Specials RUNNER

Specials RUNNER

n. A RUNNER or CART kept in the BACK ROOM and dedicated to holding up to a CASE or two of extra STOCK of some ON SALE ITEMS, from which the SHELF from time to time may be replenished: “Work the aisle 1 through 4 Specials Runners.” See also SPECIALS WALL, THROW, WORK.

Rollout Flowchart…

NOTE: At one point as I was pulling out yet another Specials Cart to WORK it, I happened to wonder, “Hey—Just what exactly am I doing?” I knew I was doing a lot of thinking and judging, so—just for fun—I thought I'd try to write down everything, just to see what I got. And the answer is...

DETAILS: Specials Runner ROLLOUT. Yep: once again, this is the deep end of the pool. The result of my ruminations was actually a flowchart, with diamonds for decisions, rectangles for process steps, and ovals for the start and stop terminals. Click on the thumbnail at right for a much larger view. Here's the condensed, text-only version:

   

• (Start)
  • [ Inspect cart in bay, before moving it ]
    • < Any items toppled/leaning on other carts? >
      • [ Carefully move non-involved cart(s) to gain access ]
      • [ Temporarily off-load items at risk of falling ]
    • < Any items stacked too high? >
      • [ Move adjacent cart(s) to gain access ]
      • [ Temporarily off-load items at risk of "scrape off" ]
    • < Wide items snagged on other carts? >
      • [ Jockey other cart(s) in bay to free snags ]
      • [ Withdraw interlocked carts together, then separate ]
    • < Precarious, unbalanced items? >
      • [ Move adjacent cart(s) to gain access ]
      • [ Reposition items for maximum safety ]
  
  
  • [ Pull cart out of bay ]
    • < Any other moved carts? >
      • [ Return other carts to proper slots in bay ]
  
  
  • [ Re-inspect cart ]
    • < Any leaks, spills, or damaged items? >
      • [ Casualties to damages rack, sink or trash, as appropriate ]
      • [ Clean up ]
    • < Any empty boxes, waste plastic, etc.? >
      • [ Recycle or dispose of properly ]
    • < Anything belong on other cart(s)? >
      • < Space available on proper cart(s)? >
        • [ Move hitchhiker item(s) to proper cart(s) ]
    • < Any temporarily off-loaded items? >
      • [ Return off-loaded items to cart ]
    • < Any items on other carts belong on this cart? >
      • < Space available? >
        • [ Move fugitive items back onto cart ]
    • < Precarious, unbalanced items? >
      • [ Reposition items for maximum safety ]
  
  
  • [ Put footstool onto cart ]
    • < Cart very full, too many items? >
      • [ Get shopping cart to hold cardboard, plastic ]
    • < Expect lots of waste plastic? >
      • [ Put milkcrate onto cart to hold plastic ]
  
  
  • [ Pull cart out to designated aisle(s) ]


• (etc...)

The description above may seem daunting, but the actual task is pretty straightforward and more often than not, downright easy. I don't recall the listed contingency inspections ever requiring action all at the same time. Usually it's just pull out the CART, grab a footstool (they help a lot when you're WORKING the top SHELF), and go!

For more about flowcharts, see for example:
^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowchart}

Specials Wall

Specials Wall

n. An area under the MEZZ in the BACK ROOM set aside to hold larger quantities of CASES of ON SALE ITEMS than would conveniently fit on the SPECIALS RUNNERS.

Stack

Stack

n. A vertical pile of PRODUCT or CASES of PRODUCT. —v. To make such a Stack. See also AISLE STACK, STACK OFF.

TIP: Cross-Tie Tall Stacks. Taking a cue from bricklayers, you can lay in a strip of CARDBOARD as a cross-tie part of the way up between pairs of tall STACKS and they'll be a lot more stable.

TIP: Bottom Bags are a Better Base. Speaking of stable, are you stuck STACKING slippery bags, like extra-wide pasta or powdered sugar? You'll find that those from the bottom of the CASE often have more of that annoying, air-bag puffiness squeezed out of them. So, use those flatter ones to form a kind of “sandbag dike” at the FRONT of the SHELF, and toss the top layers of puffiest, slipperiest bags to the back.

Stack Off

Stack Off

v. To neatly STACK a quantity of CASES of a single ITEM in a particular place, usually in the BACK ROOM, such as on an OVERSTOCK PALLET or against the SPECIALS WALL: “Stack it off on the Specials Wall.”

Stock Number

Stock Number

n. A unique 6-digit code found on an ITEM'S SHELF TAG which is used for tracking and ordering INVENTORY of that ITEM.