Nick Stellway
Info Systems
Blog 3
11/2/15
Years
ago the retail captain, Wal-Mart was a logistical based company and it is still
that way today. Wal-Mart offers the lowest cost for products around and will
match prices of competitors to keep customers. Wal-Mart can do this because it
has top of the line knowledge on how to get products to consumers at the
cheapest price. By offering the lowest price, there are many factors Wal-Mart
must take into account.
A
very important factor is the inventories and the disbursement of goods.
Wal-Mart must have items in stock to compete with competitors and this requires
having inventories delivered mainly from semi trucks.
Today’s technology is taking a new
leap forward. Along with pressure from Amazon, Wal-Mart is highly invested in
new drone technologies to import inventories and deliver items to homes.
Wal-Mart is also looking to tap new drone usage into delivering and stocking
grocery items. A Wal-Mart spokesperson said "Drones have a lot of potential to
further connect our vast network of stores, distribution centers, fulfillment
centers and transportation fleet,"
Since Wal-Mart’s are located in many states and close
together, drones have potential to stock inventories more cheaply because gas
is expensive and stocking inventories with trucks can be a slow process. Drones
could ship goods in much less time and do the task cheaper. "There is a
Wal-Mart within five miles of 70 percent of the U.S. population, which creates
some unique and interesting possibilities for serving customers with
drones."
The FAA has not yet made it legal for commercial companies to
use drones but there are testing exemptions Wal-Mart and other companies can
obtain. Wal-Mart is testing these drones to see if they can effectively help
make Wal-Mart more profitable.
If
regulations are changed and commercial companies begin using drones for
transportation of goods this will change many companies. Instead of packing
semi trucks, companies will use commercial drones to deliver products to stores
and to consumer locations. This will change our lives as we know it. There will
be less saturation of semis on the road and many more drones will be delivering
goods through the air. This will increase some dangers to planes, helicopters
and civilians but it will also make the roads a safer place for drivers.
With these new technologies around the corner, going to Wal-Mart or other stores won't be necessary. Items will be delivered more quickly and errands we used to have to "run" will come to us. The implementation
of drones will evolve and soon enough there might be drones for civilians to
fly from point a to point b. I see drones as a very futuristic way of living. We can fly ourselves to a friends house without worrying about traffic of driving time.This will change our lives by reducing travel time
and adding a new level of excitement to our daily lives.
Bringing drones into Wal-Mart has its pros and cons. The main con that comes with every piece of technology is if the technology has a malfunction. A major pro that you barely touched on is the cut of costs, which will happen if Wal-Mart chooses to implement drones to stock inventory and deliver goods to consumers. Yes, this cut costs but creates a con. The con this creates is the increase in unemployment, which is a major concern in the world today. Another problem that a lot of people have with drones being implemented for delivery purposes is the security issue. A lot of people feel that drones are spying on them and it makes the consumers feel uncomfortable. The last problem that I will mention with the implementation of drones is the amount of demand they will be able to carry while delivering goods to consumers. I realize that Wal-Mart will be cutting costs by saving gas, but I think trucks are better for delivery purposes because they can hold more demand for consumers. I understand that creating drones keeps trucks off the road, but drones have their own issues as you mentioned, like having an impact on airplanes and etc. I believe that drones will be implemented into most companies very soon and I am excited to see how everything works out.
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