Sam Walton wanted to share lots of information with Walmart’s suppliers
Lots of information. Walmart systems has about 583 terabytes of information, while the Library of Congress contains about 10 terabytes.
Interestingly, Walmart buyers were uncertain that suppliers ought to have access to that data. Some felt that they might have less leverage if suppliers could see just how they were doing.
Sam Walton didn’t agree. He figured that suppliers and buyers were really all on the same side: the object is to make sure that your product is on the shelf so people can buy it. This is what Retail Link does for you.
So how can you find the information that’s in there waiting for you? There is a Site Map, and it does have a search engine, but this is a simple search engine. It will show you all the pages containing the words you type in, but it doesn’t make decisions for you.
There is also a support line, but the people answering the phones there are IT specialists, not analysts. You can expect them to help you figure out how to use the software, but not to know where you can find the data that will answer your questions.
Retail Link doesn’t offer graphic interpretations of data, so don’t bother looking for the pretty graphs to help you get an overview at a glance.
Your best bet is to build your own dashboard. This will let you see the reports you need most.
There are two ways to do this. First, you can use the set up wizard in your My Favorites panel. Going through this will help you set up an initial dashboard containing the most popular elements.
The second way is to use the “Add to Homepage” buttons that you’ll find on each app or report. As you use Retail Link in the course of your work, hit that button whenever you realize that you’re working with data you need on a regular basis. Soon you’ll have your custom dashboard with exactly the info you really need.
8th & Walton Retail Link courses:
- Beginning Retail Link helps you find your way around and understand the functionality of the various reports — also available in Spanish.
- Intermediate Retail Link takes you further, looking at SWAS/CWAC , Store of the Community, business review planning and more.
- Advanced Retail Link for Retail Link ninjas
Check out all our analytics offerings to see special courses for apparel suppliers, for managers, and more, or call us at 479-715-6700 with any questions.
