Wal-Mart Supply Chain Management Essay -- Wal-Mart Logistics

Retail super-giant Wal-Mart has fought its way to becoming the worldslargest company. Much of their success can be attributed to providinga vast assortment of products at extraordinary prices all under oneroof. Wal-Mart began operations in 1964 and has since become theworld leader in retail. Today, Wal-Mart is visited by 138 million nodes per week at their 4,750 stores. Wal-Mart operates under quaternity basic rules in order to satisfy such a large number of customersRespect the individual, provide the best service to their customers,strive for excellence, and exceed customer expectations. Their corporate mission focuses on a global growth strategy throughconcentrated integration. The company continues to expand itsexisting discount stores, warehouses, and super-centers. The companymaintains ii goals First, Provide the customer with what they regard,when they want it, all at value and secondly, team spirit throughtotal dependency on associates to treat customers as they would want to be treated. Their business strategy is to provide well-known namebrands at an everyday low price. Wal-Mart has a wide range of productsoffered. They offer everything from electronics, movies, books, toys,games, gardening supplies, substructure supplies, photo development, gifts,jewelry, and at some locations even automobile, optometry, and groceryshopping centers.In operating its network of retail stores Wal-Mart pushes their outputto the general public. Wal-Mart focuses their competitive prioritieson bring the customer the lowest prices by selling in volume. Thevast size and selection essentially guarantees that the store willhave what the customer wants in tenor and at a cheaper price thancompetitors. This strategy allows them to outsell their competition. In order to facilitate the achievement of their goals Wal-Mart hasdesigned their layout to accommodate a large number of shoppers at thesame time. They build expansive stores with wide aisles so that manypeople can feel co mfortable shopping at the same time. Wal-Mart hastaken the first step to build stores in countless rural towns andsmaller cities. They have increased their market share and havegained a reputable name by doing so. At the same time, this benefithas created an enormous supply chain management problem. How canWal-Mart effectively keep all of its... ...y at creating an efficient supply chain in orderto beat the competition on price and selection has certainly paidoff. Works CitedBacheldor, Beth. Information Week. ?Sen. Leahy Calls On Congress toStudy RFID.? Accessed 4/30/04. http//www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?ArticleID=18402616Beatty, Vernon L., Jr. ?You Gonna Be a Greeter Accessed 4/30/04. http//www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/janfeb97/ms046.htm.Bianco, Anthony and Zellner, Wendy. Business Week. ?Is Wal-Mart TooPowerful Accesed 5/3/04. http//www.businessweek.com/maganize/content/03_04/b3852001_mz001.htm ?Carrers.? Wal-Mart. Accessed 4/30/04. http//www.walmartstore s.com/wmstores/wmstores.Fishman, Charles. Fast Company. ?The Wal-Mart You Don?t Know.? Accessed 5/2/04.http//www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.htmlHeizer, Jay and Render, Barry. Operations Management. SeventhEdition. Pearson Prentice Hall. New Jersey, 2004. ?Stauffer v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.? US Department of Labor. Accessed4/30/04. http//www.oalj.dol.gov/public/wblower/decsn/99sta21c.htm?Wal-Mart Effect? Accessed 5/3/04. http//www.wordspy.com/words/Wal-Marteffect.asp.