Sam Walton, the founder and former CEO of Wal-Mart, was a stubborn, driven, hardworking, frugal man. After launching over 2,000 stores nationwide in 1993 (Wal-Mart Stores INC), a few investors realized the need for Walton to be able to communicate with all of Wal-Mart stores in a timely manner. These investors suggested that Walton invested twenty-four million dollars in a satellite system that would enable him to communicate easily with his fast growing Wal-Mart chain. Walton insisted that he would be able to visit every single store personally, yet he reluctantly agreed to the offer (Satellite Adds Speed To Wal-Mart). From this point forward Wal-Mart’s management information systems expanded. As of today, Wal-Mart is praised as having one of the best, if not the best, management information systems. Within this essay, I will analyze a few management information system technologies and techniques of Wal-Mart INC and explain how the basics of MIS have supported the growth of Wal-Mart’s competitive advantage by creating value.
Wal-Mart and Collaboration Information Systems With Wal-Mart having over 10,000 stores worldwide, an important component of their management information system is their collaboration information system. The collaboration information system is the key to how the company communicates with their investors, retail stores, manufacturers, warehouses, and suppliers. As noted by Kroenke, the components of all collaboration information systems are: the computer side - hardware and software; the bridge -data; and the human side - procedures, and people. How does Wal-Mart apply the collaboration information system into their daily use?
Let’s begin with analyzing the computer side of the collaboration information system: Wal-Mart’s server hardware and software system. The basic hardware that is used by Wal-Mart employees daily are computers and handheld devices (both come
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