaders that think I must have a binder full of papers, so I have printed and saved every email, order to make them happy, but I personally think its a waste of time.
 
alloverthefloor said:
It's been a little while, but thanks TOT for getting the toothbrush sign #!

Now a question for you signing experts: how do you keep your signing files and papers organized? I'm open to any and all suggestions, as I'm brand-new to signing.
Click to expand...

When I did signing I kept paperwork to a minimum. Plano TL would hand me the POG with the PPA stapled and filled out, then I would walk it to verify and place the needed orders, mark what was outstanding on the PPA and hand it back. When items came in I would either scan it to find location or to look it up in Online Planogram. As far as my TIPP orders, I have never printed out a single order, they are all saved in the system(392 orders as of today). Every order is separated by a subject and date(mm/dd) for me to track(example: GondolaParts0128 or Seasonal1214). Why don't I print it out you ask? I f#@&ing HATE paperwork!
 
definitely minimize your paperwork. see what it is that you need depending on your store and try not to keep too much. personally i don't need packslips, tipp orders, mysupports, any of that. any paper work i have to keep is basically to show other people. so once you know what people in your store might come looking for, keep only that and what you need for yourself. TIPP orders - i never print them since they are all online. If i order something for someone - particularly an ETL i will print it and give it to them. i keep a drawer for transition/pog info but i don't really consider that to be "my" paperwork - i just keep an organized copy for reference when the time arises. but really i keep separate magnetic 3 rings of:

packslips: for the ever present "where is this, did you ever get it" (I've been using a 3-month toss cycle here)
transition packets/early set notes for upcoming sets: just ready to go (get filed into aforementioned POG drawer when done)
signing info: sometimes its salesplanner packslips (the color coded ones, or the ones from the "core" boxes), workbench messages from the signing board, basically things that need to be taken care of - or information i should have "on hand" like for ex - the price match paperwork when that went up.

some of things make it into a more permanent set of file folders that have in he depths of my signing cart as what i would consider reference materials. but as i said before you need to know what your store wants you to have. right now my store is really into things like street signs so i now save all the street sign instruction sheets that come with transitions - which is basically turning into what will probably be brand binders for the different departments. previous leadership didn't care about paperwork as long as things were taken care of. my current leadership needs you to prove why a street sign that says "shampoo" should go first in a shampoo aisle over the word "conditioner" etc. you have to know your store. i also keep a copy of all the brochures for depts that use them (infants, furniture, formerly elec, etc.) and throw them in a binder or folder for when needed.

the only other thing i would mention is to maybe keep a printout of your mysupports. sometimes they drop off the board before they are answered, and sometimes you might need it to prove to others that you actually have worked on what might be an ongoing issue - that kind of thing.
 
commiecorvus said:
I'm a big fan of the hand it all to the PTL and let him/her do it for you technique but I don't know if you can get away with that one.
I was lucky enough to for a while.
After that I went with the huge 3 ring binder, everything get punched and stuck in there.
After three months I dump it and start over.
Click to expand...

I am doing this.... i started with a 1/2 " binder, and then it grew to a 1" binder... then I gave up and moved everything to a 3" binder lol
 
Okay, now I need ideas for how to store all the different softlines label holders. Hoping someone has a better system than I do right now....
 
TargetOldTimer said:
Okay, now I need ideas for how to store all the different softlines label holders. Hoping someone has a better system than I do right now....
Click to expand...
If you go into your backroom and see how they backstock the brooms in those long wacco boxes, you'll see the answer. I don't know the exact part number, but it makes it like a long empty box that is four feet long. There are two sizes, small and large, and the small ones you can use for the 2 foot/3 foot label strips since you'll have less of them. Set those waccos on the top of your steel in the fixture room or if you have space between the steel and the light duty shelving.
 
I've always used backer paper boxes with the top cut off to organize and store long label strip holders. For the small 2, 4, 5, 12 pocket labelholders I use 1'x1' waco boxes.
 
Same here. For our steel in the fixture room we have another level (orange bar) about a foot-foot and a half under the top level and I put backer paper boxes with the ends cut off all the way down here. starting with hardlines, then softlines, then ideally through other bar fixtures, shelftalker acrylics, etc. haven't gotten all the way down yet, but always a work in progress.
 
thanks for all the suggestions.

I'm doing just what you suggest now,(in backer paper boxes) but I find that all the different, shorter softlines convertible and shoe label holders get lost in the mix. I guess I want them standing, so I can see the sizes and completely visible to anyone looking for that specific size.
 
Another question. (Can you tell this is bounce back week for me? lol) Where can I order new handles for our pull down salesfloor bike rack??
Looked all over in TIPP, but can't find a thing. I may have to call in a favor from the remodel etl if I don't find it pretty soon....
 
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