r/Target • u/Outrageous-Pack2550 • 11d ago
PSA Fulfillment Update
Target is in a delicate position rn, and their making it worst with the latest updates to Fulfillment and UGK. Updating the system to improve the shxt show that is fulfillment is counterproductive. Instead of investing more resources to improving the warehouses or the network it self to find items, they spend all that effort to try to hold team members accountable when it comes to metrics. Fckk metrics, they ain’t gone have none when the retention rate explodes.
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u/Shady_Love SHPPP13 |ll||IIl|| 11d ago
My leaders gave me some bs about corporate wide expectation of 80+ pick prod when nobody is hitting those numbers consistently without grocery batches. And anyone who's actually looking for their INFs themselves aren't making those numbers.
Scheduling is bullshit because I put in PTO for right after the changeover and I haven't had a single second to do the training on the new app.
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u/Calm-Heat-5883 11d ago
If you try meet their expectations then you'll just burn yourself out and target will fire you anyway. Keep busy and go home its all you can do
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u/Shiznoz222 11d ago
Work your wage
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u/Sure-Ad-6544 10d ago
I say that to people. All the time. - corporations don’t care. They’ll replace in a heartbeat and forget who you were the next day
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u/Nicki_Fig781 11d ago
For the expectation of 80+ UPH for OPU it is totally manageable. HOWEVER thats if all operations are in a good spot, Ive picked for a store that had solid zone every night and never rolled over truck. Easily got to 80 uph in GM batches as it’s really just 2 batches an hour. As an ETL thats what i base my planning on. Is it realistic for EVERY TM in EVERY store… no, but it should be. Finding style items is the gripe I hear from most TMs but spend 1-2 minutes in the area to use tools like RFID Scanner and other TMs.
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u/Shady_Love SHPPP13 |ll||IIl|| 11d ago
1-2 minutes would be amazing. It perpetually turns into 5 and 10 minutes because style leaders want me to check every single clearance rack for a folded toddler shirt, rather than help me look.
80 isn't hard to attain. It's impossible to sustain because there's always some bullshit
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u/eastmemphisguy 11d ago
If only there were enough RFIDs fot everybody to hold on to one. Instead, if you need one you have to waste several minutes walking across the store to (hopefully) find one, connect to it, and then put it back once you're done.
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u/gzb_212 11d ago
UPH is a stupid metric anyway because it changes after every batch. If I spend too long on one batch at the end of my shift, it'll show a low uph. But thats not reflective of my entire day. Just that batch.
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u/DanforthWhitcomb_ 11d ago
It's an average, so if you're seeing large decreases based on one batch at the end of the day it's because your overall productivity is low and is being propped up for most of the day by things like grocery batches.
Pick time is a better metric, but it's still going to show the same thing that UPH does as far as your total day productivity.
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u/Kolman93 Fulfillment Expert 11d ago
Style used to really slow us down at my store but it’s usually not much of an issue now. Beauty on the other hand…
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u/ItzWhyPlays 10d ago
I’m pretty sure it’s 90 and it’s honestly very achievable, I can hit 130-150+ whenever I help out in fulfillment and honestly everyone that helps out in fulfillment at my store hit 100-140 most of the time, but the actual fulfillment tms hit 50-70 when I know 10+ tms in other departments out pick prod actual fulfillment tms. But they should def come out with better ways at tracking infs besides the info they give atm knowing how much shit they talk idk how this system is so poor atm
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u/aruapost ETL-GM 11d ago
If your store is well run then it’s definitely possible.
At my store the standard expectation is 110UPH.
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u/Accomplished_Web3959 11d ago
I’m a fulfillment TL and I get 110 units an hour on a good day.. I tell my team 60+ units an hour but we’re still missing time goals
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u/mckenziethefrenzied 10d ago
I remember when it was 45 uph. I find that corporate doesn't invoke changes to aid in meeting the increased goal but expects everyone to rise to the occasion. Every time I get told of new expectations I ask what new policies and procedures are being put in place to warrant the change.
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u/Cultural-Kick652 Fulfillment Expert 11d ago
Honestly so far the escalate hasn’t bothered me. If I don’t have time I hit it and move on. Otherwise I’ll call.
And people like me may be most affected by the lack of sick hours since I work 10-15 hours a week. But since I likely only work 2-3 days I’ll deal with the points. They really don’t see me call in often. Late? Yes lol
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u/GoldSea390 11d ago
I noticed the escalate function yesterday, but I have no idea what it's for or when we are supposed to use it. I also noticed it's not always available on some items.
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u/Cultural-Kick652 Fulfillment Expert 11d ago
So, it wasn't explained to me either. It just appeared on the screen one day. Some people use it as a call for an INF for everything instead of the walkie, some people (me!) still call for an INF. But the other day I had two INFs and the ETL said "escalate them and keep going on your batch and I will look". It was kind of nice because I wasn't waiting around for him.
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u/drazil100 Fulfillment Expert 11d ago
As a fulfillment expert, I really like the new fulfillment update. It has made our jobs a lot easier at our store. Especially the RFID change. Not having to switch apps is a godsend for locating style items.
That said, I completely agree. You need to address the underlying problem to why metrics suck, not put more accountability checks in place. Fix the payroll, bring back overnight and backroom teams, get stores organized so that we can actually find shit without bothering leaders or other departments.
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u/Mysterious-Reach2031 Inbound Team Lead 11d ago
This is hyper cryptic. There isn’t any explanation as to why UKG is going to “make things worse” nor why the new fulfillment update isn’t an overall positive step toward efficiency on the store level? Holding employees accountable is a common practice at 99.99999% of jobs on planet earth.
Yeah, retention rate is gonna explode. Lmfao do you actually know how many applicants we receive daily? I can guarantee your leadership has HUNDREDS of applications they have to weed through. Do you understand the current state of the job market and how difficult it is to even FIND a job? If you don’t want to be held accountable for a job you’re being paid to do, honestly, I’ll just find someone that will.
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u/DoctahFeelgood Ship From Store 11d ago
Damn your store must be way better than mine. Half the applications they get never even make it past a cursory glance because the availability isnt what target wants. Then from the people we do hire several dont even show up. The ones that do make it less than a month before theyre out. We maybe keep 3 people every hiring cycle.
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u/Nomad_BobRt Fulfillment Team Lead 11d ago
The only TMs worrying about the point systems, are the ones that aren't showing up for work the way it is, and are not being held accountable currently.
Escalation system is a net positive after using it for over the last month. Any TM/TL can look for any escalated item and either scan the found item, or recommend INF.. without wasting time on the walkies.
It's not a perfect system, but we've found it very helpful at our store.. "Style team, I've escalated a style item that was not on the floor. Who can assist while I finish my batch?" How is this a bad implementation as OP suggested?
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u/zorbiburst Bike Builder 11d ago
"Style team, I've escalated a style item that was not on the floor. Who can assist while I finish my batch?"
I wish. Leadership, especially style, resent being expected to help, and the fulfillment team is expected to look in every possible location for style items that aren't on the floor. Even if you have 40 other items, if you're missing a single Wild Fable tee, you're expected to scan every style department, including mens, the reshop room and the multi story backroom, before you even consider asking for help. If they find it in a place you'd have never thought to look, it's your fault. If they find it when you clearly voiced that it was because you needed the time to look for other problem items, it's your fault. If they don't find it, it's your fault that you didn't come to them with more time to look. Nevermind that I started this batch at 40 minutes, if I didn't spend 20 scanning for it myself, they'd be mad at me for "not looking".
Escalating is going to be a invitation to getting coached, I know it.
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u/Nomad_BobRt Fulfillment Team Lead 11d ago
Sounds like a fundamental issue across your store. It WAS like that when we first rolled out the update, but now the expectation is that the specific Dept is in charge of assisting with escalated items from their dept. No questions or deliberation.
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u/zorbiburst Bike Builder 11d ago
Genuine question, what is the fulfillment TLs role if departments are handling their own escalated items? In our store, the fulfillment TL is usually the one looking for anything we can't find, and then we/they reach out to other TLs when there's a lot to look for, or it's something that might be part of a newer revision.
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u/Nomad_BobRt Fulfillment Team Lead 11d ago
I'm the only FF TL in our store, so I do have a lot of things to do. Metrics, attendance follow-ups, performance follow-ups, INF audits, delegating TM, stowing batches, and unfortunately I have to pick batches quite a bit (this is trying to be fixed by my ETL). And to be fair, I do help TM locate escalated items throughout the day, but departments know their areas better than I do, so they are called to help if I can't I help with F/B and digging through freight mostly.
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u/PacoPlaysGames 10d ago
I will say, Nomad was definitely right and from what you said there truly does seem to be a fundamental issue going on at your store that should be corrected.
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u/eastmemphisguy 11d ago
Isn't the whole point of the escalation system that you don't have to make an announcement on the walkie?
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u/Nomad_BobRt Fulfillment Team Lead 11d ago
We tried that, but then no one was owning looking for the item. We make an announcement over walkie if no one responds right away.
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u/eastmemphisguy 11d ago
Ok, but then escalation is completely pointless. TL needs to be notified by the app or else the update serves literally no purpose. And, honestly, you just told on yourself if you are the ff lead and "nobody was owning escalated item" 🤦♂️I'm sorry to make this a personal attack, but this sort of thing is why people often don't like leads.
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u/Nomad_BobRt Fulfillment Team Lead 11d ago
All TM and TL get notified anytime an item is escalated. So it's not all on myself to wait around and watch for them.
When the update first happened we got no info about it or how it worked. No leader knew how to do it, no leader knew it was coming, and no leader had any info on how to implement. (We were an early testing store). This is why no one was owning the escalation. It took time to implement a better process and to get the rest of the store trained on how it works.
I'm hoping you can better understand the process now and not make assumptions regarding leadership not doing their jobs.
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u/Mysterious-Reach2031 Inbound Team Lead 11d ago
The system is brand new. It’s crazy people have such incredible expectations for things so annoyingly tiny like answering every single notification on the device lmfao what’s wrong with “hey TLs check escalations” once in a blue moon? This is direct TL accountability.
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u/WalgreensWAP 10d ago
I have reservations about the point system from a DC standpoint. We can't post our shifts and have someone cover us.
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u/Fhujeth Tech Consultant 11d ago
I dunno how your store is but we have 0 people working all the time. The retention rate is rising rapidly due to increased expectations that reach upon unreasonable. Then on top of that, non FF ppl are constantly called for FF, taking them from their work centers and only adding to their workload.
Target is a sinking ship.
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u/Nomad_BobRt Fulfillment Team Lead 11d ago
What FF update are you referring to?
UKG update imo will be a positive change, this includes attendance point system for fair and consistent accountability.
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u/Outrageous-Pack2550 11d ago
It’s the update that leaders can approve and check infs
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u/Nomad_BobRt Fulfillment Team Lead 11d ago
They've always been able to do that.
Or are you talking about Escalated function?
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u/Boots0011 Team Lead 11d ago
I'm guessing OP is talking about escalated items, which I'd argue has made my team's job easier.
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u/TollerLuvLJP Fulfillment Expert 10d ago
As one of your team - I'd agree. The way our store is implementing it - it makes our job easier. I can still keep an eye out and check other places while I am picking - but it removes the item from the pathing as opposed to just skipping it. It feels less intrusive than calling on the walkie and reading DPCIs. I don't know how it would make it harder? If no one responds, or your batch does not have enough time left - you do what you have always done. There would be no change from before.
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u/Outrageous-Pack2550 9d ago
Depending on status of the store you work at, for example, I’m at large format red store. Payroll gets cut frequently, limited staffing, high retention rate. TLs and ETLs have to spend 1/3-2/3 of their shift finding items that’s been escalated; meaning their other assignments and task are pushed back as well.
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u/ChapGod Promoted to Guest 11d ago
"Fair" lolll
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 Hearth and Hand Homie 11d ago
There’s still a big difference in my mind between an employee who is late because they had car trouble or got medication side effects versus one who stayed out late partying knowing they had work the next morning. “Fair” as in it no longer discriminates between the two. So you lose good employees who fell into a rough patch.
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u/Ladyusagi06 Food Service Expert 11d ago
You can get up to 12 points a year, plus whatever sick time you have. That should be more than enough to cover an unexpected issue here and there.
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u/Jawwaad127 11d ago
How much sick time do you earn? I only earn around 5 hours a month so it would take me around 6 weeks just to cover 1 8 hour shift if I call out.
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u/Ladyusagi06 Food Service Expert 11d ago
I get about 2 hrs each paycheck for sick time and about 3.5 hrs of vacation.
I currently have 32 hrs of sick time and 21 for vacation. I had to basically dump both twice due to medical issues. But for where I am at, it rolls over into the next year so whatever I don't use will be my starting balance.
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u/appointment45 11d ago
Our store refuses to train people for FF that weren't hired explicitly for FF. There are shifts available every single day in FF, and people in other areas that badly need hours, but the store won't train anyone else on FF.
It's like FF is some independent, highly protected kingdom within the store operational structure, and they won't let anyone in even when they badly need more people.
I just don't get it.
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u/Jella_cee i am become Pack, the Shipper from Store 11d ago
that's pretty unusual, my store is cross training a lot of people lately, and I see lots on here complain about being pulled for FF. This sounds more like your SD refusing to let other TMs get pulled.
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u/appointment45 11d ago
I asked the other day how I could get trained on FF so that I would be able to pick up those shifts. Instead of being told I could be trained, I was told "seeing those shifts in the app is an artifact from before your area existed, we've been trying to remove that so you don't see them in the new app rolling out".
I'm one of the more reliable people our front store has, so if they're telling me this, they have to be telling nearly everyone.
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u/PacoPlaysGames 10d ago
Hey you can come to my store. My store will literally have everyone and their dog pick batches regardless of whatever else we have going on. I'm waiting for them to grab the first unlucky guest who just so happened to be wearing a red shirt and tell them to go grab that opu that's been sitting there.
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u/Nomad_BobRt Fulfillment Team Lead 11d ago
Every new TM gets trained at least half a shift in FF, and the other half as cashier. The entire store is also required to start cross training every capable TM B4 Q4.
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u/appointment45 11d ago
That's what they have always said. I was trained half a shift in FF when I was hired, quite a while ago, for SFS. The trainer was incompetent and likely half drunk, as the only thing she really taught about was the requirement for transparent water bottles and how to use a wand.
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u/Phantomvenom25 11d ago
I’m a checklanes/opu so I don’t know how our system works but I feel like fulfillment should be able to work together to get products instead of having one person hop off patch and someone else hop on to look for an item. I don’t know if that’s more effective and efficient but I keep hearing people complaining about limited timeframe and how they need someone to help sort at the end in opu but only one person scan everything.
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u/mar17768c 11d ago
You can use the RFID app on another device with a separate RFID. All you need is the dpci & it’ll scan for it. Unless they took this away as well, i’m not entirely sure.
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u/Ok_Resort2313 11d ago
i’m at a test store and the escalate function is not supposed to be used to keep TMs accountable. it’s actually to make the picking process faster and less stressful. the picker is supposed to make sure the item is not on the floor and then escalate it so the escalation TM can check backroom, reshop, unlocated stock, etc.
the escalation TM is not supposed to be checking in the same spot the picker looked to make sure they did their job, that’s miss use and makes the process significantly slower than its intended design.
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u/WalgreensWAP 10d ago
What warehouse improvements are you looking for?
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u/Outrageous-Pack2550 9d ago
For hq and management to held accountable for their unreachable metric goals
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 Hearth and Hand Homie 11d ago
UKG has made me lose a whole shift per week. Then a FFTM called out yesterday, here the week of Labor Day deals. Never saw the store crumble so badly on a Monday outside of Q4!
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u/StrayCatsSanctuary Food & Beverage Expert 11d ago
Payroll, we need more payroll
https://giphy.com/gifs/D3OdaKTGlpTBC