Supply Chain as a Service

Walmart has used technology and network effects to significantly transform the omni-channel retail landscape in the US market. The ability to provide multiple paths to purchase and fulfilment and keep extending these options for consumers requires an intelligent and flexible digital supply chain backbone that abstracts out the complexity from consumers, store associates and supply chain operators. Walmart is transforming the traditional pipeline business of retail into a platform business. Walmart is doing this by being able to provide an extensible “supply chain as a service platform” that uses network effects on supply side bringing together its own assets, 3PL assets and crowd sourced assets to provide a flexible supply chain allowing for multiple choices to consumers during purchase, fulfillment and returns.