Bye Bye Receivers

[RevLogRaven]

The problem with pilots is that the stores doing them want to be optimistic and positive and supportive of change. I have personally seen sd stretch the truth to make pilots seem successful to impress hq. Even when not fully rolling it out in their store.

I hope my store gives up or at least adjusts this soon and doesn’t lie to hq about how it is going.

I have more vendors numbers in my phone than people I know outside of work. I'm the one who my boss logs in to go cart to order everything from bale wire to trash bags to gloves for the team. Delivering packages, receiving packages, checking in packages of dsd items. I could go on forever about the many little things
I do every day that add up to a lot. And when I say "I" mean the receiver as a role. A vital role in keeping that backroom running smoothly and efficiently. I partner with multiple teams and leads daily to communicate in a variety of ways to keep things flowing. I have a solid partnership with my CTL and ETL food and our vendors. I keep tabs on merchandisers and know which ones need to be watched more carefully and which ones are good workers who don't need a baby sitter. I'm the one on the phone calling PRS because the NECA vendor hasn't come in in weeks. I palletize the American greetings when it mothers day or valentines day. My vendors know my schedule and plan their routes accordingly. I'm more proud of the relationships I've created over time with all these people than I'll ever be of how well I can clean up after literally everyone and how well I can load a stupid sweep. We do team lead stuff for team member pay and now someone who obviously does not understand the depth of what we do on a daily basis that is not in our "core role" has decided we are no longer a valued part of the team. It's bs to be perfectly honest.

This is spot on, I do so much outside of my role and if has fallen to the side.

I’ve spent years building up relationships with my vendors and it is pissing me off that their job has become harder because of this system. I prided myself in being able to handle questions from vendors quickly and getting them in out out in a timely manner, but now I can’t do that.

 

[Dream Baby]

Target thinks brainstorming means to come up with any wild idea AND implement them without a second thought.

Anybody remember these basket that took up a lot of room, had little storage, were expensive, and then just disappeared one night.

 

[RevLogRaven]

Target thinks brainstorming means to come up with any wild idea AND implement them without a second thought.

Anybody remember these basket that took up a lot of room, had little storage, were expensive, and then just disappeared one night.

I’m just glad those baskets went away before TikTok became a thing, imagine what kind of ‘challenges’ people would have come up with those. It was already bad with stuff like twitter and vine.

 

[Grocery George]

How is everyone going to cover receiving when it goes to Food ? One or two dedicated team members or assign certain days to people or just take turns covering? They don’t want us just sitting back there waiting on vendors

 

[RevLogRaven]

How is everyone going to cover receiving when it goes to Food ? One or two dedicated team members or assign certain days to people or just take turns covering? They don’t want us just sitting back there waiting on vendors

Essentially just running back and forth. Anyone can let a vendor in, but then someone needs to be called back to let them out/assign a PO. Then someone needs to let the vendor back in and then if that person isn't on the list of people who have been trained to receive they need to call Market or a TL back to receive so that person needs to drop what they are doing to come and receive. Some vendors can pick their order in 5 minutes, so does the person receiving them stuff stand around doing nothing for that time, or do they run back out to try and get something down before the vendor comes back in? I have no idea, but this is a ton of wasted time, and I've shown 8 different people how to do different aspects of my job this week and stuff has already been messed up.

Part of me understands that this is a learning curve and people won't get it after one week, but it took me weeks of doing it daily to be fully comfortable and confident that I wouldn't mess anything up when I first started as receiving and then a few months to get a system in place to deal with every other thing that gets thrown in receivings lap. This isn't something that people can do confidently when they touch it every few days.

 

[vendordontmesswithme]

I honestly can't see how this is efficient and financially responsible. Please corp explain it to my how it is. Right now the only time I have someone in receiving is when milk is delivered just when it's my lunch time. Does this mean they will be responsible to overseeing vendors have their backstock pre counted for inventory?

 

[moninity]

When was the last time Target understood what efficient and financially responsible meant?

 

[Going with the Flow]

I honestly can't see how this is efficient and financially responsible. Please corp explain it to my how it is. Right now the only time I have someone in receiving is when milk is delivered just when it's my lunch time. Does this mean they will be responsible to overseeing vendors have their backstock pre counted for inventory?

I will 100% not be responsible for inventory if I'm not the "receiver". This hasn't rolled out at our store as we are not in the pilot. But if it does I'm not going to take on that since it's no longer my role. 90% of inventory is spending a month reminding the sales reps repeatedly to dial down the inventory as we head towards the big day and making sure everything is neat in back even more than my usual expectations and easily countable.

 

[Going with the Flow]

Also if you type " pilot" into workbench you can see I think it's 7 variations that are being tested.

 

[jenna]

I honestly can't see how this is efficient and financially responsible. Please corp explain it to my how it is. Right now the only time I have someone in receiving is when milk is delivered just when it's my lunch time. Does this mean they will be responsible to overseeing vendors have their backstock pre counted for inventory?

Let me tell you about the time Target dismantled the Instocks, Pricing, Backroom and POG teams.... sound financial move.
/sarcasm

but wait, there's Canada!
--
In all honesty, this sucks. And it's going to be a mess for a majority of the stores.

 

[YugTegrat]

I wonder if stores in this pilot are seeing issues with liquor vendors. A single mistake checking them in can mean losing a liquor license.

 

[Going with the Flow]

Let me tell you about the time Target dismantled the Instocks, Pricing, Backroom and POG teams.... sound financial move.
/sarcasm

but wait, there's Canada!
--
In all honesty, this sucks. And it's going to be a mess for a majority of the stores.

Nailed it! Target Canada is the greatest example of how the lack of being able to accept honest feedback and dialog is one of Targets biggest problems and led to that epic failure. And I use to do Instocks and and backroom. Instocks kept that floor full and the backrooms empty. The backroom person in me dies every time I have to audit a waco with up to 10 separate items all with barcodes hidden...these backrooms now are ridiculous. When Amazon came to town a few years back they hired our backroom people the minute they applied because Target used to be known for their efficient backroom processes. Now we are no better than Walmart.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Nailed it! Target Canada is the greatest example of how the lack of being able to accept honest feedback and dialog is one of Targets biggest problems and led to that epic failure. And I use to do Instocks and and backroom. Instocks kept that floor full and the backrooms empty. The backroom person in me dies every time I have to audit a waco with up to 10 separate items all with barcodes hidden...these backrooms now are ridiculous. When Amazon came to town a few years back they hired our backroom people the minute they applied because Target used to be known for their efficient backroom processes. Now we are no better than Walmart.

Target Canada was steinhaufels stupidity. Now we have Cornell’s stupidity. But the ceos are making so much money that they are oblivious to the shit show.

 

[RevLogRaven]

Well, we are into week two and this isn't getting any better. TLs are always being called back to receive constantly and I am still getting called back to answer questions. Vendors are getting held up at every Target in our area which is making their days longer. They have messed up several things at my store, luckily they are easy fixes but I dread to see what bigger issues present themselves. I've trained multiple people to do all the things that I used to do. Why have one person do 10+ tasks efficiently in a day when you can have 7+ people do one or two of those tasks poorly, and that doesn't take into account all the tasks that aren't getting touched.

 

[Dream Baby]

I wonder if stores in this pilot are seeing issues with liquor vendors. A single mistake checking them in can mean losing a liquor license.

Good point.

Our store has only beer and wine but not hard liquor.

Alcohol laws vary a lot state to state and even locale.

 

[vendordontmesswithme]

What about bad weather? It was pouring this morning. Fortunately it was a delivery on a 18 wheeler. Imagine with new system. Fbl will have to do the detail check in. Only one bay us for deliveries. After check in fbl has to stay in receiving while driver goesto move truck because he has to stock mds. Fbl has to wait while truck is moved and driver comes back in.
So many of vendors don't use the dock for instance Frito. They will want to be able to ring the bell and get inside quickly so product isn't damaged. Fbl will gave to stand around in receiving while this is happening twiddling the thumbs or check out their Instagram likes. What I was able to do was damages clean organized repacks or anything else. One time I had a vendor who was slow bringing in product. Top layer get wet and was compromised product had to be removed from the ticket before I would check it in.

 

[vendordontmesswithme]

What about bad weather? It was pouring this morning. Fortunately it was a delivery on a 18 wheeler. Imagine with new system. Fbl will have to do the detail check in. Only one bay us for deliveries. After check in fbl has to stay in receiving while driver goesto move truck because he has to stock mds. Fbl has to wait while truck is moved and driver comes back in.
So many of vendors don't use the dock for instance Frito. They will want to be able to ring the bell and get inside quickly so product isn't damaged. Fbl will gave to stand around in receiving while this is happening twiddling the thumbs or check out their Instagram likes. What I was able to do was damages clean organized repacks or anything else. One time I had a vendor who was slow bringing in product. Top layer get wet and was compromised product had to be removed from the ticket before I would check it in.

I did proof read this before sending it. Just reread it and there are so many spelling and grammar mistakes. I just shouldn't post while on break.

 

[vendordontmesswithme]

RevLogRaven when your not in the receiving area do you completely secure receiving? Padlock the dock doors and turn the power off for the overhead door. I would if I have a receiving key and not in the area. I know fbl lead has key but other fbl team members don't. That means vendor will have to wait on a team member with a key to let them in and wait for a fbl to check them in. Then doors will have to be locked when vendor leaves.

 

[jenna]

RevLogRaven when your not in the receiving area do you completely secure receiving? Padlock the dock doors and turn the power off for the overhead door. I would if I have a receiving key and not in the area. I know fbl lead has key but other fbl team members don't. That means vendor will have to wait on a team member with a key to let them in and wait for a fbl to check them in. Then doors will have to be locked when vendor leaves.

@RevLogRaven

 

[RevLogRaven]

RevLogRaven when your not in the receiving area do you completely secure receiving? Padlock the dock doors and turn the power off for the overhead door. I would if I have a receiving key and not in the area. I know fbl lead has key but other fbl team members don't. That means vendor will have to wait on a team member with a key to let them in and wait for a fbl to check them in. Then doors will have to be locked when vendor leaves.

I do not, I have a feeling that it would not go over well at my store. They just have anyone who happens to be in the back buzzing people in which is definitely not the more secure thing. I know all my vendors by sight through the camera but most other people don't. I'm waiting on the day when some random person gets let in. We don't have powered doors, so it would be the deadbolt and padlock for me.

 

[vendordontmesswithme]

@RevLogRaven

Thanks couldn't figured this out

 

[vendordontmesswithme]

I do not, I have a feeling that it would not go over well at my store. They just have anyone who happens to be in the back buzzing people in which is definitely not the more secure thing. I know all my vendors by sight through the camera but most other people don't. I'm waiting on the day when some random person gets let in. We don't have powered doors, so it would be the deadbolt and padlock for me.

I would really like to know how Ap at district and regional level their opinion of these pilots.

 

[60SecondsRemaining]

My prediction:

Target leadership at the low level says "you need to manage vendors and let them know they can only arrive between xyz times - because this awful new process is inconveniencing us"

Completely missing the point that most vendors serve like...5-7 Targets that are trying to enforce the same shit on them.

 

[Rarejem]

My prediction:

Target leadership at the low level says "you need to manage vendors and let them know they can only arrive between xyz times - because this awful new process is inconveniencing us"

Completely missing the point that most vendors serve like...5-7 Targets that are trying to enforce the same shit on them.

Not just Target stores. Most of our vendors have more than just one customer.

 

[Luck]

Target thinks brainstorming means to come up with any wild idea AND implement them without a second thought.

Anybody remember these basket that took up a lot of room, had little storage, were expensive, and then just disappeared one night.

Dont worry. They have found a nice home at our DC as covid supply holders (disinfecting spray for equipment and masks)! Haha. We repurpose a suprising am9unt of things sweeped back when we can. Uboats as cardboard slipsheet holders for example.