Walmart boosts seafood purchasing efficiency via updated enterprise sourcing platform

Walmart will implement a new enterprise sourcing platform (ESP) at its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across the U.S., which it said will improve its efficiency and reduce waste in its fresh seafood purchasing.

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based enterprise retail technology solution provider Bamboo Rose is providing the ESP. It said in a press release the platform will streamline Walmart’s supply chain, particularly with perishable products, and open doors for products to be sold in connected markets.

The sourcing technology project “facilitates the movement of products across connected geographies, ensuring that perishable items are efficiently shipped to prevent spoilage,” Walmart Vice President of Product Global Sourcing Daniel Berg told SeafoodSource.

“What may have only shipped to the U.S. might now be possible to send to Canada and Mexico, for example," Berg said. "By optimizing logistics and reducing waste, the project has a positive impact on the environment.”

Walmart will be able to easily collaborate with buyers, product development teams, and suppliers to improve the way the company procures and imports goods for resale, Berg said.

“Together, we aim to unify all Walmart, Sam's Club, and international markets. By connecting these markets, it enables suppliers to have more openness and visibility into other geography buys, creating opportunities for increased demand and volume,” Berg said. “This initiative goes beyond just margin improvement and helps with product movement and waste reduction.”

In Walmart’s current buying process, the chain's various buying operations make separate purchase orders, creating inefficiencies, Berg said. 

“With the sourcing technology project, all Walmart’s market teams will be aware of the demand for [products], allowing them to buy [them] for all regions, driving unit pricing down while potentially increasing volume for the supplier and possibly a higher total purchase," he said.

Berg said the new process will result in better buying decisions, cost savings, and supplier partnership enhancements.

Photo courtesy of Walmart