MEGATHREAD Flexible Fulfillment

[PogDog]

Is anyone here actually USPS? Sort is completely redundant with UPS. With USPS, you actually have to sort the boxes on pallets by size or even by zip code. For UPS, we've just scanned everything onto one pallet and tossed it on our drop trailer. For "Container Manifested", corporate automatically closes out all your sorts and pallets around the expected pickup time. For example, ours is at 5pm, so if we had 50 things unsorted at that time, they would all be manifested and located on a pallet. Which pallet? fuck if I know. This is a bitch when you're still packing at the deadline and you have a conveyor belt already full of crap. Good luck figuring out which ones are manifested and which ones are new sorts. You still have to scan it through via carrier pickup when it's done though. It doesn't do that automatically for some reason.

We haven't used the carrier pickup part yet, because nobody at the store knows what it is supposed to do.

We have a number from previous years that we can call for a pickup/trailer drop.

We weren't even sure what sort did until we played around with it. So we're not even sure we're using that right, either.

 

[Antennae]

ETLs packed while TMs from the whole store picked. Our ETL-HR bitched at me for telling the pickers to double or triple batch carts since the ETLs were too busy talking and not packing and not freeing up the carts. Can't pick without carts!

 

[PackAndCry]

Honestly, PREP and SORT also just seem completely arbitrary. We don't do the "prep" process other than scan the parent and hit prep complete. And the sort process is one pallet, the trailer we're loading that is just UPS anyway. Also, what does Container Manifested mean?

My understanding is that the prep step influences some sort of metric that isn't seen at the store level if the item is damaged (ie, if you prepped it, it doesn't ding you as much). What I suspect is that it's tracking which items are commonly prepped and that, at some point in the future, it'll prompt us to prep certain items that it knows should be prepped. Sort needs to be turned off for UPS stores, it's useless and is a payroll sink at the moment.

 

[therealtd]

We haven't used the carrier pickup part yet, because nobody at the store knows what it is supposed to do.

We have a number from previous years that we can call for a pickup/trailer drop.

We weren't even sure what sort did until we played around with it. So we're not even sure we're using that right, either.

Carrier Pickup is for processing the pallets after you give them to your carrier (typically UPS). After you give them all your packages, you simply hit the Carrier Pickup button, select the carrier you gave your packages to and then scan the pallet ID barcode on those sheets of paper you've printed out for pallets when you were sorting your packages (usually attached to the pallets or hung above them). The point of the system is so customers have a better idea of where their order is and they know when it's actually left the facility and heading to a mail carrier to go into circulation.

 

[Far from newbie]

QUESTION: if a backroom tm scans a SFS vehicle and then pulls br batches (auto’s/pogs) without actually USING It., is that vehicle “tied up” ? Or can it still be used to PICK a SFS batch ? We run out of available vehicles and every one counts but there are some that are empty but can’t be used..

 

[Far from newbie]

Out of : air pillows , bubble wrap , 454 /280, padded envelopes , grip tape ...
how do they expect us to do our job ?

I have to chime in : new TMs .. no one wants to take reponsabilities for hiring them .
We have one OCD TM who has to move the boxes around on the pallet because they have to match .. and he is dyslexic , can’t pick because he can’t understand the aisle numbers .
Another TM can’t see very well even with glasses ..
Another one came high as a kite and was cussing at other TMs ( he got fired )..
One Tm that is so slow , it’s like watching paint dry ..
They moved some non seasonal Tm in SFS because they didn’t get along in their department because they have anxiety / or are just plainly assholes to everybody and they think they are in charge and don’t take well to someone giving them directions ..
it’s like the misfit corner ..
they are supposed to get with me before InF anything but don’t , because they ask someone else on the floor ..
I can’t wait for the season to be over and to have some friends only 4 TMs working there ..

Hahaha. NEW Seasonal TM ‘s ! Imagine my surprise: my “team” tonight consisted of a few of last years seasonals that were NOT kept (for good reason) but were allowed to work again THIS season (even though we knew they were terrible last year!) and some people that I recognized as people I had interviewed and decided to PASS on hiring and at least two that had to have been severely intellectually challenged. It was a good time (insert sound of sarcasm). I will say: There are some good ones, about 1%, but they didn’t work today.

 

[therealtd]

QUESTION: if a backroom tm scans a SFS vehicle and then pulls br batches (auto’s/pogs) without actually USING It., is that vehicle “tied up” ? Or can it still be used to PICK a SFS batch ? We run out of available vehicles and every one counts but there are some that are empty but can’t be used..

No, the vehicle is not tied up. Backroom uses the MOVE app while Flex Team uses the the ePick app. Both backroom and and flex could be using the same cart, however, this might change in the future. Right now, the MOVE app is pretty useless for doing pulls simply because there is currently no point in scanning into a cart location (other than the fact you have to do it to pull a batch), but from what I presume is that in the future, they are going to implement a way to see if an item is located in a cart location on the Mywork 2.0 app waiting to be pushed.

 

[PackAndCry]

Oh, my sweet summer child...

 

[Black Sheep 214]

That's why when any leader happens to help, they pack cause they throw any responsibility for the mess they created onto the TMS. I'd love to pack all day like a couple of the etls did last week. Lazy fucks. Try picking a few hours. No? Too hard. But please bitch about the INF % later.

This. When things got rough one day, the STL and available ETL's were in the back packing. But just packing. They were asking, why pickers were missing their goal times, and why couldn't you find these items!?!?

The day I witness one of my store's ETL's or even our STL come and grab a cart & pick the entire batch with NO INFing, I'll eat a roll of bubble wrap.

Until then, please get the f**k out of my way if you're just clogging the aisles on your phones.

Sad but true.🙄

 

[PogDog]

The thing about INFs (ITEMS NOT FOUND) is that my team shouldn't get dinged for reporting them. If we can't locate an item, a guest shopping the store can't either. Meaning, the truck team failed at putting the item out. The backroom process fails at having a located spot for that item or the salesfloor team failed at relocating that item had it been previously shopped. My team does their due diligence in searching for items. Not only scouring the sales floor and surrounding area, but any known reshop locations, truck vehicles and backstock locations... then they even scour the backroom valley those items should be backstocked in. We put in the effort that many teams don't... and we're also the first to hear it when an item isn't found... because we're the "messengers" we get shot first. But it's not our job to make sure items are in the right place... it's our job to act as guest advocate and retrieve that item.

Things I wish happened when I pressed that Can't Find button... an INF batch is created, an alert is sent to a TL that indicates what items or areas are not being served well and that certain items are being missed. A Salesfloor TL might know where THEY put that shipper, but if it's not located anywhere, we don't.

Getting yelled at by FFTL because we can't find items is a waste of that TL's breathe... we're not slacking, we honestly can't find it.

 

[PogDog]

Carrier Pickup is for processing the pallets after you give them to your carrier (typically UPS). After you give them all your packages, you simply hit the Carrier Pickup button, select the carrier you gave your packages to and then scan the pallet ID barcode on those sheets of paper you've printed out for pallets when you were sorting your packages (usually attached to the pallets or hung above them). The point of the system is so customers have a better idea of where their order is and they know when it's actually left the facility and heading to a mail carrier to go into circulation.

Would scanning at that point "close" those pallets as well? We have 4 pallets in use, but we make a new one for each drop trailer.

Do you know if it actually calls UPS for a pick up or if it's just a metric to indicate the items are on their way?

 

[15 Sec. Remain]

The thing about INFs (ITEMS NOT FOUND) is that my team shouldn't get dinged for reporting them. If we can't locate an item, a guest shopping the store can't either. Meaning, the truck team failed at putting the item out. The backroom process fails at having a located spot for that item or the salesfloor team failed at relocating that item had it been previously shopped. My team does their due diligence in searching for items. Not only scouring the sales floor and surrounding area, but any known reshop locations, truck vehicles and backstock locations... then they even scour the backroom valley those items should be backstocked in. We put in the effort that many teams don't... and we're also the first to hear it when an item isn't found... because we're the "messengers" we get shot first. But it's not our job to make sure items are in the right place... it's our job to act as guest advocate and retrieve that item.

Things I wish happened when I pressed that Can't Find button... an INF batch is created, an alert is sent to a TL that indicates what items or areas are not being served well and that certain items are being missed. A Salesfloor TL might know where THEY put that shipper, but if it's not located anywhere, we don't.

Getting yelled at by FFTL because we can't find items is a waste of that TL's breathe... we're not slacking, we honestly can't find it.

*Ding, Ding, Ding*

Yesterday was a prime example. The STL got on the overhead and told all Sales Floor TM's, even those who are inbound to head to the SFS area.

And leadership had the nerve to complain why we took long.

Boy, I would like to see the INF% for that day. I helped with 4 carts, and I couldn't find at least 5-6 items on each batch.

 

[Bosch]

Thursday through Saturday I was pulled off crowd management to help SFS catch up after several seasonals quit midway through Thursday. Can now prep and pack. Problem is, we have 2 pack stations, and usually like 6 people trying to pack. Have tried to make the picker’s lives easier by making a list of where hot amplified gifting items are and a key of which amplified gifting fixture is which and where they are, since I got roped into being amplified gifting captain on top of hardlines captain. We’re so behind on orders it’s not even funny, despite most of us pulling anywhere from 10 to 17 hour days to try to fix the situation so we don’t get shut down. Even the STL and ETLs have now been taught to pick, prep, and pack in an effort to catch up, but honestly they just get underfoot of the people who are faster paced.

We wouldn't have our ETL's caught dead picking or packing.. The only reason the ETL HR packed I found out three boxes was that she got forced to do it by her Business Partner. to help out.. And that was all that was on the cart, how funny they waited until the end of my shift to help.. And wondered why there was nothing to pack, well we were not allowed to stack carts so we had to pick then pack carts cause no more than three carts waiting to pack at any time per our DTL.. So we followed their instructions.. The HR Business Partner was stunned at that just as were weren't scanning orders so people without equipment could pack them.. Nope sorry, my number will not be on any order I didn't actually do.. Last year proved that I will never do that. Also orders from our DTL.. We are doing as told.. Deal with it.

 

[oath2order]

I got pulled to do flex for the next 4 hours.

Time to INF all the clothes because fuck that

 

[Bosch]

QUESTION: if a backroom tm scans a SFS vehicle and then pulls br batches (auto’s/pogs) without actually USING It., is that vehicle “tied up” ? Or can it still be used to PICK a SFS batch ? We run out of available vehicles and every one counts but there are some that are empty but can’t be used..

Yes, until they release it. What we have done in the past is take a couple pictures of a vehicle(usually one full of backstock or push), parent and a couple children labels, grab a shopping cart and pick into that "cart". Shopping cart gets full the picker just grabs another one. Now it can get weird when you pack if the picker is still using that cart, you will see items to pack that are still in the shopping cart the picker is using. So we have to have the picker use the other child location to prevent that. So when we pack cart AL, but child 01, we have the picker switch to child 02, so the packer doesn't see stuff that he can't pack cause its still in the pickers hands. And they can just switch back and forth all day if needed.

It takes some work, but if your picker and packer team up its a dance that can be done and work. We also can print out labels to fake out carts now if needed.

 

[Irdasur]

Looks like ePick is having global issues, we can't start any new batch for SFS/OPU.

 

[Ringwraith917]

Issue resolved for us. Hope it has for you all too

 

[Irdasur]

They fixed it and a huge load of cyber monday orders dropped in afterwards.

We're in for quite a day, but we aren't meeting deadline for sure.

 

[oath2order]

UPS Driver tried to drive off before he checked if the doors were closed. The Crown stacker fell off the truck. I find this hilarious. PMT and ETL-Log do not.

 

[seasonaldude]

Today was uhhh interesting. It was slow in the store so they pulled cashiers to help flex fill. They needed a lot of help from salesfloor TMs to find things. At times it was like I was actually doing the picking for them. Then, the store traffic started to pick up and of course additional cashiers were needed and the cashiers couldn't go because they were picking. I covered for the electronics TMs meal. And spent most of the time with a veteran SFS TM and an ETL wandering around trying to find video games that were supposed to be out, but weren't because electronics hasn't had time to push or pull for days and didn't tell anyone and AP loves to move electronics stuff without relocating it in the system. In othe words it was a shitshow. I don't know how you flex fill TMs can deal with it every day.

 

[SurefireWolf]

The thing about INFs (ITEMS NOT FOUND) is that my team shouldn't get dinged for reporting them. If we can't locate an item, a guest shopping the store can't either. Meaning, the truck team failed at putting the item out. The backroom process fails at having a located spot for that item or the salesfloor team failed at relocating that item had it been previously shopped. My team does their due diligence in searching for items. Not only scouring the sales floor and surrounding area, but any known reshop locations, truck vehicles and backstock locations... then they even scour the backroom valley those items should be backstocked in. We put in the effort that many teams don't... and we're also the first to hear it when an item isn't found... because we're the "messengers" we get shot first. But it's not our job to make sure items are in the right place... it's our job to act as guest advocate and retrieve that item.

Things I wish happened when I pressed that Can't Find button... an INF batch is created, an alert is sent to a TL that indicates what items or areas are not being served well and that certain items are being missed. A Salesfloor TL might know where THEY put that shipper, but if it's not located anywhere, we don't.

Getting yelled at by FFTL because we can't find items is a waste of that TL's breathe... we're not slacking, we honestly can't find it.

This post needs to be printed, framed, and stuck on the wall of every LOG-ETL's office in the company.

 

[Bosch]

Today was uhhh interesting. It was slow in the store so they pulled cashiers to help flex fill. They needed a lot of help from salesfloor TMs to find things. At times it was like I was actually doing the picking for them. Then, the store traffic started to pick up and of course additional cashiers were needed and the cashiers couldn't go because they were picking. I covered for the electronics TMs meal. And spent most of the time with a veteran SFS TM and an ETL wandering around trying to find video games that were supposed to be out, but weren't because electronics hasn't had time to push or pull for days and didn't tell anyone and AP loves to move electronics stuff without relocating it in the system. In othe words it was a shitshow. I don't know how you flex fill TMs can deal with it every day.

It's why my hair grows in gray now instead of black..

 

[Noiinteam]

It's why my hair grows in gray now instead of black..

And after reading all your posts, I can't believe you still have hair. I would have pulled mine out by now!

 

[Bosch]

And after reading all your posts, I can't believe you still have hair. I would have pulled mine out by now!

I have lots of it, it would take a long long while to pull it out.. I wish I was bullshitting with my posts I really wish it was bullshit but truth is stranger than fiction.

 

[V 42]

This post needs to be printed, framed, and stuck on the wall of every LOG-ETL's office in the company.

I'm glad the person who's in charge in my store told me that if I couldn't find something, then I couldn't find it, and that pressing 'item not found' was perfectly fine.