The Use of Balanced Scorecards at Walmart for Setting and Measuring Performance Objectives

The evolution of Wal-mart from the early 1960s to the present day has set a benchmark that few can achieve. Wal-mart executives have been successful nationally as well as globally. The knowledge and expertise in economics have made Wal-mart a global giant. The research completed is the final recommendations by the members of research team C and will address questions regarding global competition and issues of the organizations ability to expand or reduce current operations.

A balanced scorecard is a method company’s use to measure their performance. It includes objectives, strategies, and tactics. This paper will contain two strategic objectives for each of the four balanced scorecard areas (shareholder value or financial perspective, customer value perspective, process or internal perspective, and learning and growth perspective) for H & R Block. It will also have two strategies for every objective, one tactic for each strategy, and two methods to monitor and control the overall strategic plan for H&R Block.

“The balanced scorecard should translate a business unit’s mission and strategy into tangible objectives and measures. The measures represent a balance between external measures for shareholders and customers and internal measures of critical business processes, innovation and learning and growth. The measures are balance between outcome measures, the results of past efforts, and the measures that drive future performance. And the scorecard is balanced between objective, easily quantified outcome measures and subjective, somewhat judgmental, performance…”

A Balanced Scorecard is, “A set of four measures directly linked to a company’s strategy: financial performance, customer knowledge, internal business processes, and learning and growth” (Pearce & Robinson, 2009, p. 202). Healthy Place needs to develop a balanced scorecard in order to assist in defining the company’s mission, values, vision, and SWOTT analysis. Herein, the four perspectives, financial performance, customer knowledge, internal business processes, and learning and growth will be discussed as they relate to the Healthy Place mission, values, vision, and SWOTT analysis.

In business, three major strategies comprising of cost leadership, differentiation, and focus strategies exist. The focus strategy emphasizes on providing services and products to a specified buyer group or market segment within a given geographic market. The differentiation approach is often defined as provision of services or products that are perceived to be unique in the market place. Wal-Mart emphasizes on the long-term strategy of cost leadership. Through this strategy, the company ensures that it offers customers with quality products at relatively lower prices than other providers in the industry. Through overall cost leadership strategy, Wal-Mart has been offering better quality products at a lower price than any competitor can offer. For the organization to achieve this goal, it has developed long-term supply chain management, which ensures that products are made available to the market at the required time (Enz, 2010).

Analysis for Business Policy: Strategic Management. Instructor: Dr. M. Reitzel, DeVry University, February 2007, Austin, TX. Members of the Team: Marcus Bedford Jon Cable Wayne Oulicky Constince Sanchez

Wal-Mart is the world's largest retail and departmental store chain. Having business operations in 27 countries with 69 different brand names, Wal-Mart is able to serve a huge number of customers per day. Wal-Mart is the fastest growing and the most successful retail brand in the world. The factors which make it the strongest brand in its industry include large customer base, sound financial strength, strong brand image, and huge supply chain network. Wal-Mart has certain weaknesses in its operations and business setup like low acceptability of certain products, high employee turnover, and less recognition of newly introduced brands. These weaknesses can be overcome by availing attractive opportunities from the market and investing more in the most profitable areas. Wal-Mart faces the biggest threat from its competitors and ever-changing customer preferences.

Wal-Mart is the number one retailer in the world in both sales and earnings, dwarfing many of its retail competitors. It offers a full assortment of products ranging from clothing to electronics. It currently has 6000 locations predominately within the United States with over $312.4 Billion in net sales during 2006. In addition to its strong domestic presence, Wal-Mart has expanded aggressively to Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico with over 1000 locations within those countries. This expansion can potentially create greater economies of scale for Wal-Mart services and merchandise. The synergies created by expansion will also drive profitability in the future by providing goods and services at even lower costs to consumers. In order to enter foreign markets successful, Wal-Mart engages in both joint ventures and acquisitions. By utilizing this method, Wal-Mart intends to leverage foreign retailer's market knowledge with its own core competencies of merchandising and supply chain management (Stilgoe, 2003).

Walmart and Amazon have become global, household names in the US and for good reason: both of these companies have revolutionized the way in which we shop. Amazon offers a convenient experience, and an ever-expanding selection of products whereas Walmart has a wide network of store locations and famously low prices. As investments, these companies highlight the dichotomous nature of the retail industry – brick-and-mortar vs e-commerce; high growth vs steady growth; US vs International; actual vs market expectations. This report provides an in depth comparative analysis between Walmart and Amazon. We will first summarize the industry and these companies, followed by an analysis of market position and financials, and finally an

Wal-Mart is arguably the most dynamic corporation in the last 50 years in the United States, if not the world. Arising from its beginnings in Bentonville, Arkansas, it has grown to over 4,400 discount stores, super centers and corner markets worldwide. Wal-Mart continues to expand despite public criticism of its labor practices as well as complaints about their treatment of competitors. The many strengths of Wal-Mart, like their low cost production and marketing practices, will aid Wal-Mart as it continues to grow in the retail

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis and evaluation of the two retail conglomerates: Amazon and Walmart. Their operational strategy relative to customer value proposition was thoroughly examined to assist in measuring market and operational performance and overall financial health of the companies. Subsequently, the following findings on the two companies will also be presented: a) value proposition b) alignment of operational strategy to value proposition, c) matching products, markets and strategies, d). Procurement methods, e). Risk management, f). Information systems and management, g). Operational excellence, h). Operational flexibility, i). Sustainability and j). Resiliency. The cumulative results of the analysis reveals that Amazon is the clear winner over a 10-year financial investment horizon. They manage their operation relative to their customer value proposition effectively which in turn has had a positive effect on their overall financial health. As of this year, their stocks and market capitalization is worth more than Walmart, Costco, Target, Macy’s and Kohl’s combined (Bukhari, 2017). It is not the largest retailer in the

A Balanced Scorecard can be defined as a “performance management tool which began as a concept for measuring whether the smaller-scale operational activities of a company are aligned with its larger-scale objectives in terms of vision and strategy” (Wikipedia 2009, ¶ 1). Scents & Things will need to develop a balanced scorecard that will assist in meeting and help define the company’s values, mission, vision, and SWOT analysis. The balance scorecard is made up of four perspectives; financial, customer, learning and growing, and internal process. This paper will define each of the four perspectives objectives, performance measures, targets, and initiatives. The paper will also show how the perspectives relate

Walmart is equally ranked among the highly valuable companies, in terms of market value, as well as the biggest grocery retailer where it generates more than 51% of its sales from the grocery business. This paper explores Walmart’s operation management with regard to supply chain characteristics, global business operations, production processes, the company commitment to quality and excellence, inventory methodologies, operational planning and movement towards lean processes (Massengill, 2013).

Companies Performance Management system need to concentrate on the overall improvement the way the company performs. They achieve this by managing the performances of all personnel within the company no matter who they may be. This can be attained by ensuring that everyone within the company truly understands what the overall mission and goals that have been set for them within the company. Performance Management system has a very distinct way that it can manage the performance of the entire company and as long as everyone understands the goals that the company sets forth than the company as a whole will meet those goals. The developmental objective is fulfilled by defining the training requirements of the employees based on the results of the reviews and diagnosis of the individual and organizational competencies. (MSG)

Walmart is a powerful retail brand. It has a reputation for value of money, convenience, and a wide range of products all in one store. Sam Walton’s original vision to run a successful chain of large discount and department stores has come true, to say the least. Walmart’s greatest strengths are the consumer understanding of low prices, their market clout, their competence in information technology, and their wide store and distribution network. These strengths – combined with several others, are what make Walmart the success that it has become today.