ASDA's chip away strategy
This leaked document from ASDA management outlines the national chip away strategy being piloted at Lutterworth. https://www.gmb.org.uk https://www.gmbinasda.unionweb.co.uk
RDC Lutterworth
Warehouse Chip Away Strategy 2005
Ref |
Action |
Benefit |
Risk |
Priority 1=hi 3=lo |
1 |
7 minute clock rule |
8 hours on shift for colleagues |
Colleague morale – take, take, take! |
1 |
2 |
Look at the key roles for succession |
To individual colleagues & the site |
Choosing the right people, having a visible process. |
1 |
3 |
Line managers out of the canteen, lead by example not taking all the breaks that hourly paid colleagues get. - Esp transport |
Takes credence away from breaks. Shows willing, lead from the front. You are not one of the crowd. |
Line manager morale it’s always been this way. |
1 |
4 |
ALL time off floor to be OK''d with Line Manager (keep a book?) |
Line Managers manage all colleagues, even union stewards |
Play Support team off against LM’s. Simply don’t like it. Increase in grievances. |
1 |
5 |
More on the Floor. 7 hours work from each colleague. If hit targets hygiene. |
Getting 7 hours work back from some colleagues who don’t. Also shows consistency for those colleagues who do. Either payback in productivity, accuracy, hygiene or H&S. |
Pick target is king. Management time to patrol. Colleague kick back, some have had job and finish ethos for years. General slow down in all areas. Needs to be linked with Rotas. |
1 |
6 |
Ambient layout |
Colleague involved layout. Link to productivity benefits, cubing, stacking, product presentations. H&S. |
Take time to do right. Must be back ed up with good “new line” plan. |
1 |
7 |
Managers on the floor |
Credibility, H&S, colleague morale, TL morale, hygiene. |
Need to streamline what admin work is required. Any benefits of having stats clerk on each shift? |
1 |
8 |
Manager handovers – walk the floor & shift overlap |
Deal with issues dynamically. Too reticent at giving feedback to peers. Too much shift bashing & it starts from the top |
None |
1 |
9 |
Introduce rates in all areas |
Removes ambiguity, what am I expected to pick? Easier to manage. Increase in OWR? Colleague morale. Good colleague sick of lead swingers. LM’s and TL’s crying out for it. |
Job and finish culture. GMB failure to agree. Asked to do a Time in Motion study that give us a worse pick rate than now. Colleague morale those not making the grade. |
1 |
10 |
GMB Stewards to adhere to the 15 mins at beginning and end of shift for Admin. If none then crack on! |
Colleague and manager morale. Is affecting Snr Management credibility. |
Increase in union activity, go looking for H&S issues, grievances. |
1 |
11 |
Single man loading |
Reduction in loading hours required therefore in costs. Increase in OWR. |
Risk assessment says 2 men requ for loading. Also need proper kit. |
1 |
12 |
The big tidy up. Remove 4x10 shifts |
Aim for standard start and finish times and fixed break times. |
Colleague morale, changing their work day or shift patterns. |
1 |
13 |
Team Ownership – reporting lines specific Teams to TL’s to LM’s. |
Colleagues and TL’s have a specific LM to manage their welfare
Managers can be measured on their coll communication and CBWA skills. Managers can measure TL’s effectiveness with Colls comms and CBWA skills. |
Personality clashes, I don’t like my LM.
Managers who currently do well in CBWA with whole shift compartmentalise |
2 |
14 |
Regular listening groups (program of) |
Create relationships with the colleagues – Trust |
Not delivering actions from the Listening Groups, giving false hope. |
2 |
15 |
A single operational plan linked into colleagues rotas |
All shift doing the same thing. Central accountability. Earlier and consistent reporting of absences. Managers time is freed to concentrate on other things. |
Morale of managers – are we devolving responsibility from them? |
2 |
16 |
Remove champ role from LM’s. Review champ roles with TL’s. – spraying. |
Concentrate LM focus on 3 x key areas. H&S, Performance and Attendance. Currently 12 champ role areas, trying to fix it all and not achieving it. |
Positive things fall by the way side. E.g. Hygiene, H&S. |
2 |
17 |
Team Leader role definition |
TL’s ability to counsel, trained notes takers. To be comfortable with confrontation. |
Some TL’s don’t want to. Some are not up to it. If correct training not given open to bullying and harassment claims. |
2 |
18 |
Whse clerical – re-rota |
Reduction in warehouse support |
Clerks morale, issuing 90 days notice |
2 |
19 |
Deliver comprehensive training plan |
Improve morale, knowledge of managers, TLS and CC. Better managed and equipped site. |
Share of communication = a need for trust. Some people need to make a career choice! |
3 |
20 |
Drive CC to be results focused |
Improvement in Colleague morale and WLS score. Improve the culture of the site. |
Loss of some of the CC members. Increase in conflict with the GMB |
3 |
21 |
Managers to rotate |
Shift empathy, synergies in best practice, fresh pair of eyes. |
Manager leave? Managers morale? |
3 |
22 |
Full review what work is done when. Should it be moved? |
Reduction in premium payment. Maximising MHE, even aim to reduce it. E.g. Pick freezer on days and lates. Reduce GTA window. |
Time and buy in. Require warehouse team to identify the opportunities, then organise buy-in from suppliers… |
3 |
Lower Priority Chip-Away Plan
Ref |
Action |
Benefit |
Risk |
Priority 1=hi 3=lo |
1 |
Bring in the ACAS guide to representation |
Colleagues will speak for themselves in hearings |
Initially longer hearings, FTAs, grievances etc |
|
2 |
Colleague rotation – job for the boys |
Utilise trained colleagues, great for colleague morale. Fresh perspective to the job. Mean and keen |
Morale and productivity of those who’ve always been an “ambient loader”. |
|
3 |
Replace the right to take grievance to ACAS for individual grievances, leave to collective |
Reduce the time taken for greiv to be resolved |
Needs to be replaced by something… what? |
|
4 |
Authorised absence counting as a 6th shift for overtime |
Colleagues will not benefit financially from managing their own rotas |
Colleague morale. Managers – consistency, courage of conviction. |
|
5 |
Colleagues to pay for replacement equipment. If not PPE then Swipe Cards & Davis Derby |
Reduction in costs |
Colleague morale. Colleagues refusing to swipe, or buy. Legality of providing safety equipment |
|
6 |
Develop Andy/Nick/Lee/Payroll 7 People teams. Succession plan in place. |
To all |
Is there the talent around? |
|
7 |
Achieve people KPIs |
Kudos for the site Improve morale |
Confrontation with the GMB |
|
8 |
Full rota review |
Reduction in costs Fairer for colls on not so good shift patterns Better ability to react to volume fluctuations as hours will be in the right place |
Kick back on change. Stewards have the nice shift patterns Failure to agree, work to rule etc… |
|
9 |
Representative – if your favourite GMB ain’t avail substitute with another. |
Allows us to get slicker on Griev and Disc. Reduce suspension time and stress to the colls |
Unofficial blocking of it |
|
10 |
PbyL grid review |
Colleague involved layout. Improve H&S build in a reduction of indirects |
As above |
|
11 |
GIC review |
Do we get what we want when we want, if not what? Maximise workflow in the chill to reduce indirects. |
Time, supplier buy in |
|
Parking Lot
Action |
Benefit |
Risk |
Priority 1=hi 3=lo |
Manage the site without involvement from the GMB |
A positive culture. Improved results. Free up time for managers |
15 years of history, relationships and baggage. Possible causalities for breach of trust |
Note |
Team leaders and Managers to manage |
Take the site forward operationally, culturally and financially |
Some people crossing the divide – divided loyalties, confidentiality. Some wrong decisions being made! |
Note |
Focus on Team Leaders – relationships and training |
Take the site forward operationally, culturally and financially |
Some people crossing the divide – loyalties, confidentiality |
Note |
RDC Lutterworth, Strategy 2005
Action |
Benefit |
Risk |
Priorities Risk Action Group (RAG) |
Remove the payment for the first 3 days in linked absence |
Decrease in level of absence, certainly periods lasting 4 or 5 days |
Alienating colleagues including the CC. Negative sales pitch from the GMB. Are we close enough to influence the colleagues? |
A1 |
Implement the Wish you were here absence policy |
Clear strategy for managing attendance, Accountability back to the LMs. Responsibility back to the colleagues |
Confusion amongst the LM and TL group as to the scope of the policy. Training equality GMB influence amongst the management population |
A1 |
Reduce 6-2 shift by half
Consolidate all break times to 1x50 minute break.
Or reduce break to 40 minutes. 1x30min break and 1x10 min tea break.
Start time = at work area time not swiping in.
Remove wash up time
All rota patterns to be and 5 from 7, i.e. Working 1 in 2 weekends
Remove rotating shifts in whse & ops |
Too many heads on this shift as is generating dead hours, also additional break to manage.
Dictate break times enable us to manage break times, currently can’t. As above
Culture of some colls to abuse 7 minute start time, be at place of work ready to start. Get huddle, get going.
10 minutes back, yet another agreed break to manage. Reality not many wash up. If really concerned do it on your own time.
Streamlines shift patterns. Minimises the management of it. Fairer to majority of colleagues, currently benefits the few. |
Certain amount of colleagues affected, homelife considerations, family friendly etc… messy with 90 days notice?
Custom and practice with 3 breaks. Colleague morale
As above
More take. Coll morale
More take take. Coll morale. Also custom in practice so many need to be bought back.
Hits a militant core. 90 day notice required. GMB hardball on this one. |
A1 |
Bank holidays – 2 lieu days and 4 hours worked accruing lieu day? |
Holidays become more manageable |
Can we manage the peaks and troughs effectively enough? Colleague morale – take, take, take! |
A2 |
LMs to issue FWWs |
Free Ops Managers time Give LMs more ownership of the process |
Consistency of decisions Training for managers |
A3 |
https://www.gmbinasda.unionweb.co.uk
June 2006
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