Driving Efficiency and Sustainability with AI

Welcome to The Quarterly Download, a newsletter that serves up bite-sized insights on the latest innovations from our Walmart Global Tech team.  

You may have noticed we’ve released a number of GenAI-powered experiences over the past year, from associate tools such as My Assistant and our 'GenAI Playground’, to customer facing solutions like GenAI Search and more.  

What you might not know is that the development of our tools is supported by our very own internal machine learning platform: Element. 

A machine learning platform like no other 

We built Element’s tech stack from the ground up, giving it a unique structure that supports deploying adaptable, auto-scalable models, and integrations with existing enterprise services to improve productivity, speed and innovation. Element standardizes tools, frameworks and development processes, allowing teams to scale solutions with speed. It also enables teams to leverage best-in-class technologies from open-source and cloud providers, which delivers cost savings, improves the efficiency of and reduces the time-to-market for AI solutions.

Element is one of the many platforms our developers are using to deliver experiences with speed and at scale. We also utilize the Walmart Cloud Native Platform and our “triplet model”, one of the largest multi-hybrid clouds, to power Walmart's AI-powered experiences and bring computational power and data closer to our customers and associates. 

Predictive, proactive, preventative  

We're using AI to help us move smarter, faster and more efficiently ... and that includes how we can act sustainability. One of the latest ways we're applying AI is in the beta test of an AI-powered tool that helps reduce waste.

Walmart’s AI-powered waste management tool enables our systems to determine which items contribute the most waste in a particular store, considering if the item is in stock every day or if it’s a seasonal item. It is not just about managing waste but predicting, preventing and proactively handling it in an intelligent and simple way.

The tool identifies key waste reduction opportunities and drivers of waste, then recommends ways to reduce waste, taking the guesswork out for associates.  Looking ahead, participating stores and clubs across the Walmart network may one day be able to trade waste management insights with each other.   

Having an interconnected network is also helpful for powering Sam’s Club’s new exit technology.  

Tech-Forward Innovations for Time-Saving Shopping 

Customer satisfaction is always at the forefront of our operations, and we are continually striving to implement innovative technologies that simplify and enhance their shopping experience. Earlier this year, Sam’s Club unveiled its exit technology, a first-of-its-kind AI and computer vision solution designed to enable a seamless exit experience by eliminating a key member concern – waiting in line for receipt verification before exiting the club.  

More than 120 clubs have successfully implemented this technology, enhancing the exit experience for more than half of our members and reducing exit times by 23%. Sam’s Club is the first retailer to extensively deploy this technology at scale, and to successfully build, design, and roll it out in-house, addressing member pain points in the purchase-to-exit process. Todd Garner, Chief Product Officer at Sam's Club stated that both exit technology and Scan & Go are driving new levels of convenience and raising satisfaction among members.  

Here’s how it works: 

• Image Capture: Multiple cameras take pictures of carts as they go under the archway.

• Item Detection: Computer vision models analyze these images, detecting items in the cart.

• Feature Extraction: Further models and algorithms identify visual features like sizes, shapes, colors, brand labels, and logos from the item images. This information is cross-referenced with our large-scale inventory system.

• Receipt Matching: Once the items are identified, additional algorithms are used to match the cart with an existing receipt in the club.

• Real-time Comparison: The system compares the items in the cart with the receipt and sends this information to our exit associate instantaneously.

Assuring convenience and choice also requires a network of tightly integrated backend systems and supply chains with built-in intelligence to manage the flow of goods from discovery to purchase and receipt. 

Staying ahead of the curve with Walmart's transformative logistics solution 

For years, Walmart has used AI to create a more efficient supply chain. We’re now making our proprietary AI-driven software, Route Optimization, available to other businesses as a SaaS solution. The tool employs AI to optimize driving routes, pack trailers efficiently, schedule deliveries, and plan inventory pickups, thereby reducing miles traveled and ensuring trailers are fully utilized. 

Using this same technology, Walmart avoided 94 million pounds of CO2 emissions by eliminating 30 million unnecessary miles driven and optimized routes to bypass 110,000 inefficient paths. Anshu Bhardwaj, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Walmart Global Tech and Walmart Commerce Technologies, highlights that adopting this AI-powered tech allows businesses to eliminate the need and expense of developing their own technology, and instead focus on what they do best – serve their customers.  

Route Optimization is Walmart's second turnkey branded solution, following the SaaS platform Store Assist, which facilitates local fulfillment, including shipping, pickup, and delivery services. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this edition of The Quarterly Download! We hope you found it informative and insightful. While our newsletter arrives every quarter, you can still stay up to date with the latest happenings by following our blog and our LinkedIn page. Until next time!