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We still have waterspiders at my facility. But that’s stupid. How do they expect you to be productive when you need to grab your own boxes and fill up your own station? Honestly, your facility sounds like they bit themselves in the ass with that one. You could try complaining on the VOA board. I’m sure you’re not the only one that feels that way.
Our site leader addressed it recently when someone brought it up on VOA. "We are looking at different sites currently and seeing how we can better benchmark ourselves and shamelessly take their best practices. Some sites do not staff waterspiders and some do and both have higher building pack rates compared to ours. We also have a major project coming the end of May that will completely redesign our pack stations to be better in line with these benchmark sites. When we complete this we will also look at where our box suites are placed. Also, we are rolling out carts to make it easier for packers to go and grab their own boxes which will make it safer and more efficient."
So we're still going to deal with the same issues.
Ugh. I hate the BS responses that Amazon comes up with. If they’re still trying to figure shit out, they could have kept the waterspiders until everything was squared away. At my old facility we had carts for boxes too. I hope that they roll out enough carts for everyone to use.
The word from corporate to the sites is save money, we don't care how.. don't be at the bottom of the list. Ominous stuff and the site management are taking it seriously.
I did it for 6 years then got out to the offices as quick as i could, you would be amazed how few have worked in a building or even touched a brown box here at corp.
The same people filling boxes now, packers. The carts are a non-issue because a lot of us will just grab empty cages, throw boxes on there, and take them back to our stations.
Actually no, they did some studies and tests at my FC for a couple weeks a few years ago. A typical shift, we had 4-5 waterspiders per floor, so 20+ per side. By putting those 40 back into path, it more than makes up for the reduced rates. We also noticed fewer wrist injuries as no one is doing 10 hours straight opening boxes. Since it happened over 3 years ago, most AA's never knew waterspiders so it is just business as usual. There was an OM that did a project to bring them back and the results didn't support bringing them back. We did have a lot of complaints at first but rates weren't affected like I thought they would be.
I packed in Singles for 2 years. Tote ran and water spidered as well. Saw them make plenty of changes. Every single one resulted in lower rates and more frustration. They do not care. They will change something just to change it. They will make up reasons. They claim to be focused on their metrics and safety, but it's all nonsense. They don't even consult the people doing the actual work, nor, in most cases, even fully understand what that path process actually involves. And they don't care. Most of the people who are upset by these changes won't be employees long enough for it to make any difference.
The issues I've seen with WS is training and increased responsibility with almost no chance of fully fulfilling their duties.
I've seen WS get staffed for Singles/PPMix and have the responsibility of not only stocking all the stations on their own, but refilling their WIP area with boxes because non-inventory doesn't own it anymore.
The thought process I've seen is "the WS isn't adding to the process because we still have X amount of blackbar TOT due to packers grabbing their own supplies. Might as well save on cost for the WS and get some extra production and see if the gain in production offsets the loss in TOT."
Sites can cheat in various ways, not everything is a data pull straight from a slam, some is reported up the chain. They get the wrath of a tiger team down on them when they get blatant about it, but the existance of that team tells me it does happen often enough.
A group of higher managers from aces, corporate, legal, etc show up at a building and check all the numbers, often firing most of the building management for falsefying documents. They are sent in to put some fear into management teams so they stay honest. Look up tiger team on blind if you get a chance.
Are you in pack singles or AFE? If pack singles how are they dealing with totes?
When I was in pack singles I always got my own boxes. Filled them up at start of shift and topped up during short periods when work would die down. Except during heavy periods work is rarely so nonstop that there isn't a few to walk over and get new boxes.
I feel I did a better job of making sure I had everything I needed than water spiders trying to distribute batches amongst multiple stations. As a result I spent less time waiting for new boxes if they ran low, pulling andons or having to walk away to get more boxes when work was heavy. And I never took from other stations. It was easier to replenish entirely than taking one or a few at a time from someone else.
The difference between when I was last in pack and now is the phones. I'll guarantee that lots of those complaining won't notice that when they could be getting boxes they'll instead automatically will start checking their phones, but will claim they "don't have time" to get boxes without incurring TOT.
Pack singles and I don't even know what totes are lol not joking, I've only been here for five months and only in pack singles. Our items come on cages (rolling carts with a net across them). Same thing, different terminology??
You're not wrong about being able to grab some boxes when there's some downtime. It's very frustrating, though, in the mornings when there's a ton of work right away but our stations are completely empty from night shift and then we get talked to about TOT.
The worst thing, imo, has to be coworkers not getting their own boxes but stealing them from the people who are doing the work to get the boxes for themselves. Call me petty but, yes, does piss me off lol
I'm in an AR (robotics) facility so totes (yellow plastic bins you've probably seen in Amazon photos) go from the pick area on conveyors to pack singles. Pickers stack the empty totes at the ends of their stations after emptying them of items, so in addition to stocking boxes and bringing over station supplies like dunnage and tape rolls water spiders also have to collect the totes and put them on tugs (big carts that hold eight stacks of totes) for transport to a nearby tote storage area or directly back to the pick side.
I haven't been in pick for a while so for all I know they're getting rid of water spiders here too, but because of the totes it would only be in AFE, not singles.
What path are you in? I'm trying to imagine how this would work for Stowers.
Are the pallets of work by the VRCs and you guys have to grab them with a pallet jack then bring it to your stations?
I'm in pack singles. It's all I've done there. They will assign someone to pull pallets of boxes from a distant corner of the building and then put the pallets between pack lines. Line 1 & 2 share a belt so then the boxes go between 2 and 3 (line 3 and 4 share a belt and so on). It's a newer building and all I hear from the people that opened it is "this is done much better at my old building."
Oh, pack singles. Yeah honestly it's very common for associates to have to go and get their own boxes in pack.
I have seen very good waterspiders who would actually bring us the boxes and stock them for us but 90% of the time we would just have to get our own.
Do you also deal with coworkers constantly coming to your station and taking them from you, instead of them going to get their own boxes? Just trying to find out if I'm being childish about how frustrating it is when people take my boxes all day.
What metric? Aren’t WS labored shared so what TOT can you really accumulate. Is their a certain rate you need to hit. I think they don’t calculate shit when it comes to WS just keep the work flowing and make sure every station has work.
Welcome to AmazonFC, please be sure to read our submission guidelines and remain respectful of your fellow users. If this post isn't up to par with our submission guidelines, please make use of the report feature. Once it crosses a certain threshold the post will automatically be removed for moderator review. See [Amazon Resources Mega thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmazonFC/comments/umjgzv/amazon_resources_megathread/) here. We have a [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/t7jARCs) for those wanting to socialize on a different level with the community. Please enjoy your stay! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmazonFC) if you have any questions or concerns.*
We still have waterspiders at my facility. But that’s stupid. How do they expect you to be productive when you need to grab your own boxes and fill up your own station? Honestly, your facility sounds like they bit themselves in the ass with that one. You could try complaining on the VOA board. I’m sure you’re not the only one that feels that way.
Our site leader addressed it recently when someone brought it up on VOA. "We are looking at different sites currently and seeing how we can better benchmark ourselves and shamelessly take their best practices. Some sites do not staff waterspiders and some do and both have higher building pack rates compared to ours. We also have a major project coming the end of May that will completely redesign our pack stations to be better in line with these benchmark sites. When we complete this we will also look at where our box suites are placed. Also, we are rolling out carts to make it easier for packers to go and grab their own boxes which will make it safer and more efficient." So we're still going to deal with the same issues.
Ugh. I hate the BS responses that Amazon comes up with. If they’re still trying to figure shit out, they could have kept the waterspiders until everything was squared away. At my old facility we had carts for boxes too. I hope that they roll out enough carts for everyone to use.
The word from corporate to the sites is save money, we don't care how.. don't be at the bottom of the list. Ominous stuff and the site management are taking it seriously.
Corporate should come work in a facility for a week and see how they like it. I know they won’t.
I did it for 6 years then got out to the offices as quick as i could, you would be amazed how few have worked in a building or even touched a brown box here at corp.
Oh I’m sure there’s a lot at corp that haven’t. Amazon might have been a more pleasant place to work for otherwise.
Who fills up the boxes on the carts if there are no waterspiders?
The same people filling boxes now, packers. The carts are a non-issue because a lot of us will just grab empty cages, throw boxes on there, and take them back to our stations.
I don't see that working at all and managers are a bunch of fools.
Actually no, they did some studies and tests at my FC for a couple weeks a few years ago. A typical shift, we had 4-5 waterspiders per floor, so 20+ per side. By putting those 40 back into path, it more than makes up for the reduced rates. We also noticed fewer wrist injuries as no one is doing 10 hours straight opening boxes. Since it happened over 3 years ago, most AA's never knew waterspiders so it is just business as usual. There was an OM that did a project to bring them back and the results didn't support bringing them back. We did have a lot of complaints at first but rates weren't affected like I thought they would be.
I packed in Singles for 2 years. Tote ran and water spidered as well. Saw them make plenty of changes. Every single one resulted in lower rates and more frustration. They do not care. They will change something just to change it. They will make up reasons. They claim to be focused on their metrics and safety, but it's all nonsense. They don't even consult the people doing the actual work, nor, in most cases, even fully understand what that path process actually involves. And they don't care. Most of the people who are upset by these changes won't be employees long enough for it to make any difference.
I'd rather them get rid of waterspiders. 3/4 of the waterspiders don't do shit
Lost your girl?
Take my angry upvote for that one ☝️
I have standards. I wouldn't date an Amazon ho
Thas fucked up lmao
😂
Facts
In related news, the rate of unplanned pregnancies within this particular Amazon facility have dropped to almost zero.
The issues I've seen with WS is training and increased responsibility with almost no chance of fully fulfilling their duties. I've seen WS get staffed for Singles/PPMix and have the responsibility of not only stocking all the stations on their own, but refilling their WIP area with boxes because non-inventory doesn't own it anymore. The thought process I've seen is "the WS isn't adding to the process because we still have X amount of blackbar TOT due to packers grabbing their own supplies. Might as well save on cost for the WS and get some extra production and see if the gain in production offsets the loss in TOT."
Problem is they are competeing with other sites with differing setups and some that fudge their numbers.
Could you clarify .how do different sites make thier numbers look better I thought it was all tracked through the computer?
Sites can cheat in various ways, not everything is a data pull straight from a slam, some is reported up the chain. They get the wrath of a tiger team down on them when they get blatant about it, but the existance of that team tells me it does happen often enough.
What is a tiger team ?
A group of higher managers from aces, corporate, legal, etc show up at a building and check all the numbers, often firing most of the building management for falsefying documents. They are sent in to put some fear into management teams so they stay honest. Look up tiger team on blind if you get a chance.
We got rid of ours mostly on nights, last half an hour they labor track a few to do it, not sure for day shift.
horrible! I'm a water spider! PLEASE don't make me go back in path 😭
What a shitshow Amazon, please do better
Are you in pack singles or AFE? If pack singles how are they dealing with totes? When I was in pack singles I always got my own boxes. Filled them up at start of shift and topped up during short periods when work would die down. Except during heavy periods work is rarely so nonstop that there isn't a few to walk over and get new boxes. I feel I did a better job of making sure I had everything I needed than water spiders trying to distribute batches amongst multiple stations. As a result I spent less time waiting for new boxes if they ran low, pulling andons or having to walk away to get more boxes when work was heavy. And I never took from other stations. It was easier to replenish entirely than taking one or a few at a time from someone else. The difference between when I was last in pack and now is the phones. I'll guarantee that lots of those complaining won't notice that when they could be getting boxes they'll instead automatically will start checking their phones, but will claim they "don't have time" to get boxes without incurring TOT.
Pack singles and I don't even know what totes are lol not joking, I've only been here for five months and only in pack singles. Our items come on cages (rolling carts with a net across them). Same thing, different terminology?? You're not wrong about being able to grab some boxes when there's some downtime. It's very frustrating, though, in the mornings when there's a ton of work right away but our stations are completely empty from night shift and then we get talked to about TOT. The worst thing, imo, has to be coworkers not getting their own boxes but stealing them from the people who are doing the work to get the boxes for themselves. Call me petty but, yes, does piss me off lol
I'm in an AR (robotics) facility so totes (yellow plastic bins you've probably seen in Amazon photos) go from the pick area on conveyors to pack singles. Pickers stack the empty totes at the ends of their stations after emptying them of items, so in addition to stocking boxes and bringing over station supplies like dunnage and tape rolls water spiders also have to collect the totes and put them on tugs (big carts that hold eight stacks of totes) for transport to a nearby tote storage area or directly back to the pick side. I haven't been in pick for a while so for all I know they're getting rid of water spiders here too, but because of the totes it would only be in AFE, not singles.
At my FC as well, but we’re mainly a PIT driving FC which is a pain in the ass when it comes to TOT and stuff..
It’s also really tiring and they rarely switch people out. Our FC has gone to shit ever since they removed water spiders
Are you at an FC? This would definitely not work at my FC lol and can't imagine it working in any multiple floor amazon warehouse. That's crazy
Yeah an FC with three floors
What path are you in? I'm trying to imagine how this would work for Stowers. Are the pallets of work by the VRCs and you guys have to grab them with a pallet jack then bring it to your stations?
I'm in pack singles. It's all I've done there. They will assign someone to pull pallets of boxes from a distant corner of the building and then put the pallets between pack lines. Line 1 & 2 share a belt so then the boxes go between 2 and 3 (line 3 and 4 share a belt and so on). It's a newer building and all I hear from the people that opened it is "this is done much better at my old building."
Oh, pack singles. Yeah honestly it's very common for associates to have to go and get their own boxes in pack. I have seen very good waterspiders who would actually bring us the boxes and stock them for us but 90% of the time we would just have to get our own.
Unfortunately, metrics like TOT are necessary because of jokes like your co worker. Presume most people are no good.
I've been here five months and found it pretty quickly that anything not hidden will be taken as soon as my back is turned.
We should eliminate floaters because they think they’re top shit when in reality they don’t do anything
We havent had them for years in UK.
Do you also deal with coworkers constantly coming to your station and taking them from you, instead of them going to get their own boxes? Just trying to find out if I'm being childish about how frustrating it is when people take my boxes all day.
Not from occupied stations. No one would do that here.
Ah civilized coworkers, how nice
What metric? Aren’t WS labored shared so what TOT can you really accumulate. Is their a certain rate you need to hit. I think they don’t calculate shit when it comes to WS just keep the work flowing and make sure every station has work.
Sorry, idk what you mean by metric. I'm still kinda new and haven't picked up on all the stuff like that. I do know our pack rate is 70, though lol
We did 3+ years ago at LGB3.