August 1, 2013 - hashketchum
inefficient, wasting time, complete bullshit
Ok, this is my third post in pretty short order, but it’s so necessary. I love coming on here to vent.
I work in the backroom. If I had like a Target hit list, whoever resets planograms would be number one. The ETL that gets on our case about backstocking would be second. When they reset planograms, and fill it with new stuff, guess where the old stuff goes…the backroom. Almost every time this happens, we get a flatbed with at least 10 repack boxes full of stuff. When the ETLs come upstairs on their walk (god, I hate the walk), they see that shit and lose their minds and from then on, they’re on our case about who’s working on backstock the rest of the day as if we let the backstock get out of hand. Motherfucker! stop giving us all this plano BS to add to our normal flow, and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
What’s even worse, is that when we do get around to backstocking it, the majority of what we backstock comes back through in the next CAF pull, so like if we backstock a shitload of pasta and sauce, the batch that contains that stuff will be like 1:32. And they make us pull EVERYTHING. Even when they know its going to be re-backstocked.
This new regime has done away with “burning” batches. That’s the term for removing the system’s quantities. When the system asks you to take 6, you just type 99. When it asks you if you took it all, you say no. That will keep the item in the spot, but it wont know how many are there. If that 99 covers what the batch needs, it’ll save you the time of going to all the other locations where the item is, thus shortening the batch.
Anyways, they know it’s all going to come back, but they make us pull it to keep their system in order. Then they keep asking who’s working on backstock. There’s this one ETL, she’s got the most annoying voice. I want to punch her in the throat everytime she talks to me, but if she new how I felt about when she asks us about backstock, she might fear for her life. But this whole no burning batches is the worst with p-fresh batches at 11 am. The vast majority of 11am CAFs are p-fresh. It’s all backstock from the overnight coming through. They make us pull it. Cart after cart after cart of “push.” P-fresh team gets pissed because theyre wasting time pushing stuff they know wont go out. We have it worse because we actually have to go back into the coolers and freezer to backstock it. If an ETL had to spend an hour in the -10 degree freezer, I bet they’d think twice about this whole no burning batches thing. Pulling known backstock is the dumbest thing ever. It’s a waste of time. Why not just keep it out as some type of rolling push? Maybe that’s not the answer, but the way it is now is completely inefficient and the BS is not worth $10.16 an hour. I’ve actually found a way around it. Instead of burning it, I just pull the item, then immediately backstock it. It takes longer, but I won’t get caught (the computer shows how many items were pulled compared to how many were needed). The only problem is that the other team members don’t do it and I can’t coach people to do stuff wrong, so the inefficiency remains. I can’t wait until I no longer work there. FUCK the system, FUCK the numbers, and FUCK you Target.
(8)Dislikes
(0)Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Wanna be a hero, backstock with the subt app. When you use subt to backstock, you scan the item, scan the location then type in 9999. It will ask you if you have pulled all of the item from location and you'll say no, then it will ask you for quantity just like it does when using sto. What it does is resets the counts and won't pull it till it needs it. My store does it with all of plano backstock and we never see any of it in the cafs.
Plano is supposed to be working the old product into the new sets and untying the old locations, but at my store (and yours from what it sounds like) they aren't doing that. When they do bring ludicrous amounts of "backstock" back, we put a note that says "plano backstock" and backstock it last using the method jack.tripper.17 mentioned. It definitely helps with the CAF pulls and with pulls in general, assuming we get the time to do it. The presentation TL (who does nothing all day) constantly gave us shit about the notes until we went over her head to the DTL and got permission to use them.
But yeah, I definitely feel you when it comes to dealing with stupid decisions from superiors. I've been the CAF puller for almost a year now. Shit's not easy as it is, yet people constantly find ways to make it harder. You're doing the right thing by immediately backstocking it after pulling it, but it's a shame no one else has cooperated on that front.