Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 830
| Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2003 7:43 pm Post subject: SSG | |
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I had some trouble logging in (thanks slek), but I'm back.
This is our second week on the new scheduling system. I couldn't understand (being that this was so high tech and intelligent) why this system left no one scheduled Super Saturday night or Friday morning. If we're so understaffed then why do 40 and 30 hour people get scheduled 22-25 hours? I left my availability completely open and prepared to be scheduled 6 days. But, I get 4 days and about 24 hours. The HR told me that it depends on the forecast that the SGM submits every week. Well, can anyone tell me what he is basing this forecast on? And what can I respectfully suggest that he do to get it right? My poor BCASM. He's a 35 year company man that is a target of the headhunters. He told me that he used to think my coworker was an alarmest when he said they were out to get the oldtimers. He said six months ago he would have never believed it but now he's thinking of retiring before he gets fired. I told him that I tried to tell him six months ago or more what was coming. He's starting to be very interested in what information I get from the internet. I've never mentiond this sight. He just jokes that I've been on the Sears Sux sight again and I just say yeah. But, I believe he's becoming a lot more curious because I've mentioned things before he's gone to a meeting and heard them for the first time himself. I've known him 11 years and know him to be a most loyal and ethical manager. He has his faults but I would shutter if they fired him at this stage of the game. Our SGM is on the way out, you can feel it in the air. I give him until July 30th. Our remodel is about done and I've promised my coworkers I'll stick it out and see if the Recharge doesn't make things better. One 36 year coworker whose opinion I trust seems to think we will sell enough merchandise to raise our pay. Maybe. What have I got to lose? CS 
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 114
Location: The hole in Jay's floor
| Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2003 11:16 pm Post subject: | |
| CS, I can definately relate. I used to think my ASM was feigning ignorance, but she really is oblivious to so many things. She sat down and explained to me that while neither she or the company wants to lose it's FT40 or FTA people, the problem is that since we are required to have 30-40 hour weeks everyweek causes problems with scheduling, and if everybody were part-time then the ssg could schedule appropriately. Hello... I'd say that, that means that the full-timers are targets for dismissal then, pretty much what I've been asking her about for a year now. If she thought I was paranoid before, now that she has admitted this, I am totally paranoid. | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 517
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:23 am Post subject: | |
| Blue, Deep down the line managers know the way to build the organization is to have a cadre of full timers to build the organization around. They are being handcuffed by Lacy and the big shots who think a monkey can do these jobs. GFG | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 1381
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:37 am Post subject: | |
| Just wait! We lost another wonderful full timer today! Well, he's not gone yet, but he gave his notice. Can't make ends meet on 30 hours a week anymore. Being hourly, in three years he never even got close to 8 dollars. But ask him anything about how to ring the register, ask him about merchandise placement, the stockroom, ordering proceedures, signing, you name it, he knows it. And when he leaves, he's taking all that PRE-CONVERSION information with him. He'll be replaced by two people who will each be lucky to get 15 hours maximum. Now just tell me if those two people will really want to stay very long at $6.75 an hour. And tell me how much of a contribution to the success of the store they are going to want to make. | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 211
Location: I'm free of Sears---so does it really matter??
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:46 am Post subject: | |
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So I quess VLM is now SSG. I know that VLM stood for Visual Labor Management. Somebody please tell me what does SSG stand for.
I logged onto my puter at work yesterday to find my VLM icon is now an SSG icon; but when I open it I get the very same program as when it was called VLM. So what's the deal? How is this SSG any different than the VLM? Also, we had a register download yesterday morning. They only told us that it was an update to the latest register package, but they didn't say what changes we would see on the registers. Anybody have any info on either of these things? |
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 1381
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 1:02 am Post subject: | |
| If you believe this, in our store I think they are saying that ssg stands for Store Sales Goals. Makes absolutely no sense to me at all. I don't think there is any difference between vlm and ssg other than the name. Neither of the names makes sense! | |
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 933
Location: I would tell you, but than I would have to kill you!
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 1:44 am Post subject: | |
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I know noticed that too, but it look like dollar signs to me.
HEre;s a question, remeber last yr when we had the training on the new register system that never came to be? Wonder what happen to that 
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 1337
Location: The Collective
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 2:32 am Post subject: | |
| MS do you mean with the Yen and pesos and all that crap???? I have been thinking about that...what a waste of time and money. | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 212
Location: Somewhere in Alabama
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 5:38 am Post subject: | |
Another 'STARS' nightmare, or actually it's worse! We are on it, too. Clocking in and out through the computer terminal isn't that bad. I don't like having to go in and put your request off in there and all that b/c I am running continually, and just don't have time to waste standing still at a computer terminal doing that when it was just easier to write it on the calandar that our leads had for us. Just sad to see us wasting time again on another idea that we have already been there done that, it didn't work then either. 
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 395
Location: Still on The Hill (Ya Think?)
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 6:00 am Post subject: | |
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As to the effectiveness of the programing of the SSG and its ability to render the scheduling over to a software program. The schedule for this coming week has on Saturday (7/19-"Super Saturday"), has already shown it`s very usefulness. The store will be opening at 9:00am, While there will be only five sales associates scheduled at that time. No CAC`s are scheduled in the entire store before 9:15am. We have decided not to inform the management about this little flaw, and let them ask their very selfs why no one will be at the store when it opens.
Their are also FTA`s with full availability being scheduled to work six-day weeks for a totals of less than 30hrs, while some PTA`s are receiving as much as 35hrs plus. The old game of working PTA`s max hrs for periods less than 16 weeks ( which would allow them to be eligible for benefits ). Is still being played. One last thought for you. Have you checked your clock-in times? It would appear that even if you clock-in with in the six minute window prior to your scheduled shift, your time is not being recorded or started untill the time shown on the schedule. Now while this may not seem like something to be concerned with, minutes do add up. Take for example, five mintues early each day five days a week. That would be, on a five day week, 15 minutes. In one month that would be one hour, in a years time that would be thirteen hrs. Based on only a $6.00 rate per hour, that would be seventy eight dollars ($78.00) that Sears did not pay you for your time. I am not sure about you but for myself, with as little as they do pay employes. I want what is rightfully mine. Ratchet |
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Joined: 11 Jul 2003
Posts: 132
Location: Midwest, IN
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 6:39 am Post subject: | |
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I have noticed in our store that as far as cashiers go, there are only 2 (maybe 3) full time people left out of the 30 or so people that are on the schedule. Until recently hours seemed to be followed through alright, managers seemed to correct problems, but just these last two weeks now Part time and Full time people have seen a cut in the amount of hours they are getting. It's possibly because we have brought on so many part time people recently (they have hired 6 new cashiers in the last few weeks).
Also I had not noticed that if you clock in early or out late that it doesn't count thoes extra mins. You can bet i will be looking into that when i work tommorw, I often am stuck past the time they schedule me to (9:15) due to the fact that we have customers still in the store and other issues such as that. Here is another thing our managers told us, in our store if you work over 5 hours in one day, and dont take a lunch, the computer will deduct 30 mins out for you even if you never take the break..... There are days I have been scheduled 5 hours 15 mins, i guess that means I take a 30 min break for a 5 hour day.... fine with me I guess, but I don't see how that benifits them. |
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 260
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 7:17 am Post subject: | |
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Sales forcasts must be saved or changed and saved on monday each week by sgm. Sales forcast reports are available for all ASM's...ask to see for your division......ASM's can print....shows you entire month, by day, by division. If there are hours that are different than normal, like an early opening or late closing, then the hours have to be changed in the SSG system also....and on monday each week. If you change the hours for next week, then you must change them back the following week as the system 'remembers' from week to week if no changes.
System works great if used properly..... |
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Joined: 11 Jul 2003
Posts: 132
Location: Midwest, IN
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 7:23 am Post subject: | |
| It does seem like many don't know how to use the system. | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 260
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 7:35 am Post subject: | |
| very possible....... | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 1416
Location: Indianapolis, IN
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:17 pm Post subject: Re: SSG | |||
You are correct - they will be sending in a Sears Six Sigma to ride roughshod on him, find one or two insignificant points that he has "NO" control over and hammer him until he quits or he "Has left to pursue other interests" in the body of a staff email. MrsDD |
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 723
| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 3:37 pm Post subject: | |
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Oh S*** I cannot find my Quota card, and the system no longer tells me how much to sell. How will I figure out how much I am scheduled to "borrow" this week. It usually was around $115 but now i am on my own-Help! What is my quota, I want to know how much we are over scheduled to just make draw let alone targeted earnings.
It's all GOOD! 
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 933
Location: I would tell you, but than I would have to kill you!
| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 1:35 am Post subject: | |||
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 933
Location: I would tell you, but than I would have to kill you!
| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 1:38 am Post subject: | |||
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Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Posts: 172
Location: Washington State
| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 2:09 am Post subject: | |
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I don't think the ISM team schedule is made by the SSG. It might be better if it was. Our lead schedules only 4 people on a Sunday after a super Saturday Sale and doesn't have anyone who knows anything about hardware or HI. She forgets to schedule people for inventory, has people come in at night when there is no reason to. The ASM changes the schedule every week. He might as well make it out.
We are losing FT people every week, and the PT college care very little about doing a good job, this is only a pit stop on their way to better things. |
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 830
| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 2:18 am Post subject: | |
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When our schedule came out today, it had me off Super Saturday even though I saw my manager put me on 12-9 yesterday. Apparantly he didn't do it right or it didn't take. When the HR tried to put me back in, it would only let her schedule me 5 hours for the day. I'm FTA and only being scheduled 22 hours. Now I have 27. The three 40 hour people are adamant that they are going to work 40 hours so the manager overrides it and schedules them. But, now it gives them 42-44 hours-If they were 12-7 and he tries to make it 9-6, it will only schedule 9-7. So, I guess with all their hours I get what's left. I'm O.K. with it because I don't get garbage hours, but I think they don't like 44 hours. Maybe this system is smarter than I gave it credit for. Now, if the SGM could just get that forecast right.......
CS
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Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Posts: 99
Location: New England
| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 2:45 am Post subject: | |||
Don't hold me to this since I haven't yet confirmed but I was told that SSG stands for Scheduling Sales Growth. I will try to find something in writing. |
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 1381
| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 3:07 am Post subject: | |
| hmmm.... This ssg sounds a lot like the snc ad set up... filled with problems and takes up way too much time. How long has this ssg been tested in the stores? Does anyone know? Someone from a store which has been using the system for a while should come on here and tell us that it does get better. | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 462
Location: West Coast
| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 3:19 am Post subject: | |
| not to be ms. negative here, but sears as a company doesn't give one crap about you paying your bills if you don't get enough hours. with the "new" system, people are scheduled by PERFORMANCE ie. - review score, PA & MRA numbers, credit share. they could care less if you are FT or FTA, if a part timer is a better "performer", they will get more hours and more productive shifts. sears has gone far enough down the tubes that the focus HAS to be on the bottom line. they can correct employee satisfaction later..... | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 211
Location: I'm free of Sears---so does it really matter??
| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 3:21 am Post subject: | |
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I haven't personally ran into any problems with VLM or SSG yet. But the Hub schedule is a manual input and is not done for me by the system.
When I put next week's schedule into the new SSG system this week, the system looked and acted the same as it did when it was called VLM. I didn't see any change except for the icon on the desktop. It now says SSG and I think one of the S's if a dollar sign. The cut off for not taking a lunch is 5 hours and 15 minutes. If you don't clock out for a lunch it puts it in for you and deducts 30 minutes. Our HR lady has gone to our OPs Mgr. to report the people who are clocking in early. I overheard her tell him that she needed to discuss with him several people who are continuously clocking in early which is causing them to be over hours. I don't know about all stores, but in my store going over 40 hours a week is a very big tabu. |
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 395
Location: Still on The Hill (Ya Think?)
| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 6:12 am Post subject: | |
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I for one am not going to even try to qoute "CSis". But I do belive all got the point. And I`m the least understood within the "Mass". It is with a tear, that I ask?. Where is your management?
Ratchet |
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