Walmart
In 2022, Walmart decided to prioritize its supplier experience by forming a dedicated Walmart Supplier team. Our mission was to design and deliver a robust platform tailored specifically to the needs of our suppliers, including key partners like Coca-Cola, Nabisco, Procter & Gamble, and Apple. Previously, supplier tools were a sub-group within merchandising, limiting their focus and innovation potential. Suppliers relied on fragmented, dated systems to manage essential aspects of their partnership with Walmart, such as product catalog maintenance, orders, and growth opportunities. The vision for this initiative was to create a single, streamlined portal that would centralize and enhance these interactions, making it easier for suppliers to work effectively and grow their business with Walmart.
We set out to build a platform from the ground up—a "0 to 1" endeavor where a strong foundation would enable rapid scaling and improvements. The new Supplier One platform aimed to unify disparate tools from our link farm 'Retail Link' and experiences into a cohesive system that would allow suppliers to engage with Walmart more seamlessly. To meet business goals, we were given a tight timeline: the platform had to be operational within two quarters.
Our team’s objective was twofold:
Understand Supplier Friction Points: We needed to deeply understand the current challenges suppliers faced when working with Walmart, identifying pain points across the entire supplier lifecycle.
Align with Business Goals: We also needed to align with Walmart’s goals to enhance customer satisfaction, increase speed and ease of supplier onboarding, and enable suppliers to manage their catalog and business operations effortlessly within the Walmart ecosystem.
To achieve these goals, we adopted a user-centered, collaborative approach:
Stakeholder Interviews: We began by engaging with Walmart’s business teams to define what success would look like. Success metrics included improving customer satisfaction, streamlining the onboarding process, simplifying catalog maintenance, and creating a more seamless business experience for suppliers.
Supplier Research and Observations: We interviewed and observed suppliers in their day-to-day interactions with Walmart tools to understand current workflows and pinpoint areas of friction. These insights highlighted frustrations with disjointed experiences, outdated interfaces, and the lack of a central, efficient portal.
Enterprise Design Consistency: Recognizing that many suppliers also advertise with Walmart, we collaborated closely with the advertising and seller teams. Implementing a consistent design system across both advertising and supplier experiences ensured a cohesive end-to-end experience, facilitating smoother transitions for suppliers who advertised.
Product and Engineering Collaboration: We worked hand-in-hand with product and engineering teams to define an MVP and set a launch timeline. By setting clear priorities and aligning on deliverables, we were able to accelerate the build and focus on delivering immediate value to users.
The Supplier One platform has been a transformative success, with remarkable outcomes:
Active User Growth: Within the first year, we reached 15,000 weekly active users on the platform.
Significant Feedback Improvement: The platform’s feedback score rose sharply from 30 to 72, reflecting enhanced usability, satisfaction, and a stronger supplier partnership.
Expansion of Capabilities: We launched 23 new capabilities, surpassing our initial goal of 15. These additions have improved user workflows, reduced friction, and supported supplier growth.
Enhanced User Experience: We introduced 15 new, fully redesigned experiences, making onboarding smoother, catalog management simpler, and daily tasks more intuitive for suppliers.
Through this project, we created a scalable, future-ready platform that not only meets suppliers' immediate needs but also supports Walmart's broader vision for a seamless supplier ecosystem. The new Supplier One platform positions Walmart as a collaborative partner, fostering long-term growth and success for suppliers at all levels.
