MEGATHREAD Signing Tips, Tricks and Quips (along with howls of despair)

[FlowTeamChick]

There is no room for intuition, judgement, trial and error, leaving a problem aside for the moment and brainstorming solutions while working on something else--all of this would certainly make any data on the duration of specific tasks useless.

My brain works a lot more linearly than yours, but this still rankles. When I'm done setting a POG, it looks and works great (or as great as it can, given how some of the POG designs aren't very good at all). And the TL who oversees this work says that I'm pretty fast at it.
But, I work more like how you describe - more intuitively, sometimes starting in the middle if that makes sense, not gathering the last of needed fixtures until the end because I've been using ones that shift out of other sections, etc.
This is yet another of those things that works well in theory, not so much in practice. Makes me wonder if the HQ people who come up with these things have ever actually worked at the store level or, if they have, how long ago it was.

 

[Alexbegt]

I remember our PML going at a shelf with a Sawzall to make one that fit around a support beam, then crimping the edges so they wouldn't cut anyone.
Then it took months for us to get them to change the plans to in to account that they had made us set products where the beam was.

Last time I tried to get a new POG designed for an aisle with a pole I got told “just adjust the spacing of the items and move them around”.

Pre remodel the hanging picture frame aisle had a pole directly in the middle of it - I was like “sure there’s enough broom to move spacing” and just tried my best to make it fit

 

[BKop16]

I was impressed during the sporting goods move that they sent us a POG that specifically accounted for the pole.

 

[jenna]

I was impressed during the sporting goods move that they sent us a POG that specifically accounted for the pole.

So it *is* possible.

Huh.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

So it *is* possible.

Huh.

I’ve always found you have to re chatbot every now and again. They build pogs off previous pogs so typically when I chatbot a pole the next year or two of pogs account for the pole.

 

[BKop16]

So I've noticed both the storage and elf transition guides specifically state that the Workload Calendar does not include pulls and backstock and that an additional TM should be scheduled to support.

 

[Formerplano]

But, I work more like how you describe - more intuitively, sometimes starting in the middle if that makes sense, not gathering the last of needed fixtures until the end because I've been using ones that shift out of other sections, etc.

This is how I set. Sometimes I'll start with a middle section instead of the first because it just makes sense the way it all moves around. Plano is fun because it is a giant puzzle. Yes, I have to set everything correctly but sometimes it doesn't work and we need to make decisions to make things work. I'm not calling a TL every time product or signing doesn't fit, I'm just finding a way to make it happen.

On paper, having a standard for the order to set a pog sounds good to people who have never set before. But anyone who has set will tell you they rarely set the same way twice.

I won't hate a system before I see it. But I don't see this working very well.

 

[BKop16]

There is a 3 year plan about where they want the tool to go including auto-preties, pictures of fixtures and ISM, creating the PPA as you set, and eventually alerting you to when ISM needs to be built/put up first. I know a few of those have been mentioned already on here. Just seeing that makes be willing to give it the benefit of the doubt when it does finally go live nation wide.

 

[Dead and Khaki]

I'll tell you what's going to happen: stores are going to keep setting POGs the way they always have and just bullshit-click through this guided nonsense afterward, only doing the priority fill as prompted (and even then, in theory, there's nothing stopping anyone from going through the line listing of an untied POG and pulling items by hand). HQ's data will show all steps (other than the priority fill and backstock from the priority fill*) as being completed in a few seconds each--about as useful as a water-soluble lifejacket. Not that I'd put it past someone up there to go ahead and slash presentation payroll to bleeding stumps, anyway.

Even if no one outside HQ can see the metrics, we all know some leaders will push for giving the impression of every step being completed as quickly as possible, thinking there's some reward in it for themselves. 🙄

*This process has you pull the priority before doing any backstock. With what empty vehicles, dear Liza?

 

[FlowTeamChick]

*This process has you pull the priority before doing any backstock. With what empty vehicles, dear Liza?

Might work easier for some areas than others. When I set OTC and Personal Care, I pull the priority batches right away so I can work in new product and adjust SFQs as I go along. But I usually need only 2 three-tier carts, sometimes a third. Wouldn't be the same for bedding or Chems.

 

[Dead and Khaki]

Unfortunately for your strategy, the new system has you do the priority after you've set and signed the entire POG. 🙁

When I'm setting something with pushers and the spacing seems questionable, I'll sometimes pull an out-of-stock item from the back mid-set rather than risk having to redo an entire shelf later. I can't even tell you how much grief and redundancy I've saved myself doing this. Another case for giving us flexibility!

 

[jenna]

Unfortunately for your strategy, the new system has you do the priority after you've set and signed the entire POG. 🙁

When I'm setting something with pushers and the spacing seems questionable, I'll sometimes pull an out-of-stock item from the back mid-set rather than risk having to redo an entire shelf later. I can't even tell you how much grief and redundancy I've saved myself doing this. Another case for giving us flexibility!

IDGAF what the new system says. I will continue to set as I always have.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

IDGAF what the new system says. I will continue to set as I always have.

With guided pog you can’t, when you start setting the pog it’s in a limbo state until you fully complete the set.

 

[SigningLady]

The more you all talk about this POG roll out, the more I feel like HQ left A LOT of explanatory details out when they visited stores to get input. They seemed more focused on how easily TMs could navigate it rather than if it was set up in way that benefited TMs; they were quite open-ended with the feedback they wanted but they did not fully explain the process of using it (like no skipping around for steps completion).

They may have found it more useful to watch (or I daresay, help 😳) set a bunch of POGs to get real-feel of how it can go and how it can vary from POG to POG.

 

[IceIceBaby]

Is this rollout going to fix issues not giving extra hours for aisle moves or when they give hours for one checklane set when you have 16?

 

[Dead and Khaki]

I don't remember ever being asked for my feedback except through that bizarre survey they dropped several months ago. The survey pertained specifically to the MyDay POG viewer, and had nothing to do with the actual process of setting a POG, yet it was billed in a way that made you think you were about to take a survey about the POG-setting process, which felt misleading.

I kept my answers strictly on-topic; I don't have any problem with the current POG viewer in MyDay. I would like some features to be added, like images of fixtures, but I don't object to what's already there. But I imagine other people wanted to express their frustrations about, say, constantly getting POGs that were physically impossible to execute without severe modification, and just trolled the whole thing with highly negative responses hoping HQ would somehow get their message. The only message HQ got was that stores were panning the POG viewer in MyDay.

Lesson learned for anyone creating surveys for stores: If you want useful data, be very, very clear from start to finish about what kind of information you want, even if that means explicitly stating the kinds of information you are NOT looking for at this time. Literally just saying "we want your feedback on the POG viewer in the MyDay App" probably would have attracted very, very different results.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

Is this rollout going to fix issues not giving extra hours for aisle moves or when they give hours for one checklane set when you have 16?

It should help, the guide says it time stamps in between steps to learn how long each task takes and that’s why the pog is in a limbo state from start to finish so they can see how long it takes you to complete the entire pog. Idk maybe leave it open a little longer than reality lol.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

The more you all talk about this POG roll out, the more I feel like HQ left A LOT of explanatory details out when they visited stores to get input. They seemed more focused on how easily TMs could navigate it rather than if it was set up in way that benefited TMs; they were quite open-ended with the feedback they wanted but they did not fully explain the process of using it (like no skipping around for steps completion).

They may have found it more useful to watch (or I daresay, help 😳) set a bunch of POGs to get real-feel of how it can go and how it can vary from POG to POG.

you should be able to find the guide on SharePoint searching guided pog, if not I can share anything you’re interested in.

 

[BKop16]

It should help, the guide says it time stamps in between steps to learn how long each task takes and that’s why the pog is in a limbo state from start to finish so they can see how long it takes you to complete the entire pog. Idk maybe leave it open a little longer than reality lol.

They'll discover that they actually give us too much time for entertainment and furniture but won't adjust the POGs that take longer.

 

[Alexbegt]

I have feedback for whoever designed the OB hardware pog.

If the items need two pegs to hold it up; please please please show both pegs! This always causes problems especially if you have a OOS for some of the items.

 

[jenna]

With guided pog you can’t, when you start setting the pog it’s in a limbo state until you fully complete the set.

: head tilt:

Bet.

🙄

 

[annie110]

Is there a place I can go to see what some of the actual fixtures listed on the pog paper looks like? For example; in the new storage set coming up for the pog Garment care there are instructions to use "correct fixture bar [AX3737]" for iron displays. And also " 2 cross bars with holes in top [AX2600] and loop peghooks [AX2604]. I have no idea what these look like.
I feel like half the time I'm guessing and no one at my store seems to care when I ask questions...

 

[Alexbegt]

Is there a place I can go to see what some of the actual fixtures listed on the pog paper looks like? For example; in the new storage set coming up for the pog Garment care there are instructions to use "correct fixture bar [AX3737]" for iron displays. And also " 2 cross bars with holes in top [AX2600] and loop peghooks [AX2604]. I have no idea what these look like.
I feel like half the time I'm guessing and no one at my store seems to care when I ask questions...

AX2600 is the bar used for the outdoor furniture chairs and tools, it has holes in the top for bars with pegs

A poor photo but here’s what it looked like in rugs with what looks like the loop peg hooks.

I tend to search work bench for the part number but do the entire share point site, as sometimes you can find the construction/instructions for certain fixtures.

You can also see a preview on GoCart if you had someone give you access to search on their behalf. We didn’t use the bar or loop pegs since we didn’t have enough, instead we put two crossbars with the style pegs for hanging clothing and used those as dividers

 

[annie110]

Ohhh I see. Thank you so much for the pictures and the shared knowledge! I appreciate it

 

[Alexbegt]

Be on the lookout for new ISM for command strips - we set ours before it came in and had to go back to put up the new backer paper and signage.

3M also shorted us the peg label holders with tape on them so I had to make it work.

Now only if they would send us the trays for the bottom shelf since ours have been missing forever