Analyzing Supply Chain Management at Wal-Mart: A Case Study

This case study delves into Wal-Mart's supply chain management, focusing on the role of RFID, Kanban, and Wi-Fi RTLS technologies. The analysis examines the competitive advantages these systems offer, including efficient inventory control, product shrinkage minimization, and cost reduction. The assignment explores various monitoring systems, such as barcodes, and compares their advantages and drawbacks. It also evaluates the Wi-Fi RTLS recommendation for tracking and monitoring sensitive inventory, asset tracking, and material management within the store, with the goal of improving overall supply chain efficiency and responsiveness. The case study also provides a recommendation on how to track and monitor inventory deliveries from various suppliers.

Supply Chain Management Systems
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RADIO FREQUENCY
IDENTIFICATION AND SUPPLY
CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Competitive advantage through RFID

Key Issues
 Efficient inventory control
 Product shrinkage minimization
 Cost reduction

Alternative monitoring system
 Barcodes
 Kanban
 Wi-Fi RTLS
 Do nothing

Barcodes
 Make integration of business processes efficient and simpler
 Help in tracking inventory and minimizes errors by ensuring real time
monitoring of inventory
 They uniquely help in identification of various products accepted in
the store

Advantages of Barcodes
 Eliminate chances of human error, it is relatively fast, efficient and
reliable
 Inexpensive to design and produce. Barcodes can be generated and
customized economically in different ways and materials
 They are very versatile. They can be sued in collection of all
necessary supply chain data. They can be used in tracking and
monitoring shipments and the delivery tracks of Walmart (Ivanov,
Dolgui, & Sokolov, 2019)
 Provision of better data. A single barcode can be used to store all the
information relating to a given inventory. furthermore, through
customization, they can be used to store other relevant information

Barcode drawbacks
 Barcoding is susceptible to damages from environmental conditions
 Information security not enhanced as is the case with RFID
 Scanning of the barcodes require special equipment

Kanban
 Used in inventory monitoring where assign is placed at the end of an
item to trigger necessary action.
 It is not particularly a monitoring system but is highly effective in
inventory reordering from suppliers (Mouaky, Berrado, & Benabbou,
2019).
 Does not track inventory items while inside the warehouse

Advantage of Kanban
 Minimize the costs of logistics and inventory wait time
 Help the retailer reduce the cost of its supply chain activities
 Reduces overhead costs and manages stock levels
 Walmart will be able to save resources as it streamlines supply chain
management operations

Drawbacks of Kanban
 Quality miscues. Affects the quality level of inventory involved in the
supply chain management which normally comes close to zero
 Less useful with shared supply chain management resources

Wi-Fi RTLS
 Monitoring technology that ensures real time inventory visibility
when utilized together with cloud based software
 it points out the exact location of the inventory to a little range of
meters
 It can be connected to the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth beacons nad GPS

Advantages of Wi-Fi RTLS
 Store management. Walmart North America will be able to
intelligently monitor and track all the equipment and materials in the
stores.
 Proper inventory and equipment management. helps in ensuring
increased inventory visibility which is essential in boosting credibility
in the supply chain process (Swart 2019)
 Real time, monitoring, tracking and data reporting. Helps in gathering
accurate data critical in supply chain management optimization

Drawbacks of Wi-Fi RTLS
 Tags are costly and continuous battery life management is required

Do Nothing Approach
 Walmart maintains its supply chain management as it is
 Given the benefits the firm is already getting from its current supply
chain management strategy, Mr. Dobbs can decide to maintain the
strategy while trying to cut on the costs and improve efficiency in the
supply chain processes

Wi-Fi RTLS recommendation
 Tracking nad monitoring sensitive inventory to avoid loss and damage.
Walmart receives inventory that is highly perishable and others that require
specialized conditions to maintain their quality. Wi-Fi RTLS can be tagged to
this items and monitor their environment nad conditions they are exposed.
 Tracking and monitoring asset in order to mitigate cases of risks. when
engaging in logistics, it is important to make sure that the exact location of
the fleet of trucks used is monitored. This ensures safety and compliance to
transportation guidelines.Wi-Fi RTLS eliminates room for making
assumptions while dealing with fleet management
 Matereial tracking nad deliveries inside the store. Most of the time, material
movement inside the store for shipping is exposed to flat sopt problem.
Misplaced inventory in the store will highly reduce the effectiveness of
adopted supply chain strategy. Wi-Fi RTLS enables all round monitoring of
materials inside the store

Wi-Fi RTLS Recommendation
 Tracking inventory delivery around the retail units. Truck drivers may
not have precise instructions on where to drop particular items. Wi-Fi
RTLS tagging will help monitor the exact location where inventory
items are placed
 Monitoring inventory deliveries from the supliers. Wi-Fi RTLS can help
the retailer monitor delivery of inventory from the many suppliers. It
will ensure that the retailer is aware of consignment delay .

References
 Ivanov, D., Dolgui, A., & Sokolov, B. (2019). The impact of digital
technology and Industry 4.0 on the ripple effect and supply chain risk
analytics. International Journal of Production Research, 57(3), 829-
846.
 Mouaky, M., Berrado, A., & Benabbou, L. (2019). Using a kanban
system for multi-echelon inventory management: the case of
pharmaceutical supply chains. International Journal of Logistics
Systems and Management, 32(3-4), 496-519.
 Swart, J. A. (2019). U.S. Patent No. 10,354,104. Washington, DC: U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office.