Instruction Manual on the

Usage of the Garden

Center Inventory System

2014 Walmart Stores, Inc.

Table of Contents

High expectations are the

key to everything.
-Sam Walton

Section 1: Introduction

p. 3

Section 2: How to Use the G.C.I.S.

p. 7

2.1 - Position at Register

2.2 - Wait While Working
2.3 - Check the Booklet
2.4 - Go to the Cages
2.5 - Complete the Transaction
2.6 - Update the G.C.I.S.

p. 8
p. 12
p. 14
p. 16
p. 19
p. 20

Section 3: Frequently Asked Questions

p. 21

Section 4: Index

p. 24

Section 1

Introduction to
the Garden
Center Inventory
System
Introduction to the Garden
Center Inventory System

The Garden Center Inventory

System is a new system that is
created to allow employees the
knowledge, on the spot, as to what
products we do and do not have,
for both the convenience of the
employee, and more importantly,
the convenience of the customer.

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Section 2

Position at Register

At the time of this procedure,

the Garden Center employee
should have already gone through
the initial steps of work, before
they can go on to position
themselves at the register in order
to help the customers that are
coming to check out in the Garden
Center.

How to Use the

G.C.I.S.

The tasks that need to be

completed by the associate before
positioning themselves at the
register are listed on the following
pages.

The employee should clock in

using the WIREs E.T.A. program,
which is Walmarts system used by
employees to clock in, check their
hours, request time on or off, etc,
so that you can go ahead and
begin doing the tasks that youve
been assigned sooner.

The associate should then

attempt to find the head or manager
of their department (presumably
Garden Centers manager or head of
department) and check to see
whether or not they have jobs that
they need for you to work on at that
time, so that they arent shirking any
other type of task that their heads or
managers may have wanted done
before being stationed at a register.
9

10

Once the associate has

completed the tasks that may or
may not have been assigned to
them for the time, they are now
ready and able to take control of
one of the two garden center
registers and help those
customers that have decided to
browse through and check out at
the Garden Center.

Wait While Working

Now that the associate has

done all of the steps to allow
themselves the chance to control
the register, they can wait at the
register, checking out people with
their items, waiting on customers
that are interested in buying an
item that is kept up with by the
Garden Center Inventory System.
11

12

Once a customer approaches

and inquires about one of the
products that are part of the
Garden Center Inventory Systems
product type, the associate is able
to begin the next step of the
systems process. As a side note,
the associate at the register can
always ask another associate if
they would carry out the remainder
of the task, so that the associate at
the register could stay to watch the
register for the Garden Center
without the fear of someone
stealing anything and running off.

Check the Booklet

Now that the customer has

asked about a particular item, the
associate must check the booklet to
see if they have the item that they are
searching for in stock.

OUT

OUT

Qty: 8

Qty: 4

The booklet will show the items

that are located in the cages of the
garden center, whether or not we
have them, and the quantity that we
have in stock, if any.
13

14

The booklet on the previous page is

made possible with a simple system of
small squares where the quantity count is
placed. The squares are made of a material
much like that of a dry erase board, making
it easy for associates to write using a dry
erase marker, and erase to rewrite, in order
to continuously update the inventoryrelated information for each item that is
included into the Garden Center Inventory
System. This makes it very easy, quick, and
cost-efficient to perform the task of making
it clear as to what items are left in stock,
what items need to be stocked, and so on.

15

Go to the Cages

Now that you have discovered what

type of item that your customer wants to
purchase, it is time to go fetch the item(s)
that have been requested. This can be
done by either the register associate (with
another associate staying in the primary
Garden Center area), or by another
associate for the register associate. The
cages should be locked, so the associate
thats going to retrieve the items should
take the Garden Center keys with them.

16

The associate will now walk outside

of the indoor section of the Garden
Center, and they will continue to walk
outside, as if to leave Walmart entirely.
Once the associate is outside of the
outside portion of the Garden Center, they
will take a left, and go around the corner
formed by the outside edge of the Garden
Centers walls. At this time, they should
see multiple bay areas with locked gates
that resemble cages, more or less.

Once there, the associate will open up

the locked area to retrieve the item in
question. At that point, he will take it
outside of the locked area, set down the
item, lock the caged area back again, and
take the item back into the indoor area of
the Garden Center.

Parking Lot

Outdoor Area of Garden Center

Bay 1 (Caged)

Bay 2 (Caged)

Main
Building
of
Walmart

Indoor Area of
Garden Center

Bay 3 (Caged)

17

18

Complete the Transaction

Update the G.C.I.S.

Once the associate that went to fetch

the item returns, you are able to complete
the transaction for the customer(s)
purchased items. This task comprises of
scanning every item, coming up with a
total, and receiving the money from the
customer (whether on a card or through
cash). After this, the customer is finished,
and may leave with their purchased items.
Now that the associate has gone and
retrieved the item, completed the
transaction, and fulfilled the required steps
to using the Garden Center Inventory
System, it is time for them to update the
information in the booklet that lists out all of
the items, and whether or not they are in
stock at the time. This is the final step, and
must be done to avoid later confusion. The
associate has now completed the process.
19

20

Section 3

Q: What if we dont have the item in stock?

A: If you dont have the item in stock, its
best to apologize for the inconvenience to
the customer right away, and explain that
you simply dont have the product in at the
moment. Then notify your manager/head of
department.
Q: What if the gate has been left open since
the last time someone has gone through the
steps?
A: If its been left open, then you need to
look over the items in the caged area to
make sure that nothing has been stolen
since the previous time the systems been
used. Notify your manager/head of
department if something is missing.

Frequently Asked
Questions

21

Q: What if there isnt another associate in

the Garden Center with me at the time a
customer wants one of the items from the
caged area?
A: Since there has to be at least two
register trained associates in the Garden
Center at all times, this problem shouldnt
occur. If it does, however, you should call
for someone to be sent to cover the register
while you go get the product, and then wait
for the person covering you to arrive.
22

Q: What if the person that used the system

before me forgot to update the item quantity
information after going through the steps?
A: In this instance, you would have to go
and count the inventory of the items at the
nearest convenient time, and make sure
that all of the items are up-to-date in the
booklet as they are physically.

Section 4

Q: What if someone wants to purchase an

item from the gated area as we are closing
down?
A: You or another register-trained associate
must go fulfill the transaction and go
through the steps in the G.C.I.S., while the
other associate finishes closing up the
Garden Center. That way, you fulfill your
duties at that time, and your customer is still
satisfied.

Index

23

24

Associate,
19, 20, 22, 23.

10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,

Booklet,

14, 15, 20, 23.

G.C.I.S.,

6, 7, 20, 23.

Gate,

17, 22, 23.

Locked,

16, 17, 18.

Manager,

10, 22.

Purchase,

16, 19, 23.

Tasks,

8, 9, 11.

25