Walmart's Business Case: A Work Centred Analysis Framework Report

This case study examines Walmart's business strategies and technological adaptations over the past decade, focusing on the impact of digital disruption and the application of the Work Centred Analysis (WCA) framework. The report analyzes Walmart's pre- and post-digital disruption performance, highlighting the shift from traditional retail practices to e-commerce and data-driven decision-making. It identifies key challenges, such as customer data security and competition from online retailers like Amazon, and recommends leveraging social media marketing through partnerships with influencers and content creators. The implementation plan emphasizes integrating social media platforms for sales and brand awareness. The analysis includes a WCA framework diagram illustrating the interplay between customers, products, business processes, participants, and information technology within Walmart's operations. The report concludes that adapting to technological advancements is crucial for businesses to thrive, emphasizing the need for coordinated operations and the use of information technology to enhance customer value and profitability.

Running head: Business Case Using the Work Centred Analysis Framework 1
Business Case Using the Work Centred Analysis Framework
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The report focuses trying to identify the key technological and business strategies that
Walmart has taken in the past 10 years and recent 5 years towards growing the retail stores and to
propose new strategies in information technology that will influence the business in towards
drastic growth. In the past, sales were promoted through bringing the products closer to the
consumers through opening of multiple stores close to the populated areas, offering wide variety
of products at discounted prices, and constant restocking of products. Before the pre-digital
disruptions, the customer preferences and profits were realized through revision of multiple
receipts to determine customers’ preference, attendant’s relationship with the customer as their
goods were packed into bags and advertising on prints ads through magazines, billboards and
newspapers. After the digital disruptions in mid-19th, it has been able to realize full profits, sales
and opening of branches through online sales via website, monitoring security through advanced
CCTV cameras, increase of sales through the on point sales system, communication of branches
on different geographical communication through the companies’ secured servers, and automated
email notifications for new products and restocks. However, there are major concerns which
include security of customers’ information like personal details on the online servers,
competition from other big brands like the Amazon.com website and preference to high end
quality products from other retailers. There is a recommendation to involve social media which is
the new wave of sales through implementation of plans like involving online sales marketers,
influencers and content creators through paid partnerships so as to create buzz about the products
and the retailing company, use of fame from people such as artists to form partnerships where
they represent the company for a certain period of time on contract basis so as to promote the
company and the products and creating accounts in social media handles can create a significant
amount of exposure towards the companies through sponsored posts.

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Table of Contents
Contents
Table of Contents.................................................................................................................3
Business Case Using the Work Centred Analysis Framework............................................4
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................4
CASE STUDY - WALMART..............................................................................................4
Business Strategies..............................................................................................................4
Performance of Walmart Pre and Post Digital Disruption Events.......................................5
Pre Disruption Events..........................................................................................................5
Post Disruption Events........................................................................................................5
The Digital Disruption.........................................................................................................6
RECOMMENDATION.......................................................................................................9
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN...............................................................................................9
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................9
References.........................................................................................................................10

Business Case Using the Work Centred Analysis Framework 4
Business Case Using the Work Centred Analysis Framework
INTRODUCTION
In the past, work centered analysis (WCA) framework was viewed as a system. However
in recent times, organizations are realizing that computer frameworks are more than just systems.
They are work assistants and so there are more efforts being pulled in into making these systems
work for the organizations. The scope of work goes beyond technical assistance but also in the
gaining of information for use. The main issue lies in forming a balance between the two.
CASE STUDY - WALMART
Walmart to date is still one of the biggest retailers globally with more than 50 stores in
most continents. Just from a store it has managed to grow into the biggest retailing store. It
supplies many items at discounted prices both locally and globally in more than one store every
country it has based itself in. It has also made strides to move its retail into the e-commerce
sector by selling items online.
This report will focus on:
1. To identify the key technological and business strategies that Walmart has taken in
the past 10 years and recent 5 years towards growing the retail stores and
2. To propose new strategies in information technology that will influence the
business in towards drastic growth in the future.
Business Strategies
Walmart used strategies such as location and information based on the population spread
of consumers within different states in the U.S.A. It focused mostly on the products that had
quick sale value. This was based on the fact that products which are closer to the consumers

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ensure more consumers in the stores and also profits for the retailers. More to that, focusing on
goods with discount values helped in improving sales for the retailers (Badkar, 2017).
Performance of Walmart Pre and Post Digital Disruption Events
Pre Disruption Events
Before the digital disruptions there was heavy reliance on filed hard copies for
transactions. The managers and staff had to go through multiple receipts in order to identify the
products that sell more and in the seasons where the products sell. More to that, it was hard to
sell out products to the preferred consumers as there wasn’t much information on the customers.
The shopping trends could only be determined through cashier customer relationships and
through enquiries on phone or on mails. Advertisement was highly dependent on print ads on
newspapers, billboards and magazines. The business set up in the early 18th century, faced
difficulties transitioning into new era after the introduction of information and information
technologies due to limitation of innovation and creativity on their side. Walmart however, saw
the wave of change and knew there was need to improve on the old systems, incorporate new
ones in order to serve the customers’ needs and achieve customer satisfaction (Buss, 2017).
Post Disruption Events
In the onsite of the 20th century, the world of e-commerce came to life. Goods to be sold
through stores and supermarts were done through help of delivery companies. It was no longer
that much of a necessity for the consumers to walk into the stores and purchase the products.
They just had to look them online from dealers, manufacturers or online stores and have them
delivered to their homes. This extended from the previous TV sales where products were sold on
TVs through calls and delivered to the consumers. (Escher, 2018).

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The Digital Disruption
The digital technology has changed the direction of business and service delivery and has
brought about new opportunities and challenges to public and private organizations. The new
wave of technology that started mid-19th to 21st century and still on going, has brought about
transformative changes to the organizations. This has been through cyber security, smarter cities,
mobile devices that have been used for personal use and even work. The digital disruption has
brought about emergence of products, services and business disruptions to the new era. Digital
disruption saw the fall of Kodak from the mainstream market due to lack of adaptability to the
changing times when the rise of smartphones with supportive cameras came into the market from
different brands. The gadget culture saw male population gain interest with the likes of drone and
mega cameras for filming. Brands like Sony and Canon rose in the markets. Digital disruption
saw the rise of Amazon.com one of Walmart biggest competitors selling everything online and
also shipping to multiple locations globally (OCM, 2014).
The advantages is that one is able to use mobile banking, Visa online transactions and
online banks like Payza and Paypal to pay to bought items or products, made the transactions
easier and faster. There have been challenges with the digital disruption especially with customer
information, privacy invasion and safety of their accounts. This is due to the hacking that has
risen over time throughout the online world from different servers. But even so, there is a goal to
easen shopping experiences through social media mergers, and also to make online transactions
safer through data protection and encryption (OCM, 2014).
Walmart has spent the last 5 years heavily investing in the Information Technology
department and placed special focus on obtaining as much current information as they could
about their customers and the goods they consume. Point of sale (POS) is a system that focuses

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slowly on customer preferences as opposed to overstocking items and checking for what sells out
more. This means as the customer purchases build up, a pattern of purchase can be established
and that helps on determining the goods that need more restocking when compared to others
(Howland, 2017).
The WCA framework is based on running ideas about organizing though processes about
various concepts. This helps identifying areas or topics that should be considered for change and
how interrelated they are. This is made possible through incorporation of models that show the
complexity of a concept and alternatives that may work instead. In the case of Walmart retailers,
the three main WCA frameworks incorporated include automated teller machines, Walmart’s
point of sale and Walmart.com website. This was based on the WCA framework that focuses on
customers, products and information technology as explained in the diagram below (Ignatius,
2017).
CUSTOMERS
TECHNOLOGYINFORMATION
PARTICIPANTS
PRODUCTS
BUSINESS PROCESS

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The Walmart enterprise focuses on the customers who shop for products in the stores and
those who shop for the products via online markets from the store like Walmart.com website
both locally and globally. Through the purchases a pattern is built up on products that are in
demand via seasons, throughout seasons, prices, types of products, and manufacturing
companies. Based on the information gathered about the consumers the company is able to
determine the participants that are suitable for the products (McFadden, 2008).
When the enterprise became more profitable, Walmart broke out to more regions across
the country and globally as well. They therefore needed to use computerized systems in order to
help them keep track of purchases and sales and also, to store in customer information so as to
determine, what they require and bring it to them. All these processes are all determined in the
WCA framework. For Walmart to realize the return of investments and become profitable, they
had to incorporate value chain processes. In value chain, there is both primary and support
processes. These help in realizing value for customers (Stanford, 2016).
This is made possible as information is coordinated between different organizational
sectors among them, production where goods are produced, sales where the coordination of
different markets for the products are determined and actualized, marketing where the strategies
for sales of goods is determined and finances where the profits, revenues and taxes are tabulated.
In the past, Walmart enterprises handled business processes using the human systems. In the last
five years, the enterprise has invested much on information systems using technologies such as
bar code scanners and computers in order to identify the items that were sold and also to
calculate the bills (O'Keefe, 2017).

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RECOMMENDATION
More to just incorporating the world of e-commerce, it’s important for the company to
invest heavily into social media where the current wave of sales is taking shape. This can be
made more frequent and powerful through sponsorships and ambassadors that help market the
enterprise to the online community. Sales on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and others
like shopify spreads the reach of products to the consumers. This creates volumes in sales and
creates more awareness of the brand.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
This can be made possible by having famous social media influencers and marketers
reach out to the masses and online community. More to that, partnership with major online shops
to market their products to as many people as they can. Brand ambassadors also create buzz
about a brand and brings in huge sales for the company.
CONCLUSION
It’s clear that with the onset of change, businesses and organizations have to change with
the times, if they stand a chance of succeeding and realizing full benefits and profits for their
enterprises. More to that, there is need to link operations and other sectors that utilize
information with technologies in order to coordinate events, and reach to the customers
according to their preferences.

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References
Badkar, M., 2017. Walmart reports strongest US sales in 8 years. Financial Times, p. 1.
Buss, D., 2017. Walmart Invests in Digital Innovation; New Stores, Not So Much. Brand
Channel, p. 1.
Escher, 2018. Digital Disruption in the Postal Industry. Escher , p. 1.
Howland, D., 2017. Walmart focused on digital, dials back store growth. Retail Drive, p. 1.
Ignatius, A., 2017. We Need People to Lean into the Future”. Harvard Business Review, p. 1.
McFadden, R. D. M. A., 2008. Wal-Mart Employee Trampled to Death".. New York Times, p. 1.
Neff, J., 2017. HOW WALMART FOUND ITS FOOTING IN THE AMAZON ERA. AdAge, p.
1.
OCM, 2014. Digital Disruption: What Is It and How Does It Impact Businesses?. Oxford
College of Marketing (OCM), p. 1.
O'Keefe, B., 2017. What's Driving Walmart's Digital Focus? Paranoia, Top Exec Says. Fortune,
p. 1.
Stanford, R., 2016. Basic Concepts The Work Centered Analysis Framework. Dutton e-
Education Institute , p. 1.