Introduction
Things are never the same, and the possibility of inclining to the old ways of doing business is likely to affect the scalability of organizations, like Walmart. Globalization makes it possible to sell in almost every part of the world. It is no longer mandatory to have physical stores to improve on sales in different parts of the world. The most important instance is the ability to market the product and create the best perception in the eyes of the consumers. Walk in any part of the world, and you are likely to get at least an individual talking about Amazon.
These individuals have different experiences with the platform, and most of such experiences are sales-oriented. As posited earlier, every invention denotes change. At the same instance, it is imperative to understand what works best for the organization and ensure its implementation at the right time. Failure to execute such an implementation results to poor policies that are likely to thwart growth within the organization. How should change effect in the organization? That is a question that needs consideration in most instances. Ideally, being rigid, as the case depicted by Walmart in the initial stages makes it hard to take chances and get the best out of every process. Change is inevitable in every organization. The better part of the paper will address aspects related to change management regarding technological advancements
Analysis of the case
What keeps changing at such a faster rate is time, and the same brings the evident evolution in various organizations in various parts of the world. Some organizations are currently closing due to the inability to meet the demands of the contemporary society. Demand is never statistic, and that makes organizations to come up with new approaches of operation. It is mandatory for every organization that longs to keep the door open for longer to embrace successful organizational change. The best time to do the same in now since the level of competition is stiff. Getting a competitive edge, as in the case with Amazon requires the implementation of the right policies once they emerge from the premise.
Change is inevitable in every organization (John & Richard, 2014). The most important step should be the ability to embrace it within the organization in the most effective manner that limits any aspects of the conflict. Such an instance requires key stages during the implementation. First, user involvement is such a crucial step that should materialize while embracing any aspect of technology. That is vital since failure to embrace the same is the main reason for failure within the organization. The ability to get complementing ideas from every stakeholder makes it possible to get the best out of every move. Training is also a crucial, aspect of fostering when embracing change (Amin, 2014).
It is apparent that the new system comes with sophisticated systems and the ability to learn on how to operate the same minimizes aspect of failure that can result. Even though the organization can find it costly offering training, it is still helpful in fostering success and making it possible to thwart instances of resistance that can as well limit growth as well as success within the organization. The ability to match competencies is also mandatory to ensure that certain stakeholders, for instance, take part in the marketing as well as the sales of the products. It is not proper to remain myopic on matters related to sales since the competitor is likely to get the very best in the space.
It is evident that certain organizations such as Walmart remained adamant in the implementation of key technological instances. The approach made it hard to achieve the competitive edge that most organizations such as Amazon enjoyed for a better part of their lifestyle. Ideally, the change should happen immediately to get the very best out of the course. Once an organization takes longer to act, the competitors emerge victoriously. The ability to explore matters related to partnership also makes it possible to understand the contribution of a given block in fostering growth as well as the success of companies. That brings the aspect of benchmarking, which every organization should embrace to get the very best out of every market. An understanding of change management is also part of the discussion, and it is imperative to explore it in having a comprehensive understanding of management.
Ideally, the approach relates to the ability to switch on how activities are executed in the organization. It is imperative to understand the best moves that will give the organization better results. The approach is broad and can involve instances such as relocating the distribution process (Amin, 2014). That can also involve the right budgeting to meet the rising cost of production within the organization. In the case of Amazon, an online presence was such a wise move to scale operations and compete fairly in the environment. The ability to identify the missing gap in the environment and utilize it is such a crucial move. The main factor to consider in the case is the existing organization’s specific situation. A question that should arise is the ability to have initiatives that foster change management since it can also fail in certain instances. The next part will explore on various steps that Amazon took to emerge successful in the market and Walmart can benchmark on the set guidelines to obtain the competitive edge in the market.
Steps were taken by Amazon to succeed in online presence
In 1995, Amazon found it imperative to go online, and since then, things have never been the same since the organization managed to scale operations and meet customer demands in various sectors. The slew of changes experienced also faced some challenges. Despite being under the leadership of the same person, Jeff Bezos, it has been possible to emerge successfully and meet the needs of the rising population. The company is two decades old at the moment since the implementation of the technological moves, and the impact is worth embracing in the contemporary society. Diversity is an aspect that makes the organization to compete fairly. In the initial stages, Amazon focused on the sales of books. That was a platform to enable the company to determine the market demands and also understand the dynamics involved. After a while, the company ventured into CDs as well as DVDs and that further made it possible to understand how to fill the gap.
What made Amazon stand out in the market despite the various challenges is also a factor to consider? It is apparent that the company continued to change the inventory sold and that made it possible to meet the market dynamics. The focus was on the ability to make the store a first-world and the best in the world. The move was demanding, and that forced the management to work together in making such an instance a reality. The move was never a walk in the park. The company decided to offer new products. That also included the launch of Amazon Prime as well as the Amazon Instant Video. All these elements made it possible for the organization to grow and meet the rising market demands. Amazon is currently selling in the region and can distribute over 200 million products to various consumers in the entire world. Before 2015, scalability within the company was not at the top since the profits were not large enough to be plowed back.
That changed in 2016 with the emergence of back-to-back successful quarters. Market research is also a crucial move that should be embraced since it helps with the identification of what should be embraced to meet the needs of customers. The fact that the market recorded a positive response is the main reason why the market can boast of close to $400 billion and that makes it stand out in the contemporary market. Bezos articulates that the future growth of the premise should be given since there exist some strategies in place that will make it possible to grow the venture and meet the needs of the rising population. The possibility of producing close to 16 feature films is also a move that the organization is planning to implement and that will make it possible to scale operations within the premise further. Ideally, Amazon features among organizations which constantly change to meet the needs of the rising population. That alone is not the reason for the success of the company. It is apparent that the company also give priorities to the customers and that makes it possible for the organization to become successful in the contemporary society.
Walmart limiting factors
Business is full of risks. In fact, ventures which embrace such elements of risk are likely to succeed in the market. Walmart is one of the premises that remained adamant, and that cost them in some ways. Even though the company competes fairly in various parts of the world such as the United States and the UK, it still lacks the global image. Customers prefer to obtain goods at the comfort of their premises. That is an instance Walmart fails to embrace and limits it from competing effectively in the market. The company has physical stores in designated locations. It is upon the customer to order the products and arrange on how to pick them in various stores. How best the approach applies is a factor to consider. Ideally, the move tends to thwart the risk involved operating online (Greene & Kirton, 2015). However, it makes it an uphill task to meet customer demands. The advancement in technology comes with various risks, and it is the role of the organization to work on how best to address the challenges. It is not prudent to fear the implications of certain moves. Moreover, various security measures exist to curb the menace and improve performance. Fraud is an instance that dictates key aspects of online transactions, and the best move is to have the right approaches into consideration to promote customer satisfaction and make it possible to offer products which meet user demands.
Ways to protect online business
Cyber theft is currently a worldwide concern that needs the right interventions to improve business reputation through meeting customer needs in various instances. The move needs the right methodologies to meet the needs of the populations in most instances. According to the case study, it is apparent that Walmart is afraid of the challenges involving delivery of the products. That makes them prefer physical pick up of the products after the delivery. Cases of scam in business have been on the increase, and it is imperative to have the right measures into consideration to prevent the occurrence of such an activity.
The use of the firewall in the network:
Hackers are likely to get access to the payment terminal, and that is likely to compromise operations within the organization. Ideally, Walmart is afraid of such an event since it can result in tremendous losses within the premise. Hackers can get access to the computer system, and that can enable them to steal important elements such as bank accounts. They can further manipulate the same for the benefit of the company. The use of firewalls is helpful in the case, and the organization should consider utilizing its key elements. An instance that is evident is the possibility of implanting a large amount of data into the system. The existence of the firewall can help in such an instance since it can detect the same and communicate the findings to the authority in charge.
Installing a separate network for the payment terminal:
In most instance, public internet is a threat, and it is imperative to measures into consideration to prevent the possibility of any risk that can arise (Heizer, 2016). Employees are the cause of every cybercrime that exist in the most organization. The ability to have the separate networks makes it possible to have an enclosed system, which prevents any instance of cybercrime that can arise within the organization. Offering authorization two a few educated as well as trusted individuals limits key instances of fraud, which is detrimental to the success of the organization. At the same time, it is imperative to change credentials of the system frequently to limit further any risk that can arise. Walmart should bank on such an instance and make it possible to order for the products and make payments online. That should materialize with the implementation of the best distribution system to meet user demands in various parts of the world.
Using security software that can test vulnerabilities:
Despite the success of Amazon, some risks still exist, and that brings the needs for regular checks as well as testing to meet demands as they arise. The use of the security software is helpful in finding any gaps that can arise in the management of the system. Any breach of vulnerability that might arise will be addressed promptly, and that is a platform to foster growth within the organization (Heizer, 2016). An understanding of the payment processor makes it possible to eliminate risk as they arise within the system. The best package comes with a free firewall as well as testing, and that enables the organization to cut on cost and remain useful in the market. It is the role of every organization to have customer interests at heart and use any available option of ensuring success and making it possible to meet demands as they arise. Amazon value customer information and work with the best strategies to ensure growth and success. Security is such a crucial part of online presence, and the organizations such as Walmart should benchmark and understand the best actions to be implemented in fostering growth and success.
Summary of the case
Some options exist for Walmart and the choice for every one of them can either hurt its success in the global market or make it compete fairly in the entire world. Currently, it stands that the organization competes fairly in the United States and the UK. However, that is not enough since there is need to have an understanding of the advancement in technology. Client base will soon be an online move, and that will make it necessary to embrace change. The parallel changeover is such a great move that every organization should embrace. How best can Walmart can implement that is the concern (DesJardins & McCall, 2014). Ideally, the company should implement an online payment method and work on the best moves to deliver such products to various consumers. Even though some risks will be evident, the utilization of the above security feature will make it possible to minimize incidences of risks and remain successful in the competitive market.
Conclusion
In the current business market, it is apparent that failure of an organization to implement competitive strategies is the main reason for failure. Walmart is doing well in the business environment. However, it still suffers from some limitations, and that brings the needs to benchmark from other successful ventures in the online business such as Amazon. Even though such online strategies will work best in ensuring the success of the organization, it also imperative to understand that certain risks might be present such as those related to online payments. Moreover, the distribution might also be a challenge since the company deals with a wide range of products and some of them might be perishable.
The focus should be on the approaches to make such products last longer. That also need the implementation of the latest technology in the production as well as well as the distribution of various products and services. As the U.S CEO articulated, implementing crowdsourcing within the organization meets customer demands are remain marketable in the global arena. Partnering with other providers such as UPS will also make it possible to improve the delivery processes, and that will foster success within the organization. The only challenge that can arise in the process is the inability to meet the security concerns. However, with the above recommendations, it is possible for the organization to remain successful in the market and meet the needs of the populations. Ultimately, the locker tactic can still work but will limit Walmart to stores around. The main approach should be on the ability to protect the various systems and make it possible to address risks as they arise within the organization.
References.
Amin, S. (2014). Capitalism in the age of globalization: The management of contemporary society. Zed Books Ltd..
DesJardins, J. R., & McCall, J. J. (2014). Contemporary issues in business ethics. Cengage Learning.
Greene, A. M., & Kirton, G. (2015). The dynamics of managing diversity: A critical approach. Routledge.
Heizer, J. (2016). Operations Management, 11/e. Pearson Education India.
John, A. P., & Richard, B. R. (2014). Strategic Management: Planning for Domestic and Global Competition.
