MEGATHREAD Target myDevices

[BigEyedPhish]

I'm starting to grow fond of the little thing. Here's why:

• PDA net at my store is spotty in my department and the MyDevice connects better and loads much faster than even the 9200 or LPDAs do. Last year at this time of year entertainment reshop was a nightmare. Today I was able to sort out 3 full carts of dvd/blu ray reshop and put it out to the floor in 90 minutes. Last year that would have been an all day project.
  
• All locations of an item are visible at the same time for an item, making it easy to fill multiple locations.
  
• Fill from stockroom makes it easy to make a quick EXF for outs or low quantities. I was actually a big fan of the outs app on the PDA and on this app it's a little more robust since I can key in the exact quantity I need if the listed capacity is off.
  
• Being able to see when an item was last sold. Makes me feel accomplished when something I flexed goes away, especially D-Code.
  
• Store Ties are much quicker and deleting store ties is also pretty quick. I still wish I could make up schematics for it though.
  
• I like that my revisions are dropped when I tie them in and the naming scheme is practically identical to how I was doing it before.
• No one seems to like them so I never have any issue getting a hold of one at any point of the day.

Although there are some things that need work:

• To my knowledge there isn't a way to connect it with a portable printer. Having to use the main printer means I have to have all the labels printed before flexing.
• I'm not sure if there is a way to print unknown missing labels from pogs like the label printing app does.
  
• NOP items with future pogs aren't distinguished from no pog NOP.
• PDA with RF APPS signing + UPCS is so much better for sign audits especially for having to do multiples of signs.
  
• Revisions don't automatically go to the correct section. This was a check for me on the PDA if I screwed up an aisle or pog number along the line.
• No ability to pull is an pretty annoying issue. SUBT being added is fine, but I want to be able to pull my EXFs as well.
• Some items are showing TPC in the app that aren't TPC or on sale. Printing a sign asks for 3x5 paper.
• The iOS keyboard isn't great for typing, especially when I'm typing a DPCI in item search.

And there are some things that I would like to see:

• Online Planogram and TWT visible on the Mydevice.
  
• Some way to get more battery power into it. Batteries can't be swapped out and it doesn't last a full shift. Even if the housing had a mophie-like battery in it that would be helpful.
• There really should be a stand alone signing app so when an item is scanned and it's on sale it just adds a sign to a batch. Clicking on print signs and selecting a size each time is a waste compared to using UPCS in conjunction with the signing app and using & to swap between them. There should be an option to pick the size just like in the RF apps and change it when needed instead of selecting it every time. Same thing for labels.
• Some way to view upcoming sales like the PDA does. I want to flex out items that are on sale or will soon be on sale.
• I want to be able to scan an item and see if it's street dated and what the street date is. If the device can pull up information on when an item was last sold, surely it show a street date. Price scanners on the floor seem to be the best way to find out if something is street dated without getting a walkie call from a GSA.

I still carry both a PDA and a MyDevice but I'm definitely using the MyDevice more. Hopefully they'll go the way of making the device more useful instead of worse like the PDA *cough* SUBT *cough* SCNT *cough*

I'd be fine with just QMOS.

 

[Jack of all Workcenters]

The oops part is because it is reconnecting to the network. Before you would have to log back in every time.

Yeah, until a week ago, I would be swearing under my breath every time that "Please wait" or "this is taking forever" came up because I would have to dig out my eHR password again.

And the on screen keyboard sucks.. Sad they didn't think to make the keys bigger and use the wasted space on the screen.. Oh Apple..

I'd just be happy if it had swype. Takes so bloody long to type on that tiny thing.

 

[RunForACallBox]

Although I wish they could pull batches though.... What does HQ think, Backroom is going to pull the batches POG drops and the Salesfloor drops OUTs on their PDAs while pulling the CAFs and doing Flex? Yeah right.

 

[RunForACallBox]

The oops part is because it is reconnecting to the network. Before you would have to log back in every time.

Yeah, until a week ago, I would be swearing under my breath every time that "Please wait" or "this is taking forever" came up because I would have to dig out my eHR password again.

And the on screen keyboard sucks.. Sad they didn't think to make the keys bigger and use the wasted space on the screen.. Oh Apple..

I'd just be happy if it had swype. Takes so bloody long to type on that tiny thing.

Ha, that would be pretty cool!

 

[Bosch]

^ will it work like an Apple product or really work like my windows phone where the keyboard touch or swipe is awesome? And you can switch back and forth.

Hell, I will even take an Android keyboard, they seem to work well. I have had a android long ago but not the recent stuff.

 

[Goingstrong]

@UIguy I love the myDevice! It's great! My one issue is having to reboot the device all the time from the sled not responding.

Is this a known issue with a scheduled fix, or is it a Honeywell issue, etc?

Thanks for joining us here!

 

[thatcashierdude]

I know that you can give the device a custom keyboard with ios 8, so when signing in I'd like to have a number pad to enter my team member number in, and when searching the first thing that should come up is a number pad to search DPCIs, with a button in the bottom left to switch to the querty keyboard.

 

[Bosch]

I know that you can give the device a custom keyboard with ios 8, so when signing in I'd like to have a number pad to enter my team member number in, and when searching the first thing that should come up is a number pad to search DPCIs, with a button in the bottom left to switch to the querty keyboard.

Agreed , who was writing the search wasn't really clued in on how we search or what we search. Or log in - numeric 10-key pad should be first, qwerty keyboard second.

 

[signingminion]

Swype would be awesome. I still use my phone for a quick search cause it's an android and I'm used to swype now.

Can't wait for subt and sto. Pulling batches is needed though. Then I can drop an exf and go pull it. Qmos is gonna be awesome. Is the sda also coming in Jan? My old man still refuses to turn it on although he checks one out daily.

 

[thatcashierdude]

I know that you can give the device a custom keyboard with ios 8, so when signing in I'd like to have a number pad to enter my team member number in, and when searching the first thing that should come up is a number pad to search DPCIs, with a button in the bottom left to switch to the querty keyboard.

Agreed , who was writing the search wasn't really clued in on how we search or what we search. Or log in - numeric 10-key pad should be first, qwerty keyboard second.

Any password fields get forced to use the default iOS keyboard even if you have a custom one installed. I agree with everyone else here, installing a customized version of swiftkey or swype (that would default to the number pad on mentioned fields) would be great. Maybe even give it a red and white theme if it's swiftkey... *shudders*

 

[Bosch]

I know that you can give the device a custom keyboard with ios 8, so when signing in I'd like to have a number pad to enter my team member number in, and when searching the first thing that should come up is a number pad to search DPCIs, with a button in the bottom left to switch to the querty keyboard.

Agreed , who was writing the search wasn't really clued in on how we search or what we search. Or log in - numeric 10-key pad should be first, qwerty keyboard second.

Any password fields get forced to use the default iOS keyboard even if you have a custom one installed. I agree with everyone else here, installing a customized version of swiftkey or swype (that would default to the number pad on mentioned fields) would be great. Maybe even give it a red and white theme if it's swiftkey... *shudders*

Again using apple was not the right choice.

 

[thatcashierdude]

Again using apple was not the right choice.

I agree, an android based device would've worked a lot better than this. The scanner sled feels like it doesn't belong on the device, the screen is tiny, the apps are terrible but improving, and apple devices just aren't made for this kind of work. On the other hand we might have gotten new androids but with the same web app interface everyone loves. I hear about how home depot can actually take calls on their devices, if we had androids we could probably do that. Hell the LPDAs could do it if the feature was added.

 

[signingminion]

I know that you can give the device a custom keyboard with ios 8, so when signing in I'd like to have a number pad to enter my team member number in, and when searching the first thing that should come up is a number pad to search DPCIs, with a button in the bottom left to switch to the querty keyboard.

Agreed , who was writing the search wasn't really clued in on how we search or what we search. Or log in - numeric 10-key pad should be first, qwerty keyboard second.

Any password fields get forced to use the default iOS keyboard even if you have a custom one installed. I agree with everyone else here, installing a customized version of swiftkey or swype (that would default to the number pad on mentioned fields) would be great. Maybe even give it a red and white theme if it's swiftkey... *shudders*

Again using apple was not the right choice.

Home depot got android devices...I'm holding out hope for the next round.

 

[RunForACallBox]

Gosh, I hate android, I hope not...

 

[RhettB]

Each has their preference. I'm not partial to these POS Apple devices we have.

 

[Bosch]

Gosh, I hate android, I hope not...

If they got them set up and kept them pretty locked down so TM's couldn't customize them they would be ok. But these apple devices is like trying to jam a square peg in a round hole. At their core they were not designed for this kind of work, and they never will be good at it.

 

[mrknownothing]

Again using apple was not the right choice.

Gosh, I hate android, I hope not...

Knowing Target, I'm surprised they didn't pick Windows CE.

 

[Bosch]

Again using apple was not the right choice.

Gosh, I hate android, I hope not...

Knowing Target, I'm surprised they didn't pick Windows CE.

That is what they are replacing. However windows phone could have handled it. Windows phones have had scanner and payment sleds for a long time.

 

[sher]

I honestly think a nicer PDA would've been the best option. Aftermarket addons are never as reliable as things that were already built to do the things we need them for. And I haaaaate using a touch screen keyboard when some guest is breathing down my neck waiting for something. It feels so slow. I love gesture typing, but swype-os would still annoy me in these work situations. Choosing between two evils, I prefer the iPods typically.

I couldn't get a PDA the other day and ended up sending a full cart of unmarked online items with my stl to be done by either gs or price change. The iPods don't do enough at the moment and the finicky scanner pisses me off because I don't wanna type dpcis or barcodes in.

 

[RunForACallBox]

I think the newer version of the LPDAs they were testing would have been fine. As long as they were fast as the 9200s. Just replace all of the bulky ones with them and give the stores more than what the volume of the store so we can do our job properly. I like the iPods, but I'm not convinced they are here to stay unless they get it together... I think I'm just tired of having to switch between 2 devices all day....

 

[Noiinteam]

For me personally having half ass equipment really annoys me. I worked for a Fortune 500 unionized company. When we had half ass equipment it was taken care of immediately, or we slowed down and did a half ass job. Why can't Target get their shit together. It totally baffles me

 

[Bosch]

For me personally having half ass equipment really annoys me. I worked for a Fortune 500 unionized company. When we had half ass equipment it was taken care of immediately, or we slowed down and did a half ass job. Why can't Target get their shit together. It totally baffles me

Cause they are cheap and just demand it and since we are non union we have no one to say "hey this doesn't work, get us new stuff". We just get told "make it work or we will write you up."

 

[thatcashierdude]

For me personally having half ass equipment really annoys me. I worked for a Fortune 500 unionized company. When we had half ass equipment it was taken care of immediately, or we slowed down and did a half ass job. Why can't Target get their shit together. It totally baffles me

Cause they are cheap and just demand it and since we are non union we have no one to say "hey this doesn't work, get us new stuff". We just get told "make it work or we will write you up."

I think it's roughly $100 for an iPod not counting the scanner vs several hundred for those motorola things they were testing. Of course to corporate that justifies all the lost money from slower workers, and all the development/logistical costs that went into them. All they see is the initial cost. Oh well, we know someone from corporate is on here listening so maybe they will fix some of the issues. I think they will never be as good as PDAs even if all the improvements mentioned here are implemented because they were never designed for this type of work. They are devices made to listen to music and play games.

 

[Bosch]

Stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

 

[mrknownothing]

Again using apple was not the right choice.

Gosh, I hate android, I hope not...

Knowing Target, I'm surprised they didn't pick Windows CE.

That is what they are replacing. However windows phone could have handled it. Windows phones have had scanner and payment sleds for a long time.

I know that. But we all know how Target likes to take old ideas and present them as new concepts (see: Be Bold).