Walmart

 Take a look at your organization and the way it warehouses its resources and products. Do some research with references to write a 4-page paper on the following topic.

Does your organization warehouse/store its resources and products efficiently? If your organization offers services, then discuss how these services are retained and the challenges of not being able to “warehouse” services.

 Assignment Expectations

Research the organization with information you can find on the internet or other resources you find on your own. The paper should be 4 pages in length and have a cover sheet and a reference page. Clarity of presentation is important, as well as your ability to apply the topics to the logistics area of your selected firm. Use at least 3 different sources of information and annotate your sources of information appropriately on your references page and within the text as necessary. You will be assessed on how well you demonstrate your knowledge of the topic as it applies to your selected firm.

Runninghead: WAL-MART STORES, INC 1

WAL-MART STORES, INC. 6

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc

Part 2

Student’s Name

Course

Date

Walmart has a strategic plan and ways to ensure that its distribution worldwide is sufficient, smooth, and adequate. Notably, being a sizeable worldwide retailer with various stores in California and other parts of the world. Walmart must have a solid and clear distribution strategy to serve its customers well. Amazingly, Walmart has a high number of distribution centers compared to other companies like Amazon. Notably, it has over 150 distribution centers worldwide that serve everyday purposes.

Also, it has 61000 trailers, 7800 divers, and 6100 tractors to facilitate distribution across the world (Vanaman, n.d). 1It is its primary distribution strategy that makes Walmart unique in the market. In this case, this paper will analyze the four marketing mixes that affect Wal-Mart distribution, how they distribute, and the inventory management tactics that the store uses.

Walmart’s marketing strategy has proven to be one of the best things the store uses to stay competitive. Undoubtedly, marketing mix plays a paramount role in determining the distribution a company will carry out for effective delivery. Therefore, by understanding Wal-Mart’s marketing mix, which involves the product, promotion, price, and place, it will be easy to understand how the various stores distribute their products worldwide (Ferguson, 2019). Wal-Mart is a multi-brand store with multiple departments starting from electronics, movies, shoes, clothes, jewelry, pharmacy, furniture, and many more stores, hence the need for a marketing mix to ensure that they serve their customer’s satisfaction. Wal-Mart ensures that its products are effective, affordable, and available to all its clients regarding distribution and usage. Evidently, by creating compelling and quality products, Wal-Mart ensures customer satisfaction hence fulfilling the company’s goals and values. Seemingly, Wal-Mart strategically ensures that their products’ prices follow the EDLP slogan that sees to it that they offer quality but affordable products to their customers to improve their lives.

The third mix is the promotion. Notably, Walmart uses this strategy to inspire and encourage people to purchase their products, creating demands during the products’ distribution to the clients. For instance, Walmart applies personal selling, advertisement, promotions, and Public relations to promote their various products and create awareness. Moreover, the company concentrates on discounted products, which eventually attract customers to do impulse buying, which is advantageous to them in profit-making Ferguson, 2019). Additionally, their essential to note that through promotional mixes, the company intends to create awareness, make a sell, and, above all, build its brand. The final marketing mix is the place, and it is simply the distribution of Walmart products. Notably, all Walmart stores distribute the same products in various stores worldwide. Therefore, it makes it easy for customers to get their products due to its convenient in-store location. Most importantly, the availability of both online and physical delivery points makes it easy for clients to get their products on time without inconveniences. In summary, Walmart’s marketing mix is a critical aspect determining how the distribution process will look.

Walmart has a well-stipulated strategy that helps in the facilitation of and distribution of its products. Undoubtedly, the retailer has nearly 6300 international stores with over 11 700 retail stores that operate in 28 countries (Walmart Supply Chain 2021, 2020). In this case, its supply chain management has to be effective during distribution times to avoid complications. Notably, Walmart has ensured that they manage their inventory well to ensure that they know what products are needed, how much, and when. More so, Wal-Mart has invented its inventory to ensure that all products are uploaded and delivered to retailers in different stores who start the distribution processes. The company distributes its products through e-commerce services whereby websites upload the company’s products that are similar in all stores and perform identical functions. In this case, it makes it easy for customers all over the world to be able to get what they want quickly and conveniently.

Walmart inventory management is the crucial reason why distribution in supply chain management is at a higher level. First, it is essential to note that having solid inventory management commonly helps generate sales quickly, just like Walmart does. Undoubtedly, through its robust inventory strategies, the company can distribute its products worldwide without a struggle. Notably, Walmart has an improved automated technology that allows its supply chain to track inventory easily and faster. Also, it ensures that the inventory restocking is an effective wand that customers are fulfilled from the purchase level and to the shelves.

Consequently, the retail store has four inventories that facilitate easy and fast sales (Walmart Supply Chain 2021, 2020). The first one is the finished goods which contribute to the company’s achievement. Notably, these goods arrive directly at the store and are restocked regularly for customers to purchase.

The second inventory applied is transit, whereby the finished good that stays long un the transit finally arrives gets replenished and gets ready to be sold. Additionally, Buffer inventory is inspired as emergency inventory that sorts out issues that are out of stock yet are in high demand. In such a scenario, buffer inventory always helps in restocking the products back on the shelves to sell (Walmart Supply Chain 2021, 2020). Lastly, anticipatory inventory works, just like buffer inventory, only addresses factors that affect demand, especially during seasons like Black Friday. Without a doubt, inventory management is a crucial aspect of a business as it helps the company plan ahead during the processing and manufacturing of a product (Oluwaseyi, & Odeyinka, 2017). Mostly, it is responsible for the purchases, logistics, and sales of a product and ensures that the products doe s not run out of stock. Thanks to technology and digital marketing. Walmart can control customers by giving powers to the employees who use technology to monitoring what is relevant to the company and the customers.

Any organization must have a stable and good marketing mix that will enhance and create an easy distribution platform for their products. Walmart’s marketing mix is strong enough to ensure that nothing goes astray when it comes to distributing its products. Undoubtedly, it has one of the most competing strategies that make it competitive. The four mixes, which include product, promotion, price, and place, help Walmart supply and distribute their products all over the world without delaying customers due to avoidable circumstances. Similarly, through the EDLP strategy that ensures customers get products at the lower process, their marketing mix is unique, something that other companies like Amazon might need to emulate. Their distribution channels depend strictly on e-commerce and inventory services. The retailer ensures that products are restocked and that they are what the customers want by updating them online.

References

Ferguson, E. ( July 17th, 2019). Walmart Inc.’s Marketing Mix (4Ps) Analysis & Recommendations. Panmure Institute. Retrieved from: http://panmore.com/walmart-marketing-mix-4ps-analysis-recommendations/

Oluwaseyi, J. A., Onifade, M. K., & Odeyinka, O. F. (2017). Evaluation of the role of inventory management in the logistics chain of an organization. LOGI–Scientific Journal on Transport and Logistics, 8(2), 1-11.

Walmart Supply Chain 2021: Why It Continues to Dominate. ( January 4th, 2020).Skubana. Retrievedfrom:https:/www.skubana.com/blog/walmart-leading way#:~:text=Suppliers%20with%20goods%20destined%20for,distributed%20without%20sitting%20in%20inventory./

Vanaman, D. ( n..d). 10 Wal-mart New Selling Strategies that can Help Drive More Sales. SellerApp. Retrieved from:

10 Walmart New Selling Strategies That Can Help Drive More Sales

WAREHOUSING

Required Reading

The following information will give you a good background on some of the current trends in warehousing. Please review the information presented. Be sure that you look for additional resources to support your case study and SLP papers.

Here is a good article that discusses value-added services that 3PLs and warehousing organizations are starting to offer:

Atkinson, W. (2002). Value-added services from 3PLs and public warehouses: What to look for.Logistics Management, 41(10), W8-11. Retrieved on December 9, 2014, from ProQuest. (ProQuest doc ID 197212274)

Abstract: 
A lot of warehouses are still just offering traditional services – putting away and picking, explains Evan Armstrong, vice president of Armstrong & Associates, Inc., which provides strategic consulting services to shippers, 3PLs and carriers and also publishes Who’s Who in Logistics. Still, though, while many providers remain in the stone age, most are moving forward with new value-added services. With the advent of the very time-sensitive supply chain model, there is a move away from traditional warehousing with shelves and racks for storage to more of a flow-through operation, such as cross-docking, plus some light manufacturing or assembly and kitting, notes Adrian Gonzalez, senior analyst with ARC Advisory Group.

This article takes an in depth look at the functional utility of warehouses.

McKnight, D. (1999). A practical guide to evaluating the functional utility of warehouses. The Appraisal Journal, 67(1), 29-37. Retrieved on December 9, 2014, from ProQuest. (ProQuest doc ID 236506617)

Abstract: 
Many appraisers fail to address some forms of functional obsolescence in warehouse space. Details on interior and exterior layout, dock design, and safety and security issues play an important role in the highest and best use and functional utility of a warehouse. The practical considerations of good warehouse are described in clear and helpful detail, including modes of delivery and scheduling. The oversimplified process of considering only clear heights in the appraisal of such properties is cautioned against.

This article will be used for the case study assignment:

Anonymous. (2002). WMS drives efficient parts distribution. Modern Materials Handling, 57(12). Retrieved on December 9, 2014, from ProQuest. (ProQuest doc ID 236506617)

Abstract: 
When Toyota set up a spare parts distribution facility to support its operations in the UK, the automobile maker realized that a state-of-the-art warehouse management system (WMS) was critical. The WMS that Toyota chose not only tracks parts location, but produces a tag label, which gives part details and subsequent locations.