AP ASM INFO

The company has been moving away from AP for quite a while now. There is a disconnect between the higher ups in the AP field verses operations. The original plan for AP was to come in three phases. Phase one was to change the chain of command of AP and realign them to report the store management. Phase two was to change the job title to assistant manager, align the AP to mostly operational driven task and begin preparing APAs to transition to complete the majority of the APM Task. ( during phase two we have saw AP AMS be almost fully aligned to operations, APAS were sent to the academy to train for internal research, APAS were given access to secure, APAS roles were changed to be more responsible for safety and accidents in the facility, the store manager was put in control of the safety team vs the APM, the company rolled out that all assistant managers must be trained to do accidents and hazwaste audits.) which brings us to phase 3. Phase 3 is a mass restructure/purge where a high percentage of regional and market asset protection leaders will be cut. Most all of the AP ASMs will be cut: only certain high priority stores will be allowed to keep one. Automation and technology will take over certain monitoring and other AP roles and task.

The following is information is not fact. It is my personal opinion:

I am a leader in AP and these changes are very concerning to me. With an extensive background in this area, I know first-hand the loss that the company is about to incur from a profit and talent perspective. In a high percentage of stores, the salaried asset protection manager is one of the most highly skilled and talented, intelligent, and coordinated leaders in the building. With no salaried AP leader in the store, accident charges are going to devastate the stores: One file, form, statement or medical form not sent in correctly is a huge charge/cost to the store. Compliance audits will be failed due to missed hazwaste audits. Shrink for the company will increase at a larger rate. Organized retail crime groups will figure out that the AP division was cut to the bare minimum and crime will increase substantially. I am sure that the company has studied and assessed the cost/risk of these changes but artificial intelligence and automation cannot always surpass common sense.

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Don’t know how long you guys have been with the company, but Walmart just last year came out from under two court orders about environmental pollution. The AP position at Sam’s was created as a stipulation of those court orders. Getting rid of AP will cost the company billions in the long run just like the fertilizer running into the drain system outside in California. People who live in glass houses should not throw rocks.

Please share any info on what will happen to displaced AP ASM's!

It is a shame that AP leadership does not have a place at the table when these decisions are made. Also unfortunate that Operations does not see value in the AP ASM position. I feel bad for the store associates who will be stuck doing my job when I am gone.

MAPM who heard for RAPM, none of the changes are real.

Clearly issues with ASNs still, but I’m not sure that will keep them from becoming more prevalent in the future.

RFID was already in the stores but never “turned on” years ago, those RFID towers were installed at stores and stood idle for years.

I still think we will see a form of it at some point. Even have entire shopping carts “ring up” in an instant using it for examples. But also for inventory tracking / price changes and changing on hands and receiving product.

In reference to ASN and RFID, we have been using ASN for years now on milk reciveings and Coca Cola recieivings and they are NEVER accurate. I know the company has been trying to push more vendor companies to utilize ASN (a la the volt app) but many are defiant and will not budge. In terms of RFID - I know this leadership team may not have been in the stores or maybe even in leadership positions about 8-10 years ago but if they had they would recall a little thing called EPC. Electronic product code was used in men's wear for jeans to do on hand changes, price changes etc and then also used on tires in TLE for the same tasks PLUS receiving the tires. It. Didn't. Work. The company shrank out in both of those departments astronomical that particular year it was implemented and they quickly sc-apped the program. If this is true I can't imagine what it will do to shrink the stores with it being on so many products.

ASNs are single labels used to check in entire shipments thru DSD in a single scan instead of having to scan each item into the receiving system.

A pallet of soda for example with 15 different items on it can be scanned into the system in seconds vs minutes using ASNs.

RFIDs are basically small chips embedded within merchandise than send out a signal than can be picked up by the system. This system in effects is a automated “check in” and requires no human interaction to receive / check in product.

What are ASNs and RFIDs???

What about APA’s? Anything changing?

We've existed before without APMs and we'll probably do so again. I just hate to see anyone lose their job. Regardless of how you feel about the position, it will be a loss for many of the stores.

Probably go 3rd party like everything else, no one is safe. Where’s the jerk that calls everyone a troll?. I’m sure he has stupid to say.

Standard in the past has been 60 days to find a position within the company.

No way they cut people before Feb 1st, no historical context at WM for that at all.

Are they going to cut us prior to Feb. 1 so they don't have to pay us our bonuses?? Is there going to be any type of severance.

I would bet they will be absorbed into the ASM position.

Nothing to report out of the Dallas meetings, very quiet day any big news.

Are AP ASM’s being let go completely or are they going to be Included in the calibration process with the other ASM?

Office associates and zms also said the stores will fall apart without them.

Is this what you think will happen or do you have concrete info. You don’t have to tell us anything personal, just let us know if it’s concrete or not.

I would ask that question too: please answer it.

Is your entire post your opinion or do you have concrete information about coming reductions in the AP division? It certainly seems possible with the way things have moved in recent years.

I hope this isn’t the case. I just bought a house after moving to take over a max risk store.

Is your entire post your opinion or do you have concrete information about coming reductions in the AP division? It certainly seems possible with the way things have moved in recent years.

Seems like the natural progression of the path the company has been on with invoicing, accounting etc being phased out....might see changes in HR very soon as well.

Claims would the next logical one to change after AP I would guess...DSD might be harder to phase out/change but that’s a possibility as well...ASNs and RFIDs could be used I guess to replace the DSD position.

It’s a truly transformational time within the company.

Save money. Live better. Wal-Mart.

Thread regarding Walmart layoffs

AP ASM INFO

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