Walmart is a global organization in a highly competitive market, it has a strong chain of supply, and its structure of logistics is tight. It is a large chain of supermarkets where it is operational in all countries of the world and primarily in the United States of America. Started with the aim of making profits, Walmart is a non-governmental profit making organization. It has a wide recognition for running its discount department stores. (Galloway, 2009)
The biggest global chains of supply globally belong to Walmart organization. It is a supplying outlet for many products including SLP1, FMCGs, appliances and garments with multiple channels of distribution and suppliers hence a vast and complex supply chain. It has a philosophy to stay at the cutting edge in regards to the portion of supply chain. The founder of the renowned organization was Sam Walton back in the year 1962. In October 31 1961, it got its incorporation and appeared in the list of New York stock exchange in the year 1972. It has the most employees having in mind that it is a private organization ranking it fourth commercial employer in the world. Because of having many experienced employees, it is the largest in grocery retailing industry with 20% grocery retail in the US. Walmart is also present in the United Kingdom where it owns Sam’s club.
The main operation of Walmart is to supply and that it why it has a big supply chain. Similar to stores in the US, Walmart provides excellent services to its customers leaving every one of them satisfied. It makes sure that the prices in all outlets are affordable by the many middle class families. The company has different structured outlets making it fit for all customer’s desires, customs and wants. Walmart has over 75% of international stores operating under its name all with a common goal of living better through saving people’s money. Its operations all over the world are on basis of good services to customers and clients.
Nature of operations
While conducting its daily operations, Walmart has a systematic approach giving it the ability to understand problems and issues meant for study. It is also able to understand measures of establishment concerning performance. There is the use of analytical and scientific tools when developing solutions that are efficient and effective to problems at hand. There is need for human resources and marketing finance incorporation to operations to all organizations regardless of nature and the performed activities. Walmart uses the conversion process in its operation forming the basic functions and they are mutually interactive. (Taylor, 2001)
Operations come at the central part of Walmart’s activities and this helps in binding all its functional areas together. An efficient operation’s system is what determines efficiency and productivity in Walmart. Operations therefore form a very important workflow process. Operational strategies come after corporate level strategies and the translation is systematic. Functions of operation management include development and product design, layout of facilities and location, design of process, planning of capacity, control and production planning, forecasting, supply chain management, management of maintenance as well as improvement continuity in operations. An operation transforms input to useful outputs making sure that there is value added to certain entities. This is the primary activity to not only Walmart but to all organizations. It is central to professional people’s activities and organizations. Below is a diagram showing the systematic transformation operations. (Pine, 1993)
Walmart strategies
One of the strategies for Walmart is extension of its products to all possible households. It intends to make sure that all its products available to everybody regardless of class and status. The target is seeing that the common man in the most remote areas get the product through its wide chain of supply in the united states of America and the entire world at large. The strategy gives room for empowerment provision and working with more people. (Housel, 2004)
Working with more people ensures that the chain of supply and its management becomes a better and safe process of making profits. Walmart does not intend to reveal its source of groceries and therefore the resources remain untapped. It intends to continue being a well-known assembly house that is the source of manufactured products and with verification from the relevant bodies. The more the profits it has the better it will be able to serve the employees. The profits will also depend on how the employees respond to the good treatment form the company. (Thompson, 2007)
Conclusion
Walmart is a worldwide company that deals with chain supply and its operations cuts across all classes of social status including the poor, middle class and the rich. Without profits, there could be no existence and expansion of this organization. Walmart has good strategies that make it remain on the competitive edge having in mind that the organization thrives in a competitive market. Its nature of operations facilitates its good long-term investments. (Kidd, 1994)
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