Archived The Big & Dandy Backroom thread!

[konk]

I have to or I wouldn't be able to set up the line.

 

[konk]

This was my night:
Scheduled 4-8
4 - pull
4:30 - setup line
5 - pull
5:30 - smart huddle
6 - work pull
6:30 - pull EXFs that LOD wanted
6:45 - break
7 - pull price change
7:30 - backstock

LOD wanted to know why I didn't backstock everything.

 

[asidius]

The flow team is going to arrive with a scheduled CAF in the gun because our meat cooler is loaded with backstock. The meat cooler CAFs didn't get pulled at all until I decided to go in there and at least burn them (minus 2 items). 6 hours of rolling CAFs.

So much for a green backroom score.

 

[LogisticsFox]

The flow team is going to arrive with a scheduled CAF in the gun because our meat cooler is loaded with backstock. The meat cooler CAFs didn't get pulled at all until I decided to go in there and at least burn them (minus 2 items). 6 hours of rolling CAFs.

So much for a green backroom score.

Were you not able to pull those batches because the cooler was too full to get in there?

 

[asidius]

Were you not able to pull those batches because the cooler was too full to get in there?

Upon opening the door, 2 flats of backstock immediately greeted you with another 2 carts behind that. The other BR TM said don't even bother with the meat cooler so I didn't till the end of my shift when I felt bad about leaving CAFs in the gun (and a slight fear of getting yelled at).

Pulling the batches actually wasn't that bad. Certainly easier than our tiny produce cooler which had minimal backstock. There was only 2 items I couldn't get at and I could have burned them on the computer if I had time. Regardless, there was no room to put the meat even if I had pulled it on the hour. It was going to have to get burned regardless.

I really hate working days when we get pfresh trucks. It makes pulling the coolers really hard. I would love it if they somehow expanded the meat and produce cooler.

 

[StackerMistress]

Feel bad for our cart attendant last night. Needed a new hanger bin, but there was so much freight on the line still that there was no way I was gonna be able to get the stacker in there to get it down. Hopefully after flow plays their usual catch up game today, someone can get it down.

Back room has been getting the shaft every night. I don't bother begging for help anymore; the LOD just gives me a sob story about how they're understaffed on the floor, blah blah, they can't come back and pull even when CAFs are 1.5 hours every hour and I'm alone. So I just call out the pull time at the top of every hour, switch back to channel 2, and do what I can. All FFs, research, and guest requests come before the CAFs. If the LOD doesn't want to help, that's on them because I make sure to tell them what my workload is. Anyone else in the same boat these days?

 

[see spot save]

How do I create/print a batch of backroom shelf labels? There are maybe 30 labels that are unscannable and I'd like to print new strips so I can use the wacos. I only know how to print single labels in Store Applications.

Another question, my batt batch pulls full case quantity from the waco every single day. I can push them and then subt999, but if we sell just one an entire waco will come out the next day. Any suggestions? The locations aren't marked "o" for open stock, could that be it?

 

[LogisticsFox]

How do I create/print a batch of backroom shelf labels? There are maybe 30 labels that are unscannable and I'd like to print new strips so I can use the wacos. I only know how to print single labels in Store Applications.

In RFApps:
1)Stockroom Locator
5)Location Management
2)Create Locations
Y/N) Group Locations (If you're going to do a bunch of different locations, you could say 'no' and group them later.
2) Multiple Shelves (In order to make a batch, you'll need to create more than one label, though it's possible to trick it into just adding 1 loc to the batch)
*If you have a portable printer, you can always just make them individually.
Stockroom ID: First 3 letters and numbers in the backroom location (sometimes 01A for the main or 99B for receiving steel)
Aisle Number: Self explanatory, if you're in aisle 12, just type that in (leading 0's aren't important)
Section Letter: A is usually the first section on the left and B the first one on the right. The pattern zigzags with C after A, all the way to Z!
Starting Shelf Number: Typically, 1-5 is considered lower case, 6-24 is upper case and 25-99 are wacos. (personally I like this system since I can reach a 6 but I'll probably need a ladder for an 8)
Ending Shelf Location: Creates a label for every location between start and end. If you put the same location in for both, only 1 label will be added to the batch.
Y/N) Print additional labels? If you say yes, it will start again at backroom ID. You'll still be using your original group selection. If you say no, it will ask you M-ain or P-ortable printer. Say M and it will ask you for a batch name.
Name the batch and you'll be able to find it in store apps.

Also, can you give an example of what's pulling from the waco? Sounds like it's grouped correctly.

 

[see spot save]

Thanks for that. We do have a portable printer in electronics, so I may go that route.

Ok, so an example would be like this:
1. Autofill takes me to a location and pulls the full quantity in the waco, lets say it's 34 eaches of Duracell AA 10 packs
2. Push to all salesfloor locations, only 10 go out
3. Backstock what's left, 24. (I can subt999 them here, doesn't make a difference)
4. If we sell one during the day the CAF will pull all 24
5. If we sold another after the CAFs were done it will pull a full casepack of 48 the next morning.
6. Pull next day's autos, push, two go out. Backstock 22 eaches + a full casepack.
7. Repeat

I get that when there's no open stock left it has to pull a casepack, but I don't know why it pulls all in a waco rather than just the number that was sold.

 

[sigma7]

Are your battery wacos grouped as open stock or case stock? It sounds like they are grouped incorrectly as case stock which is causing the replenishment system to always request casepack quantities or as close as it can get to casepack quantities.

 

[LogisticsFox]

The locations aren't marked "o" for open stock, could that be it?

I read this incorrectly last night. This is potentially the case. To group the waco to open stock, you'll need to be in RFApps and go to 1>5>1>1 (single shelf locations?) > (What ever the number is for open stock) (those last two screens may be swapped as I haven't had my coffee yet) and scan the waco.

 

[asidius]

So yesterday was fun. Was scheduled for a 5 hour backroom shift at 10 am where upon arriving I had like 10 people ask me to pull their batches. I was unable to even pull research until 1-2 p.m. About an hour in the shift the LOD asks me if I can stay an extra 3 hours to do pulls since our pulls guy called in. Ok fine whatever, I like getting hours and will never say no to that. Around 4 pm I became aware the guy who was supposed to come in to only pull POGs called out. There were like 25 of them in the gun. So around 5:30 or so, the STL asks me if I can stay later again to pull CAFs and set the line because our closer also called in. What this meant was I had to flip flop between working in the backroom and working pulls on the floor (we also have a shortage of 3 tier carts so really terribly sorted pulls). Mind you, I was the only person that entire day that could take backroom calls, thankfully the floor was slow. My short 5.5 hour shift turned into a 12 hour shift.

Oh yeah and the CAFs were routinely 1 1/2 - 2 hours long every hour. It was kinda cool to see the STL make a bale though.

Fun times.

 

[Mysterious]

CAFs
40 to 50 Research batches (Lost count)
14 Outs
12 Wednesday POGs (D-Run)
Sweep
Flexible Fulfillments
Walkie Calls
Backstock

That was fun.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Thanks for that. We do have a portable printer in electronics, so I may go that route.

Ok, so an example would be like this:
1. Autofill takes me to a location and pulls the full quantity in the waco, lets say it's 34 eaches of Duracell AA 10 packs
2. Push to all salesfloor locations, only 10 go out
3. Backstock what's left, 24. (I can subt999 them here, doesn't make a difference)
4. If we sell one during the day the CAF will pull all 24
5. If we sold another after the CAFs were done it will pull a full casepack of 48 the next morning.
6. Pull next day's autos, push, two go out. Backstock 22 eaches + a full casepack.
7. Repeat
I get that when there's no open stock left it has to pull a casepack, but I don't know why it pulls all in a waco rather than just the number that was sold.

Did you take any to the front end? They love to take them for the new tower. Ignore the dcpi.

 

[konk]

So then what's the point of having different dpci's for the same batteries? I thought it was to track sales/keep certain areas stocked.

 

[LogisticsFox]

I don't think we currently have any batteries with different DPCIs?

Usually if we get something with two different DPCIs it's because it's a bonus size or includes a trial size of something else (usually a HBA item). Also, they'll occasionally put a different DPCI on stuff that goes on a seasonal set and clearance or merge the DPCIs later (Like how the easter basket toys where the same as the Blip toys on the back wall, the toys in mini recently merged DPCIs with the ones in Toys).

 

[konk]

Maybe we don't do it anymore, but there used to be cases with pink designation for checklanes. I'm sure you could walk into any Target and find checklane batteries in electronics though.

 

[see spot save]

Did you take any to the front end? They love to take them for the new tower. Ignore the dcpi.

New tower? I also don't have any batteries with different dpcis.

Grouping open stock worked btw, today's batch pulled about 10 total rather than 60. Much more manageable this way.

 

[Kompa]

My ETL told me last week that locuíng and then sto'ing back in (from the locu app) messes up the numbers. Is this true?

 

[LogisticsFox]

My ETL told me last week that locuíng and then sto'ing back in (from the locu app) messes up the numbers. Is this true?

Not that I know of.. I just know it's super easy to loose track of what you're doing and make mistakes. Fairly often, I notice that I've scanned 2 shelves into 1 loc.

 

[Voicetarget]

Looking for an accurate answer to this Log/Plano/BR question- What happens to pog batches that have been dropped but not pulled?

 

[mrknownothing]

I don't think we currently have any batteries with different DPCIs?

Usually if we get something with two different DPCIs it's because it's a bonus size or includes a trial size of something else (usually a HBA item). Also, they'll occasionally put a different DPCI on stuff that goes on a seasonal set and clearance or merge the DPCIs later (Like how the easter basket toys where the same as the Blip toys on the back wall, the toys in mini recently merged DPCIs with the ones in Toys).

We used to have 10-packs of Energizer AAs that had 2 different DPCIs. One DPCI might be located in the battery aisle in electronics and the other might be in the battery tower up front, or one would be on the sales floor outposts and the other would only be on the carousels at the electronics boat or something weird like that. I would always find them when working the checklanes push/re-shop because the checklane POGs didn't include 10-packs, so I'd smart sort them and they'd sort to 2 different areas.

I know iTunes cards used to have multiple DPCIs for different locations, but I'm not sure if they still do or not.

 

[LogisticsFox]

We used to have 10-packs of Energizer AAs that had 2 different DPCIs. One DPCI might be located in the battery aisle in electronics and the other might be in the battery tower up front, or one would be on the sales floor outposts and the other would only be on the carousels at the electronics boat or something weird like that. I would always find them when working the checklanes push/re-shop because the checklane POGs didn't include 10-packs, so I'd smart sort them and they'd sort to 2 different areas.

I know iTunes cards used to have multiple DPCIs for different locations, but I'm not sure if they still do or not.

I think iTunes only gets a 2nd DPCI when they're given a temporary spot like the GC sidecaps that pop up around holidays. IIRC, the endcap in electronics has the same DPCI as the checklanes.

 

[see spot save]

I have 4 or 5 different DPCIs for most giftcards. Endcap in Elec, endcap in Stationary, checklanes, sidecaps in market plus two or three aisle locations.

It's always a pain to backstock because I have to go through all of the giftcards and separate them by UPC so they are located correctly.

 

[LogisticsFox]

Gift cards are always a pain. I did notice that most varieties (Some other items have this feature too, like EOS lip balm) have a series of lines of varying thickness around the perimeter of the card and each UPC has a different pattern. Instead of looking at the UPC numbers, you can just fan the cards out and quickly distinguish different UPC's