[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Wal-Mart: Changing the business style
Wal-Mart has led a productivity revolution in retailing, which supercharged the American economy. Warren Buffett even declared that Wal-Mart -- not Microsoft -- has contributed more than any other business to the health of the economy. (Malanga)
Wal-Mart has 30 distribution centers nationwide, including six centers in Arkansas; four in Texas; and two each in California, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Wal-Mart’s distribution operations are highly automated. A typical Wal-Mart discount store has more than 70,000 standard items in stock. Super centers carry more than 20,000 additional grocery items, a lot of them perishable, so they have to be ordered frequently. Associates use hand-held computers, linked by a radio-frequency network to in –store terminals, to scan items electronically and check on their availability in other area stores. To place orders, each store wires merchandise requests to the warehouses, which in turn either ship immediately or reorder. Wal-Mart computers are linked directly with over 200 vendors, so deliveries are faster. Wal-Mart has one of the world’s largest private satellite communication systems to control distribution. Wal-Mart has installed point-of-sale bar code scanning in its entire stores.
Wal-Mart own a fleet of truck-tractors that can deliver goods to any store in 38 to 48 hours from the time the order is placed. After trucks drop off merchandise, they frequently pick up merchandise from manufactures on the way back to the distribution center. This back-haul rate averages over 60 percent and is yet another way Wal-Mart cuts costs.
With an annual technology and communication budget of $500 million and information systems staff of 1,200, Wal-Mart leads the industry in information technology. This means, Wal-Mart is dedicated to providing its associates with the technological tools to work smarter every day. With this technology, the Wal-Mart team is getting better, quicker, and more accurate information to manage and control every aspect of the business.
Operations...
This essay has the followings:
Total words: 1,629
Total reference: 5
Total price: £ 49.95
Click here to Order this essay!
Get Professionally written Essays that are:
• Written According to your Exact Requirements
• 100% Original and Non-Plagiarized
• Written by Expert
UK Writers
• Delivered to you before your deadline
Amazingly Low Prices - £9.95/page
