MEGATHREAD Flexible Fulfillment

[Logo]

I'm actually not sure. I was just curious since I'll be doing flexes now. What is return to stock? Do you guys have advice on how to do it most efficiently? I shouldn't go to guest services after each order right?

We were having an issue with RTS with items not being found so we now let guest service do that part now.

 

[SFSFun]

I'm actually not sure. I was just curious since I'll be doing flexes now. What is return to stock? Do you guys have advice on how to do it most efficiently? I shouldn't go to guest services after each order right?

Return to stock is just cancelled orders or those that weren't picked up. It gives you step by step instructions. There's nothing "efficient" you can do with it.

Pick all SPUs you see and bring them to guest services when done. Don't hold on to them for a while.

Did you not get any training on this at all? There's a lot of different things involved.

 

[BREAKITOUT]

I did them once last Black Friday so I received training then. I think I know the general buttons to press when I see him but the nitty gritty will be a by question thing. One thing I always got mixed up was when you're putting the items at guest services, do you scan the item's barcode or the label that printed from the printer? And why does it only print a couple labels when someone orders like 20 packs of the same gum?

 

[ISMike]

I did them once last Black Friday so I received training then. I think I know the general buttons to press when I see him but the nitty gritty will be a by question thing. One thing I always got mixed up was when you're putting the items at guest services, do you scan the item's barcode or the label that printed from the printer? And why does it only print a couple labels when someone orders like 20 packs of the same gum?

It doesn't really matter if you scan the label that printed or the original UPC unless you did a substitution (which should be avoided). It should print all 20 labels if you picked 20 packs of gum - something is wrong if it didn't.

 

[Castagnier]

SFS - everything that drops in before 1pm must be picked by 2pm. We pick everything in the morning, then go pick more after 10am, 12pm, and 1pm. Don't come in, pick everything, then let orders drop without picking again until 1pm because you won't get it done by 2.

So I read this a while ago and can't get it out of my mind because it just sounds so much more efficient than what my team has been doing. Right now, when we catch up, we're making batches out of only 1 or 2 orders, so whoever's picking has a tendency juggle tons of batches while bouncing around between the backroom and sales floor. I just have a few questions before I consider bringing this process up with my TL/ETL.

Is it just you/one person focusing on SFS? Or do you have support from others? Are normal flexes also your responsibility or is it relegated to whoever else is in the back? Is your standard amount of orders a day around 100? And finally, around what time are you usually done?

 

[Lazy]

Is it just you/one person focusing on SFS? Or do you have support from others? Are normal flexes also your responsibility or is it relegated to whoever else is in the back? Is your standard amount of orders a day around 100? And finally, around what time are you usually done?

2-3 ppl scheduled in SFS. I will jump in if needed. They do spu until they leave them backroom closer... around 100.. Our Max is 130 but we had 48 the other day and like 20 today. Normally 3:30

 

[SFSFun]

So I read this a while ago and can't get it out of my mind because it just sounds so much more efficient than what my team has been doing. Right now, when we catch up, we're making batches out of only 1 or 2 orders, so whoever's picking has a tendency juggle tons of batches while bouncing around between the backroom and sales floor. I just have a few questions before I consider bringing this process up with my TL/ETL.

Is it just you/one person focusing on SFS? Or do you have support from others? Are normal flexes also your responsibility or is it relegated to whoever else is in the back? Is your standard amount of orders a day around 100? And finally, around what time are you usually done?

That is ridiculously inefficient! I'll help backstock if I'm caught up and there's less than 10 orders to be batched.

We are trying different things right now because we're so badly understaffed. Generally it is one person on SFS from 5:30am til 12:30pm and another from 12-3pm. However, right now that second TM is also the backroom closer and the only person in the backroom after 12:30, so they also have to pull the ones and pull items for guests. The morning TM will get everything picked and some of it packed. If it feels like there's a lot in there and it might be too much for the 2nd TM to handle, they'll ask another TM to jump in and help pack. The TLs and LODs are all on board with doing whatever it takes to get it done on time.

SFS does SPUs during the day, backroom does it at night.

Yes, usually around 100 orders. Our daily cap (in units) is usually upper 100s to mid 200s. I think today it was 240.

Everything is usually finished by 2pm.

 

[SFSFun]

2-3 ppl scheduled in SFS. I will jump in if needed. They do spu until they leave them backroom closer... around 100.. Our Max is 130 but we had 48 the other day and like 20 today. Normally 3:30

Don't forget the cap and forecast are now in units instead of orders. So 130 units is going to be much less than 130 orders.

 

[Castagnier]

2-3 ppl scheduled in SFS. I will jump in if needed. They do spu until they leave them backroom closer... around 100.. Our Max is 130 but we had 48 the other day and like 20 today. Normally 3:30

Wow, only 20? Have yet to see us that low since January rolled around.

That is ridiculously inefficient! I'll help backstock if I'm caught up and there's less than 10 orders to be batched.

We are trying different things right now because we're so badly understaffed. Generally it is one person on SFS from 5:30am til 12:30pm and another from 12-3pm. However, right now that second TM is also the backroom closer and the only person in the backroom after 12:30, so they also have to pull the ones and pull items for guests. The morning TM will get everything picked and some of it packed. If it feels like there's a lot in there and it might be too much for the 2nd TM to handle, they'll ask another TM to jump in and help pack. The TLs and LODs are all on board with doing whatever it takes to get it done on time.

SFS does SPUs during the day, backroom does it at night.

Yes, usually around 100 orders. Our daily cap (in units) is usually upper 100s to mid 200s. I think today it was 240.

Everything is usually finished by 2pm.

Alright, so just so I have my notes ready, you usually have only one person manning at all times SFS unless backup is called near the end if the packs feel overwhelming. Morning TM batches and picks at certain intervals and, when they wrap up, pack until the next picking phase - all while taking care of flexes. Once everything is picked, Afternoon TM comes in and packs until they're all done. Do I have all that about right? Also, what about morning BR? If SFS handles flexes, what's left for your morning BR? Right now mine focuses on SFS which is why we catch up really early and batch 1/2 orders. I'm lucky if they can hold off until 5.

Also, caps are done in units now? When'd that happen? Whenever I take a look at the SFS reports on myPerformance our number of orders are usually nowhere near the units picked that day. For example, today's report said we had 50 orders, but I pulled around 80. That doesn't even include the person helping me. Maybe that's an ASANTS thing for now? Or maybe I'm just looking at the wrong report?

 

[SFSFun]

Alright, so just so I have my notes ready, you usually have only one person manning at all times SFS unless backup is called near the end if the packs feel overwhelming. Morning TM batches and picks at certain intervals and, when they wrap up, pack until the next picking phase - all while taking care of flexes. Once everything is picked, Afternoon TM comes in and packs until they're all done. Do I have all that about right?

Yes.

Also, what about morning BR? If SFS handles flexes, what's left for your morning BR?

They backstock the truck, which typically takes all morning. Whoever finishes their area first gets to help pack if needed or does backroom stuff like 12 steps or dropping/pulling/pushing batches. On non-truck days, we just have one TM and he has to push the autofills and do the backstock from the FDC truck.

Also, caps are done in units now? When'd that happen?

They changed it in January.

Whenever I take a look at the SFS reports on myPerformance our number of orders are usually nowhere near the units picked that day. For example, today's report said we had 50 orders, but I pulled around 80. That doesn't even include the person helping me.

There's a ton of data on the SFS orderflow report on myPerformance, and some columns are in units while others are in orders. If it says you received 50 units so far today, it is only counting what dropped in since 10pm the night before (when the daily cap resets). So if you had 40 more drop in yesterday afternoon after everybody left, that was part of yesterday's workload and won't count towards units that you received "today."

The columns for total open orders and total orders to pick/in picking/to pack today DO include those orders that were received the previous afternoon but didn't get picked.

 

[CrimsonRaven712]

Are there certain things that can't be shipped? There were a few things that I could have sworn I was told we couldn't ship but I can't find a list. (I only do SFS once in a while and the last time I did it was during 4th quarter so I'm relearning certain parts)

 

[BackroomBear]

Bikes maybe? We ship so much I'm not sure anything is exempt. (Cue captain obvious) Perishables!

 

[SFSFun]

Are there certain things that can't be shipped? There were a few things that I could have sworn I was told we couldn't ship but I can't find a list. (I only do SFS once in a while and the last time I did it was during 4th quarter so I'm relearning certain parts)

Perishables and a bunch of other seemingly random items.

Bikes maybe? We ship so much I'm not sure anything is exempt. (Cue captain obvious) Perishables!

We actually can ship bikes (as long as it's not built of course).

 

[H2Owned]

Omg im so mad i was looking for this baby toy that is web only yesterday.... we had one on hand last recieved 4/28 and the item is discontinued...... spent 15 mins looking for it down the backroom aisles, salesfloor, and reshop.... couldnt find i not found the item.... then today the item magically appears on the salesfloor x_x......

 

[Logo]

Recently became a 'you must bag OPU orders' store. Does anyone have any tips on making this a seemless process? Do you bag at guest service? As you go? How do you handle multiple orders?

 

[SFSFun]

Oh yeah thanks for reminding me I was going to rant about that...

Everyone who was in a test store for bagging OPU orders: WHAT THE FUCK?! The memo I was given specifically said they were rolling it out to all stores due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the test stores.

I was told this is something our DTL will be specifically looking for during visits, and that I should at least try it out so we can say from experience why we don't think it helps.

 

[SFSFun]

Recently became a 'you must bag OPU orders' store. Does anyone have any tips on making this a seemless process? Do you bag at guest service? As you go? How do you handle multiple orders?

I've tried bagging as I go or bagging at guest service. I've tried sending labels to the printer we keep at the hold area or using a printer I keep in my cart.

For now I've settled on keeping a ream of bags on a hook that I attach to the cart I'm using, and bringing a printer with me. I bag as I go and put the label on the outside of the bag as instructed. It results in generally using more bags and having things bagged unevenly (like two heavy bags and one light one instead of three medium weight ones).

The weekday GSTM is as thrilled with this as I am, because she told me she is still going to take the items out to show the guest, and they often don't want a bag anyway.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Honestly with bagging it should be GSTMs just use regular target bags if guest wants when we process the order. As a GSTM I would have no issue doing that. At my store it's seemingly random sometimes the orders are bagged other times not.

 

[Kompa]

Baggin items is dumb. What's next? Checking out guest while doing flexs with a portable register?

 

[Castagnier]

So now we can see a report of how many of our items broke during transit and how much they cost. No idea what the time frame is, but I'm gonna assume it's for the past week.

How are your stores looking for that report? Mine is way below the average for our district. All the other stores in our district have hundreds of dollars in damage, while mine has less than ten. Kinda proud of that, to be honest.

 

[SFSFun]

They discontinued that report last year. I'm glad to see it's finally back!

It's satisfying looking at it and seeing the crazy amounts of loss other stores are causing and serves as justification for when I rant to others about why to fill the box with air pillows.

 

[SnorlaxTM]

What would that be under Store Reports? Will it be very obvious? Also was STS forecasts killed off, I wasn't able to access the documents recently.

 

[SFSFun]

Yes it's under store reports and there is a Workbench headline about it as well.

I haven't tried STS forecast in a while because the information was useless the way it was presented. All it says is how many packages were sent to you over the past three days. It doesn't tell you where they're coming from or what the ETA is.

 

[Kroneru]

They discontinued that report last year. I'm glad to see it's finally back!

Likewise. Unless I overlooked it that report use to contain comments from the affected guests.

 

[H2Owned]

Has anyone noticed that the Target app wont pull up items when you type the dpci in anymore? Or is it just my phone?