Walmart Information Management System (IMS) Walmart is a retail giant that almost everyone in America has purchased something from. It's a one-stop shop for everything a person might need. Walmart stores can be found everywhere, in fact most people are within an hour's drive of a Walmart store. Walmart's success has put many companies out of business. The chain's success comes primarily from low prices and the use of a computer system to meet customer demands, giving them a competitive advantage. Walmart's first major use of computer technology came in 1975, when the company rented an IBM computer system to track inventory in warehouses and distribution centers. Computers have come a long way since then and are used almost everywhere. But in 1975 this was cutting-edge technology and gave Walmart a competitive advantage over other retailers. Another thing that Walmart revolutionized in their supply chain was the use of barcode scanning in 1983. Before barcodes, items had to be read by a trained cashier. With barcodes all it took was a quick scan and the computer would do all the work. This significantly sped up checkout times and made inventory tracking and data collection much quicker and easier for both customers and employees. It has since become an industry standard for products. In 1987, this information became even more essential to the company. Walmart has created its own private satellite network. This network allowed for direct two-way communication between headquarters and individual stores so that instant information on inventory, sales, and other data could be viewed by upper management. A network diagram of this setup would allow...... middle of paper ...... The product will be able to move. Because they can see what's selling and where people are buying it, they have the ability to change their predictions about what they should do. Using RFID the tracking system will help eliminate errors and ensure product quality. IMS helps track orders and inventory levels and satisfy customers. Walmart uses IMS to track products or packages. Because they know when products are sold, how long it took them to sell, and where they were sold? They use this information to refine the flow of products. The power is going from push to pull. The product does not drive the final transaction. The customer is important and the interaction the customer has with the product in the store is also essential. Because information management is as or more important to the company than moving products?