Who Is Walmart?

Wal-Mart’s architectural philosophy can be classified by the twin sentiments of “build rather than buy” (the organization has historically held the belief that their information systems provide a competitive advantage over other industry players) and one of innovation. Recently, as consumer preferences have shifted away from “big-box” brick and mortar stores to the convenience of online “e-tail”, competitors such as Amazon and Target have begun to erode Wal-Mart’s retail dominance. In order to react, Wal-Mart has been allocating resources to invest in digital capabilities that will allow the organization to effectively compete and become better aligned with consumer shopping preferences.

Historically, Wal-Mart’s information technology strategy

Customer is changing, especially when it comes to using technology to shop. Recently, as Wal-Mart tries to use its geographic reach and existing retail infrastructure to compete with Amazon, it is making a move to ramp up its cloud based technology assets. In keeping with its “build rather than buy” approach, the company built its own data centers and developed supporting cloud based commerce applications using open source tools. “‘We took back control of the technology and largely built it ourselves,’ explained Jeremy King, chief technology officer for global e-commerce at Walmart” (Lohr, 2015). Additionally, as of 2015, the company is in the middle of an IT systems overhaul called Pangaea that “includes a hybrid cloud platform and search technology” (Nash 2015). King, in keeping with the Wal-Mart approach has stated, “Most people don’t replace entire systems in one shot, especially with from-scratch development…but given how rapidly this place is changing, we didn’t have time to screw around” (Nash

Problem one implementation plan

They order products through their smartphones, and then they deliver them. Customers are able to scan QR codes to see what the daily special is. And they can even use the app to vote on what they would like the special to be tomorrow. Because of Walmart's vast global supply chain, the company is able to give these customers access to valuable products at great prices – like imported milk and juice.

For the customer, digital technologies can integrate online and off-line sales channels and drive a seamless shopping experience. In-store touch screens that provide customers with “endless aisles” (that is, the full range of available products); “magic mirrors” that offer product information, recommendations, and virtual fittings; “clienteling” (an approach by which well-informed store staff using data on individual customers’ preferences and buying habits create a customized in-store experience)—all of these in-store digital solutions are transforming customers’ omnichannel-shopping