At Walmart’s Lab 415-C, we look for disruptive,
innovative technology that has the potential to change the way people shop. But
not just change that part of their lives – make it better.
From augmented reality to robotics, our team discovers
and tests emerging technology that powers the shopping experience our customers
want. In fact, we’re even named after an early innovation in Walmart’s
heritage: Sam
Walton’s 415-C airplane, which he used to scout real estate
from the sky (a business-growth tactic that was unheard of in the 1950s).
How do we bring these innovations to our customers and
associates? It starts with research. You wouldn’t buy a car without researching
its capabilities, safety and reliability, right? We research between 700-750
technologies a year and make sure we know the technology’s maturity, use cases,
comparisons and how it can improve shopping for customers. We look at
everything from technology that helps associates run stores more efficiently to
capabilities in the internet of
things (connected devices that communicate without human
interaction, such as a smart thermostat).
But what good is research if it isn’t shared with others? That’s where our showcasing team comes in. More than 5,000 people come through Lab 415-C each year. Our showcasing team helps plan discussions, brainstorms and events within Walmart and the greater entrepreneurial and academic community to accelerate how we find innovative technology.
Testing technologies for how they’ll work within Walmart
is another aspect of Lab 415-C’s capabilities. We’ve tested technologies internationally,
at local stores and within our lab at Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville,
Arkansas. Failing fast is key, so we don’t see failure as a roadblock; we see
it as a way to finesse the solution to fit Walmart’s needs.
An important way we find solutions that fit our
customers’ needs is by sourcing innovations from technology suppliers. This October,
we are doing that in a big way through our Technology
Innovation Open Call, an event where our leaders will meet with companies
creating the latest technology for retail, logistics, big data, security and
social media.
Our open call event is a great opportunity for companies
to pitch their innovations to the largest retailer in the world. I can’t wait
to see what ideas and inventions we’ll discover! Together we will transform the
shopping experience.
Submission
deadline for potential selection in the Technology Innovation Open Call is July
22, 2016, or the first 250 submissions. For details and an application, click here.