Plastic

Plastic

n. 1. A strong, flexible and usually transparent or translucent packaging material that's wrapped around tray CASES to keep contents safe during transport. See also H-CUT. 2. A strong, hard, and durable material used to form PALLETS: “Wood or plastic?” 3. The usual shopping bags into which CUSTOMER PURCHASES are placed upon CHECKOUT: “Paper or plastic?”

NOTE: Wrappers from around tray CASES of, e.g., spaghetti sauce, cat food, etc. all get recycled. While on your cart, stash them in a BOX, or better yet, a MILK CRATE to prevent them flying around and driving you crazy.

CAUTION: Out in the AISLE, be very careful to keep all Plastic wrappers under control so nobody slips on them!

Back in the BACK ROOM, put Plastic wrappers into the extra-large “CAN LINER” bag knotted to the door hinge of the BAILER in RECEIVING. When the bag is full, it gets cut off, tied closed, and thrown onto the TRUCK along with any BALES, PALETTES, etc. returning to the WAREHOUSE.

TIP: H-Cut Plastic Tops. Until you're sure it'll all GO, start with an H-CUT on top when you first open any plastic-wrapped CARDBOARD trays like spaghetti sauce or cat food. This keeps the CASE'S ends and edges tight, and helps maintain the package's integrity if it ends up on the SPECIALS CART or in OVERSTOCK.

Power JACK

Power JACK

n. A large, mechanized JACK with rechargeable batteries which has motors to lift and move heavier PALLETS than can be managed with a HAND JACK. Contrast HIGH-LIFT.

TIP: Don't Pull a Power Jack. Yes, it's true you have to pull a regular JACK—after all, in that case, you're the motor. But tug on a Power Jack the same way and you might dislocate your shoulder! Them puppies are heavy! You simply can't pull them. So, ease off. The whole idea is to use the handy thumb controls, steer, and just let it follow you. It might not be quite as fast as you'd like, but it sure is a whole lot easier than moving a PALLET-full of 32-pack CASES of bottled water with just a HAND JACK.

TIP: Stuck? Pump the Handle. OK, this one falls under “strange but true.” Sometimes you may press the Jack's “follow” button yet nothing happens. You look, and the key is in, the battery charged, the power on, but the hulk just sits there, “dead.” Here's what to do: lower the handle all the way to the bottom of its travel, until it goes “thunk” about parallel to the floor, and then raise it back up again. For some weird reason that seems to “wake it up,” and afterwards it works just fine. I know this sounds superstitious, stupid, whatever. The thing is, it actually works!

Productivity

Productivity

n. The rate and/or relative efficiency with which PRODUCTS are produced or SERVICES are performed.

NOTE: Everyone's always urging us to (in so many words) “Be more productive!” But, what does that mean? The overall answer is: to get more done in a shorter amount of time.

Now, if you're thinking, “But, but,... They're paying me by the hour,” then maybe you're suffering from a serious misunderstanding. Yes, they are paying you hourly, but your half of that bargain is to return good value for the money being spent on you. That is, you're supposed to be (more) productive.

Here's a few tips to help get you thinking along better (i.e., more productive) lines:

TIP: Move Faster. Sounds obvious, but if you push yourself a little harder, you'll get a lot more done.

TIP: Touch Less. If it's already on the SHELF, you save time by not moving it. That is to say, resist the temptation to tidy up, straighten and/or restack everything. We know it's not perfect, but you have too much else to do. So, only fix what really needs fixing, and then be sure that whatever you do THROW goes in nice and straight, LABELS-FORWARD, and beautiful. True perfection is getting the job done, not futzing with every detail.

TIP: Minimize Steps. To the extent possible, try to avoid zigzagging up and down the AISLE, or back and forth across it. Every extra step you take slows you down, reducing your productivity. Look at what you've got, and plan your trip down the AISLE accordingly.