Archived Tips to be faster in the backroom

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
May 6, 2013
Messages
2
Hi, I'm new at target and already went through a couple days of training. I feel like I'm kind of slow with the process, I used to work for another retail store in the back room and picked it up a lot quicker than I did here, so I'm a little worried. My trainer also had a thick accent, so it was a little hard to understand what I was told. Is there any tips any of you can give me to be faster, specifically for overnight backroom. Some questions I already have are what sections are you suppose to start pulling first? Is there a shortcut to get to the pulling menu or do you have to go through the 3 screens to get there? How long should each process be taking? Can I already ask if I can cross-train as a flow team member?

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated!
 
What flowmonkey said. Speed just comes with practice. Don't want to be too fast though. If you aren't paying attention it can hurt location accuracy, and that's the biggest thing about the backroom. You'll be fine, soon your fingers will develop a mind of their own.
 
Like FlowMonkey said speed comes with time. A few tips...when it comes to pulls everyone should start at opposite ends, my team will pull all of one block on the floor be it everything for D&E or F or seasonal with A&B, this way its one trip to the floor with your pulls for that area and done. When your pulling and backstocking for that matter always have your buggy within arms length away. You need to know the order your backroom works things and when to start them. For instance with my backroom we get down to about 8 pulls left, we start pulling the backtock pallets from the truck, whether they are done unloading or not. After that everyone falls into place, 1st person is pulling pallets, next is bowling, after that everyone else jumps on backstock. We usually are done in enough time to get caught up 100%, and work 2 areas of the floor before flow even brings any backstock back. Also, when backstocking put your items with locations together, this will prevent you wasting time looking for a empty Waco or shelf.
While you do want to try to pick up your pace as your pulling and backstocking when your new you need to concentrate on entering the correct numbers, paying attention to if everything is the same or not and separating items as needed. As far as working with flow usually at some stores I have seen anyhow the backroom usually works with flow anyhow.
Good luck and enjoy, the backroom is a great position to be in and I think you'll really enjoy it.
 
Can you tell me more about bowling BS? I go back to truck tomorrow after a long time not doing it and I don't think they bowl. Pretty sure they take each case off the pallet, peel the sticker, and walk it down the aisle. We're each assigned a few aisles and do receiving and frozen/dairy together (although when I close, I always have to do dairy/frozen). I guess what I'm asking is does your team have department numbers memorized in case the pallet was stacked poorly? Thanks
 
The best thing you can do is ask questions when you dont understand something, that will get you far trust me. As for tips on working faster? i cant really say because I'm not sure how your backroom works, but all i can tell you is dont be lazy, and have common sense.
 
Our store doesn't do the bowling for the backroom.

Each pallet on the backstock side of the truck line, lines up with how our backroom is profiled, so after the truck is finished, each pallet can be pulled down right next to the valley it needs to be.

From there, they have two TMs a pallet and they backstock front to back. They usually have about half of it done by the time the push backstock starts coming back.

Well, on a good day.
 
Our backroom tends to get a few departments that are right next to each other to bowl out. They all have some random number that tells you what department it's in and you can find the number that matches the department on a sign in the beginning of all aisles if your target is the same. Most of the people do have the numbers memorized but some just look at the aisle sign and match it up to the box.
 
Well I was all ready to try bowling out on my 4 aisles, but I ended up staying in receiving most of the time separating transition. Except for when we had to work Dairy. It wasn't that bad. The person that is the weakest link is the one that I expected. Funny how when I work the backroom is 100% clean at the end of the day.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top