Thread regarding Whole Foods Market Inc. layoffs

OTS Irrelevance

First of all, the program should be called Standard Operating Procedure. Order To Shelf is buyer terminology that has little do with signing off on a PM duties checklist.

Second, the OTS script is monitored by store level management full of their own ideas. This has created a huge lack in consistency, which wouldn't be a problem if disciplinary actions didn't follow suit. One Astl says this, a coordinator says that and then another Astl says another - each person holding a role we have to answer to. Coupled with all the above is some of the worst communication I've ever experienced. When changes happen, it's all word of mouth, without a CC to a coordinator for clarity. I've been in leadership, the spoken word versus the accountability of an email is priceless. This, overall, leaves you left to explain, the middle man of Regional vs Store Level.

Next, I have to point out the extreme baby proofing this program attempts which demonstrates a huge lack of trust only brought about by the company's shortfalls. Data and inventory management has been an opportunity for the company for as long as I've known it. As other companies developed better technology, implemented all throughout the store, some maybe even old but still seem to be a bit more streamlined.

Again, Store Level management telling me they " Didn't even know what ( an item on their checklist ) was " and had been passing us on it. This, amongst other items, unties the whole thing. I constantly have to email questions to regional due to how often things change with poor communication or none at all, from problems utilizing DVO Handheld with Data Monster sheets that print incorrect items ( that you just have kinda know are incorrect ) to having the correct sale price active in time for my Astl to walk and not ding me. It honestly feels like the lack of communication is a strategy of sorts, that when not attaching to your name to a definitive statement means you are not responsible for it tells me they understand the irrelevance. I mean, there's so much double work to achieve the same goal. I am a specialist, a seasoned one at that, and I can see the benefits of streamlining a company wide process but this is a step back. With poor technology, along with not even taking advantage of the decent current programs, we order writers have to jump through multiple hoops, make signs while battling against the clock and answer to multiple levels of leadership with different point of views on how OTS should look.

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Post ID: @OP+T3PUcu0

5 replies (most recent on top)

Well said. I am a TL and have been for some time. The thing that irks me is that the very people who are sending these standards down the line cant even get their own team in order. Several sale batches come down each sale change because regional/global dropped the ball. Yet the stores are the ones who get scored on 100% tag/sign accuracy. Nobody at the global level takes responsibility for anything, ever. More and more is put directly onto TMs at the store, signing off on things that everyone knows are not possible to get done. Creating bogus accountability. Communication as you mentioned..is a complete joke...a complete mess. It would have taken some extra time initially, but WF needed to spend 2 years rolling out OTS in a test market before rolling it out to the entire company. Everyone is forced to stumble through this ever changing obstacle course while global tries to figure things out as we go. The whole idea of an SOP is that it is a STANDARD, figure out the standards first, then roll them out. Global incompetence is remarkable.

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Post ID: @1wow+T3PUcu0

OTS is just an attempt to cover up years of poor management at regional and store level. If your store had an out of control back room the TL should have made the buyer fix it. If the TL didn’t address the issue the STL should have stepped in. But since allot of people didn’t do there jobs we have to go through this OTS BS. Why not deal with the real issue and get rid of people that don’t fulfill there job functions.

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Post ID: @gtd+T3PUcu0

I could not agree more!

Well said. I have never seen such a poorly ran company by such idiots (Regional) that such Not be in the positions they are in. I have been around awhile and know some of the ones that were given these positions. They were awful at store level. Very scary that they are in these positions at regonal or Astl's now. It shows.

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Post ID: @yag+T3PUcu0

We have been run by idiots for years all that’s finally coming to a head.Amazon will probably swoop in once the year is up and start busting heads. Amazon supposedly has very high standards and the extreme inefficiencies of WF will be addressed I hope.

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Post ID: @lnr+T3PUcu0

I am a TL and everything you said is 110% reality of this Program. Its so frustrating to Lead a Team when the program changes by the Hour.

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Post ID: @fzt+T3PUcu0

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