StORES Magazine - August 2007 - (Page 82)

HUMAN RESOURCES means optimizing alignment of their workforce with the demands of their customers, and for some, this includes cross-store scheduling – typically to compensate for under-coverage due to a skill-based employee shortage or absenteeism.” Historically, market scheduling has worked well in the case of employees such as Packi, who are skilled in electronics. It also works well for grand openings, employee training, visual merchandising, fixture and display assembly, product placement and eventdriven product resets. The strategy could be expanded to other tasks for which skilled labor is required, but for which the workload in a given store is insufficient to support a full-time position, Zgutowicz says. Some retailers are better positioned than others to take advantage of this conMarket scheduling helps maximize workforce cept – those with multiple divisions within the same mall or lifestyle center, for exacross multiple locations ample. The Gap could centralize backroom functions to accomplish a task for BY FAYE BROOKMAN Banana Republic, Gap, Gap Kids and Gap Baby stores simultaneously. avid Packi is a respected, full-time employee in the electronics “If you have a good stocker or good department at a New Jersey Wal-Mart store. Occasionally, Packi is stocking team, why not use them at all tapped to travel less than 15 minutes to another store, where he four stores?” Zgutowicz asks. The result helps out during peak times. would be an increase in hours for some full-time status, including stability, secuAt first blush, this seems an easy of the company’s most talented rerity, seniority and benefits. Market process — sending quality employees to sources — and a more consistent operscheduling … provides significant beneassist a sister store in times of need. But ating model. fits to both retailers and employees.” upon further examination, there are Starbucks is sharing store manager rechallenges involved, including which sponsibilities in multiple stores; convenBest for full-timers store actually “pays” Packi and acience stores could also be positioned for Market scheduling works best for fullcounts for him on the profit-and-loss this approach, Zgutowicz says. time employees whom a retailer might statement. And a “tug of war” can arise Retailers that rely on the expertise of not need to deploy at one location for a when managers don’t want to share a certain employees also are doing more full work week. “As reprized employee. sharing. Walgreens moves Wal-Mart stores that tailers continue to focus Despite – or perhaps because of – such pharmacists between lohave been testing on the quality and consisobstacles, the concept of market schedcations — especially to scheduling procedures tency of the in-store cusuling is gathering steam in retailing. “The new stores, where seato coordinate POS tomer experience, the practice has actually been around for soned pharmacists help ability to make best use of some time, but people didn’t realize they get a new prescription coverage with times of the retail employee workwere doing it,” says Andrew Zgutowicz, counter up and running. heavy customer traffic force is of critical impora principal and director of store operaWal-Mart CEO H. Lee have reported comptance,” says John Andertions at Kurt Salmon Associates. Scott referenced the imsales gains that are “Today’s retailers require flexible son, director of retail marportance of scheduling “twice as strong” as workforces that are able to meet fluctuketing for Chelmsford, at the company’s 2007 stores without the ating workload demands. Employees Mass.-based Kronos. shareholders meeting. system — H. Lee Scott want the advantages associated with “For all retailers, this Stores that have been Team Player D 82 STORES / AUGUST 2007 WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of StORES Magazine - August 2007

Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Upfront NRF News Retail People Concept2Watch Supermarkets Cover Story Online Marketing In-Store Marketing RFID Data Management Payment Systems Software Loss Prevention E-Commerce Risk Management Communications Loyalty Marketing Human Resources Mobile Commerce Loeb Retail Letter Arts Update Point of View Advertising Index Retail Industry Calendar

StORES Magazine - August 2007

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