Wal-Mart: Information System

Information System

A Wal-Mart main area of information management is the inventory management system. Wal- Mart gained competitive with it’s up -to –date inventory management system. It was the first retailer to computerized inventory management and develop an integrated system which EDI, which place orders directly with the suppliers when stocks reach a certain level. In order to mange Wal-Mart on going operations, Wal-Mart uses the latest version of Oracle® Warehouse management software. It is compatible with the radio frequency identification (RFID). This software allows Wal-Mart to increase effiency in its inventory management.

Oracle database and Wal-Mart come together to help Wal-Mart maximize the efficient of inventory management.The accomplish thus by using a hand held terminal called a telxon. The telxon was introduced 3-4 years ago and has helped the productivity of Wal-Mart stores. The telxon allows the associate to stock merchandise, change prices, update inventory, make associate badges, show merchandise prices, etc. The telxon is positive asset to fulfill customer service.

Hardware:

Telxon Corporation is a world leader in the design, manufacture, integration, and marketing of portable and wireless tele-transaction computers and systems. The Akron-based company designs, develops, manufactures, markets, integrates, and services several types of portable microprocessors, associated software, and peripheral devices for on-site data collection processing and communications. Its systems can be found in a wide variety of business environments, including retail, wholesale, manufacturing, utility, service, transportation, and government. The company dominates the industry's supermarket niche; 24 of the top 25 grocery chains in America utilize Telxon portable tele-transaction computers and systems. Telxon maintains subsidiaries and branches in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Australia, Japan and Singapore, and distributors in other parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East. By 1993, over 7,000 companies in 47 countries utilized Telxon products.

First incorporated in Texas in 1967 as Electronic Laboratories, Inc., the company went through several restructurings and was renamed Telxon Corporation in 1974. Telxon began to design order entry and inventory systems for retailers and wholesalers in the grocery, drug, and hardware industries in the early 1970s. Demand for these systems increased after 1973, when the universal product code (or UPC barcode) identification system was adopted as a standard in the grocery industry. Telxon's computer products also met a growing need for timely, accurate information, which helped reduce costs, improve productivity, and enhance service. These devices transmitted data through direct-connect (dedicated) telephone lines, thereby eliminating redundant and often erroneous data entry.

Software.

Wal-Mart telxon runs on software called Window CE (Windows Consumer Electronics). Microsoft's version of Windows for handheld devices and embedded systems that use x86, ARM, MIPS and SuperH CPUs. Introduced in 1996, Windows CE was renamed "Windows Embedded CE" as of Version 6.0 in 2006 and then renamed "Windows Embedded Compact" in 2008. Nevertheless, most people refer to "Windows CE" or "WinCE."

Windows CE is an operating system developed and designed for small footprint devices or embedded systems. Windows CE is different from the Windows operating systems for desktops but they share similar application programming interfaces for a considerable number of classes. Some of the devices that run Windows CE include industrial controllers, point of sale terminals, cameras, Internet appliances, cable set-top boxes and communications hubs.

Data:

The way that the Oracle is used is key to the operating efficiency within the company. The company uses an Oracle database with networked infrastructure

supplied by Cisco. The Oracle database which is fully sustainable and can cope with the large size operations delt with by Wal-Mart and numerous suppliers and thousands products. Oracle is a rational database, which can be queried in a number of ways in order to provide information for different purposes.

The database holds a high level of sensitive information and requires come security to protect that data integrity. Vendors will be able to access the same database through username and passwords. This way company (vendor) only sees information that is relevant to interaction with Wal-Mart.

Procedures .

There are standard procedures for different task. An example of procedures is stocking merchandise. Merchandise will be the AVG Internet Security Software.

Step 1: Turn on telxon and select the SMART applications.

Step 2: After selecting the application SMART a screen will pop up asking you for your username and password. We are given our username and password when we are first hired.

Step 3: Then you will scroll down and select the option PERPUTUAL INVENTORY.

Step 4: Then select KEEP IT STOCKED. A screen will pop up saying UPC and ITEM. At the bottom it will say ON HAND, IN TRANSIT, IN WHS, SHELF CAP.

Step 5: Scan the UPC on the back of the merchandise and a screen will pop up with the UPC, ITEM NUMBER PRICE, ON HAND ETC. Hit “alt f9” on the keyboard of the telxon and it will you tell you the item location. The item location will look like this (format) MOD: 0135-0001-0022 on the screen and on the price tag.

STEP 6: When the item location on the telxon matches with the price tag, you put the merchandise in that spot. You have official stock merchandise.