Inventory control specialists should know the available items at the shop and restore those items that have been sold out. But that is not everything they have to do at Walmart. Keeping records, reporting changes, and unloading merchandise are some, but not all, duties a Walmart’s inventory control specialist has to accomplish. We dive into this and several other questions in this article.
WALMART’S Values And Achievements:
Walmart is a publicly-traded family-owned company. It is one of the leaders at retailing or one of the “retail giants.” It sells products such as clothing, furniture, food, health, electronics, beauty, baby, pets, etc. Founded in 1962 with the idea that people save money and live better. This is the foundation of every decision-making procedure. Walmart has extensive experience in sales, and it is one of the world’s largest income-generating companies. With more than 2,2 billion workers, it is one of the largest private employers in the world. In 2020 generated an income of 524,000 million dollars. And serves more than 260 million customers a week through its 11,523 stores in 28 countries and 11 online shops.
Walmart Was Not Free Of Mistakes:
Years ago, Walmart experienced major economic losses due to poor inventory management, such as overstock, out-of-stock of customer-required items, and disorganized storage. Customers were dissatisfied since they could not find the product they wanted. There was an overstock of products that were not highly demanded. Storage was so disorganized that employers could not find some products, or they could not keep an accurate record of inventory. Walmart learned from these mistakes and implemented new inventory management strategies as well as innovative technologies. Most of its current success is due to intelligent inventory strategies.
Walmart Inventory Control Specialist Job Description:
Among other responsibilities, Walmart’s inventory control specialist has to keep track of the store’s existing items and inventory shortages. When items are out of stock, the employer in this position has to replenish supplies immediately and report any changes to the proper department.
At Walmart, monitoring sold items and keeping a record of any inventory changes to understand the market’s demand, and restoring missing items as fast as possible are crucial tasks. The idea behind this activity is that customers find the products they are looking for without falling into disappointment when they come to the store and find out the item they want to buy is out of stock.
It is vital to the company that the employer reports daily any changes in the inventory. These may be changes in the sales of a particular item or excess of supplies. Keeping track of these changes helps the company to have information for future reference. In other words, this data allows the use of predictive analytics so that the company can optimize operations by predicting customers’ habits.
However, that is not everything an inventory control specialist has to do at Walmart. Other tasks involve reporting out-of-stock items to make orders for merchandise and ensuring shipments are properly scheduled, and taking record of the date orders of products are made. Besides, an inventory control specialist has to unload merchandise from trucks and locate the products in a well-organized, clean, and safe place. For this activity, the employee must move merchandise or obstacles to keep a well-ordered area. An inventory control specialist may even send back products the company does not need.
An inventory control specialist has to ensure the proper preservation and safety of goods, taking the necessary measures. Some of these measures inspect new arrivals and report any inconvenience concerning the security of products such as damaged or unusable items.
Does The Employer Receive Any Extra Help To Accomplish The Specified Duties?
YES. To collect inventory items and keep shipment tracking from the supplier to the distribution center, Walmart’s inventory control specialist can use RFID (radio-frequency identification), which reads and writes data on transponders giving extra help to companies. Despite this additional assistance, an inventory control specialist trusts his/her abilities and knows his/her intervention is more than necessary to make exceptional work. Finally, it is expected that the employer fulfilling this position is an honest, well-organized, and hard-working person capable of setting, organizing, and completing tasks responsibly, effectively, and on time. He/she should have leading as well as teamwork skills and the ability to detect problems and suggest solutions regarding the stocking of products. Also, he/she wants to grow professionally. He/she is not reluctant to take training at Walmart’s Academies since he/she understands it is a great opportunity to acquire and improve skills.
Responsibilities, Tasks And Duties Of Walmart’s Inventory Control Specialist:
Next, you will see a list of the major responsibilities of Walmart’s inventory control specialist.
- Keeps accurate inventory control.
- Ensures regular replenishment of merchandise.
- Reports out-of-stock items.
- Reports excess of items in the inventory.
- Restocks supplies.
- Supervises rotation and stocking of merchandise.
- Ensures proper policies and procedures are followed.
- Recognizes and resolves quantity discrepancies and makes quantity reports.
- Reviews variances to inventory reports.
- Enters information of in-stock or out-of-stock products to the database.
- Records data about individual products for future reference.
- Checks in-stock products at customers’ request.
- Coordinates and schedules ordering of products with the proper department.
- Works along with warehouse workers, purchasing department, and outside vendors.
- Develops and maintains good relationships with fellow employees, even those from other departments.
- Communicates and works with managers to determine corrections needed to inventory controls.
- Guides co-workers.
- Oversees job-related activities.
- Unloads merchandise.
- Finds a safe place to locate merchandise identifying potential risks.
- Stocks products accurately.
- Avoids loss of stock.
- Reports any losses to the correct department.
- Categorizes and labels stock.
- Uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) to enter inventory into the database and keep track of merchandise delivery.
- Identifies and reports defective products.
- Keeps a clean and ordered stocking area.
- Lifts boxes, accommodates them, places products on shelves, etc.
- Removes trash and drives cranes or forklifts if necessary.
- Supports plans and initiatives to improve merchandise stocking.
- Works collaboratively with other departments to ensure the proper delivery of merchandise.
- Coordinates the restocking of items needed on the sales floor.
- Proposes solutions regarding the management of stock to optimize the sale of products.
- Maintains organization between crossed-related departments.
- Supports the company’s values, mission, and standards of ethics.
- Plays an integral role in shaping the future of retail, merchandising, and other industries.
- Participates in company meetings.
- Completes training program to acquire skills and even promotion.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS, EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO BE A WALMART’S INVENTORY CONTROL SPECIALIST?
- High school diploma.
- Completion of 2 years of college or related prior work experience (1 year or more) as a supervisor, inventory control, personnel, loss prevention, etc.
- Forklift certification (preferred).
- Attend and complete all job required training and assessments (for example, Academy Trainings, Open Door Trainings, etc.).
WHAT ARE THE REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES A WALMART’S INVENTORY CONTROL SPECIALIST NEED?
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to develop professional relationships with vendors.
- Ability to perform maths calculations (additions, subtractions, multiplication, division, percentages, etc.).
- Understanding of inventory control procedures.
- Dependable, organized, and good at working autonomously.
- Close attention to detail to manage the inventory.
- Computer skills.
- Keeps up with changes in software and technology.
- Adaptation and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to handle multiple issues at the same time.
- Ability to train other employees and give directions.
- Good at measuring progress in achieving results.
- Ability to identify and address improvement opportunities.
- Familiarity with inventory control devices and inventory management software (ISFD, Wasp, Netsuite, inFlow inventory).
ARE THERE ANY PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A WALMART’S INVENTORY CONTROL SPECIALIST?
- Ability to lift approximately 40 pounds (sometimes).
- Ability to reach items (high or low).
- Extended sitting periods and working on a computer.
HOW MUCH ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
- $15 to $18 per hour. Payment depends on education and working experience as well as skills and abilities.
WALMART INC. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Walmart INC. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is an inclusive company that respects and values diversity. It is committed to giving equal opportunities to workers or future employees. This company will not tolerate discrimination because of race, national origin, ethnicity, color, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, or discharged U.S veterans. Also, it will respect different ideas, opinions, and styles.
HOW IT IS RESPONDING TO COVID-19
- Provides masks and sanitation (cleaning routines, sprays, etc.).
- Social distancing.
- Using expanded store hours to spread traffic throughout the day.
- Administering Covid-19 vaccine.
- Supporting Covid-19 testing.
Also read Walmart Job Description: Sales Associate and Cashier Job
