Wal-Mart Information Technology Systems Support Case Study

Wal-Mart Information Technology Systems Support - Case Study Example A purchase at any store is reflected at the nerve center within 15 minutes and within an hour, the company has a complete picture of its sales including which among the 690 million items across its stores sell the most. This clarity in the company’s performance in real-time is responsible for seamless operations on such a grand scale. Cash register receipts, for example, are backed up in the system and retained for two years. Having such a rich pool of data on shoppers helps Wal-Mart know their customer’s buying trends are enabling the company to treat each of their hundreds of million customers as individuals. The sales statistics of products at Wal-Mart are monitored to the last item, something that gives the company an edge over its competitors because improvements based on this data can be made in the shortest time possible. The Wal-Mart system even goes further to track weather and matches that data with buying patterns. This information allows the retailer to place enough orders for items purchased during a hurricane, for example, so that by the time such a disaster hits, shoppers have enough supply of the much-needed items. Another unique aspect of the Wal-Mart system is its ability to be shared to a limited extent, with suppliers. This IT system has a provider link that shows them the position of their items in real-time at all stores across the world where such products are stocked. With this data, suppliers can make product flows such that the right products are delivered to the right store in time. Having their systems opened up to suppliers brings trust between them and the company as they can transparently monitor the performance of their products from the comfort of their respective premises.