Top Supply Chain Management Solutions Providers

WWW.THEENTERPRISEWORLD.COM | AMERICAS EDITION | DECEMBER 2023

LIVERPOOL: The Gem of England

How did WALMART become a powerhouse in the retail industry?

TOP

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Solutions Providers.

Eli Cherkasky | COO

Making the World a Safe and Transparent Place to Succeed: A Look at the Operational

TRANSFORMATION OF

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The result is a seamless and agile system that not only reduces costs but also improves overall operational effectiveness, enabling businesses to navigate the complexities of the global marketplace with unprecedented simplicity and efficiency.

Featuring for The Enterprise World’s this issue of Top Supply Chain Management Solutions Providers are the stories of such companies.

For the cover read about Exiger’s mission is to make the world a more safe and transparent place to succeed.

Supply chain crises have made headline news for years now – from the pandemic to cyber-attacks to global geopolitical conflicts. The need was apparent. It became clear to the founders that there’s no better place for Exiger to help its customers restore confidence and stability - and to succeed - than in the volatile, highly-regulated supply chain risk management market.

“We’re called to this mission. And by responding to this call with sustainable, sophisticated AI solutions, we’ve been able to play a small part in addressing some of the existential issues that plague society at large like modern slavery and child labor,” said Exiger COO Eli Cherkasky. The biggest asset and – at the same time – the biggest problem businesses face today is the sheer volume of data they encounter on a daily basis. Today’s supply chain stakeholders (supply chain officers, procurement officers, CISOs, compliance leaders and counterintelligence officers) are drowning in more data than they could ever hope to manage.

That’s where Exiger’s solutions come in. The team realized that in building a supply chain technology business, the key was to get the customers closer to trustworthy, understandable and actionable insights to make critical business decisions fast, rather than giving them more data.

Shalmali W.

From Editor’s Desk

I

n an era marked by globalization and intricate supply networks, supply chain management companies are revolutionizing logistics by simplifying and enhancing efficiency. These entities employ advanced technologies and strategic methodologies to streamline the flow of goods from manufacturers to consumers. By optimizing processes, minimizing bottlenecks, and harnessing data-driven insights, supply chain management firms are redefining the landscape of modern logistics.

CONTENTS

1 0 Exiger

upshot Liverpool: The Gem of England

20 article

Private label foo manufacturing

How did Walmart become a powerhouse in the retail industry?

26 CASE STUDY

32 Review

SlickText Review

40

COVER STORY

Making the World a Safe and Transparent Place to Succeed: A Look at the Operational Transformation of Exiger

Eli Cherkasky | COO

10 | December 2023

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 11

COVER STORY

S

upply chain visibility has gone from a nice-to-have to a must-have for all businesses as the global risk landscape becomes increasingly complex and interdependent. Effective supply chain management has become a prerequisite for managing costs, improving productivity, empowering procurement, avoiding disruptions in production and distribution, achieving sustainability and scalability, and ensuring regulatory compliance.

In this article, we will explore the role of AI in modern supply chain management and look at one of the tech companies at the forefront of this innovation through the lens of their COO, who has led an operational transformation over the past two years.

Featured for The Enterprise World’s issue of Top Supply Chain Management Solutions Providers is the story of Exiger, a company making the world a safe and transparent place to succeed.

12 | December 2023

Supply Chain Becomes Mission Critical Exiger’s mission is to make the world a more safe and transparent place to succeed.

Supply chain crises have made headline news for years now – from the pandemic to cyber-attacks to global geopolitical conflicts. The need was apparent. It became clear to the founders that there’s no better place for Exiger to help its customers restore confidence and stability - and to succeed - than in the volatile, highlyregulated supply chain risk management market.

“We’re called to this mission. And by responding to this call with sustainable, sophisticated AI solutions, we’ve been able to play a small part in addressing some of the existential issues that plague society at large like modern slavery and child labor,” said Exiger COO Eli Cherkasky. The biggest asset and – at the same time – the biggest problem businesses face today is the sheer volume of data they encounter on a daily basis. Today’s supply chain stakeholders (supply chain officers, procurement officers, CISOs, compliance leaders and counterintelligence officers) are drowning in more data than they could ever hope to manage.

That’s where Exiger’s solutions come in. The team realized that in building a supply chain technology business, the key was to get the customers closer to trustworthy, understandable and actionable insights to make critical business decisions fast, rather than giving them more data.

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 13

Exiger’s X Factor: What Differentiates the Company from its Competitors?

Exiger is the only platform that offers companies

manage structured and unstructured data. On the

end-to-end supply chain management solutions.

fly, it can tell you who your current suppliers are,

Their products span everything from supplier

who your current partners are, and who your

vetting and risk management all the way through

current customers are – assessing an enormous

operational orchestration of supply chains.

volume of data.

Additionally, it is the only platform where customers can address every type of supply chain issue and make all of their supply chain decisions within their 1Exiger platform.

Exiger is also differentiated by its award-winning AI. “Our tech is truly at the cutting edge of natural language processing,” said Cherkasky.

The company has built an open-source platform that does not require indexing, constant maintenance, continuous data normalization or even data warehousing for it to be effective.

Exiger has reinvented the way organizations

‘‘

“Another factor that has always differentiated Exiger is the fact that we are practitioners.”

Exiger is not just deploying tech for tech’s sake.

They are using the technology to further empower risk management. The team understands not just the supply chain, but also the needs of all the stakeholders within the customer’s organizations.

“We’ve also worked with the U.S. Federal Government to create the gold standard of proprietary risk scoring models that can be applied to all industry participants,” added Cherkasky.

ANOTHER FACTOR THAT HAS ALWAYS DIFFERENTIATED EXIGER IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE PRACTITIONERS.

14 | December 2023

COVER STORY

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Transforming the Organization Cherkasky is responsible for global shared services – the functions that serve as the backbone of the organization. This includes everything from talent & culture and training to IT. Cherkasky’s team’s primary job is to empower every team member to give their best, learn more and hit new professional heights while ensuring they have all the functional capabilities to do their job.

With this mission as their North Star, the team has embarked on several coordinated operational initiatives over the past two years to achieve cost savings across the business while also investing back into the employees.

“We’ve changed the way the organization purchases data to make more of our contracts fixed and fully leverageable, allowing us to realize greater scale. We also reduced data and hosting costs through a series of measures, including process improvements and software development. This simultaneously drove productivity gains by augmenting training, standardizing and amplifying our product offering, and implementing workflow changes. These initiatives delivered nearly $20 million in annual cost savings,” said Cherkasky.

These valuable savings allowed Exiger to achieve profitability and reinvest in the things that matter most to the team and to Exiger as a whole: Growth – through sales and marketing; the product – through a UX redesign and AI development; and, most importantly, its people – through better health insurance, salary increases and other benefits like discretionary time off.

Cherkasky says the leadership team at Exiger take their responsibility very seriously, and that has been the most rewarding thing, as their efforts have been able to pay dividends to the business and in employees’ lives.

16 | December 2023

Cherkasky’s Advice to the New Entrepreneurs “So many companies in the tech space put technology first when really people are your most valuable asset.

This is a people business – we’re serving our employees who create and deliver technology. We’re serving the people in our customers’ organizations that deploy our technology.

And we’re serving the people that are the end beneficiaries of our technology, whether that means their healthcare data is more secure, their products are free from child labor or they’re liberated from modern slavery.”

COVER STORY

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STORIES TOLD WITH A NEW PERSPECTIVE! If conveyed in an engaging manner, good stories can develop into great ones. At The Enterprise World, we are on a pursuit to give voice to some of the untold success stories from the world of business. Our proficient team has the knack for identifying successful stories and transforming them into compelling stories through our professional and artistic touch. This, combined with our proven industry experience, make our magazines compelling and insightful.

In these business stories, we cover clients across various sectors such as technology, consulting, finance, manufacturing, healthcare, etc. These include inspiring success stories of companies as well as business leaders from these verticals. From North & South America, Europe, and Middle-east to Africa and APAC, we serve clients across the globe.

These clients include startups, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), as well as large conglomerates.

We focus on building positive and long-term relationships with our clients. To align with the client's vision and mission, we give a human touch to every story we publish. Our team prioritizes the promotion of services and products of clients through our readerfriendly platform. Our experience in storytelling helps us connect with the featured leaders/companies, helping them achieve steady organic growth without having to invest too much time or money.

We also keep in mind our avid readers. Through these neatly-depicted business success stories, we aim to inspire the younger generation to pursue entrepreneurship and business as a lucrative career option. Moreover, through our exclusive section 'The Enterprise Diary', we provide readers with the much-necessary market insights and trends from the business world.

Keep reading our magazine to get inspired and stay up-to-date with everything business!

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20 | December 2023

ERPOOL The Gem of England

Liverpool, a city located in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in North West England, is famous for multiple reasons. The music scene, football teams, culture, friendly faces, maritime history, and so on. All of us know the rock band The Beatles belonged from here. The Hollywood actress Jodie Comer, the two professional football teams, and the nightlife, all these are the breath-taking elements here.

When you notice all these elements around you, you're in Liverpool, my dear friend!

The multi-faceted attributes of the city make it different from other cities. With a population of 9,17,000, the city's two football teams enjoy a huge fanbase. Delve a little deeper into the city and you will discover a few things that could exhilarate your experience of this gem of a brilliant UK city. During the late 19th and early 20th century, the city was most famous for being a port. Liverpool is on the east side of River Mersey. It became a borough in 1207 and a city in 1880.

In 1889, the city became separate from Lancashire. The number of national museums in Liverpool is very high, except London, of course! A person who will visit there will find all sorts of interesting things to do during the stay. The history, the culture, the visuals around the city, and the museums, all of it is worth going.

Liverpool Attractions: Not only The Beatles, there are more reasons to be fascinated by the beauty of the city. Several indoor and outdoor attractions can be enjoyed by people.

The Formby Squirrel Reserve is right around the corner from Crosby Beach. The "Iron Men" sculptures can be seen famed by Antony Gormley's.

The glittering Albert Dock is home to a variety of great museums and art galleries in Liverpool. It also includes the Tate Liverpool and the Mersey Maritime Museum. Sefton Park is a 235-acre Grade I-listed park with enough for families. The city also has a surplus of free attractions and things to do.

Scouse or Scousers?

One is the name of a dish, while the other is a nickname used for people. So, scouse is the term used for a filling stew made of beef, carrots, onions, and potatoes. It is guessed to be a version of Norweigan Labskaus, that was brought to the city hundreds of years ago by visiting sailors. The delicacy is still served in many pubs and eateries in the city today.

The local people in the city are addressed as Scousers or Liverpudlians. After a long day of strolling in the city, at the end of the day you need to feel satiated, you can always find a good place serving the delicacy. Grab a local scouser with you to have the scouse, how does that sound?

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Interesting Facts About Liverpool: 1. A Hub for Museums: With a count of 10 museums to visit, a person who is inquisitive by nature will learn a new thing or two over here. You can make a list of museums and keep ticking after completing each one of them. Almost all interests are covered, and all of them are free to enter too. A great place to begin with the museum stroll is the Royal Albert Dock.

2. Cavern Club and The Beatles are inseparable: Even though the original Cavern Club does not exist, the original arches of the building can be seen. The Fantastic Four grew up in the same area and had started performing some of their very first shows in the city.

With a count of over 292 performances at the iconic Cavern Club, the renovated club has Beatles memorabilia and is a remarkable place to listen to music.

3. The Chinese Connection: Liverpool dons the hat of hosting the oldest Chinatown events. London and Manchester host the biggest Chinatowns in the UK. The Chinese community, for centuries, has trading links with Liverpool city that allured immigrants, sailors, and traders from all over the globe. Another interesting fact about Liverpool City is the arch of Liverpool's Chinatown. The lavish structure was decked with hundreds of dragons and two magnificent lions.

4. Largest Cathedral in the UK: 74 years was the time taken to build this cathedral. Yes, that's right! We aren't joking.

At 189 meters long and 101 meters tall at its highest point, it truly is humongous. The Anglican Cathedral holds the title of the largest cathedral in the UK. If you plan to explore the gorgeous Georgian Quarter you will not want to miss this monument. Located on St. James Mount, it is worth the visit.

22 | December 2023

5. A wet dock: The best hidden gem is the 300-year-old dock that lies underneath Liverpool ONE. Opened in 1715, the clever design allowed ships to unload cargo without worrying about the tides of the River Mersey estuary.

It took 5 years to build and cost three million pounds in today's monetary calculation. The immense hard work and dedication helped Liverpool become the best trading port on the planet.

6. Jaw-dropping cultural diversity: According to a study, 51% of Liverpudlians speak a language different from English a home. A whopping 60 different languages are spoken by the residents daily. Back in the 1830s, when the first ship came into the city carrying silk, tea, and cotton, the Chinese community continued to grow for centuries. The Chinatown in Liverpool is still on a roll to date.

7. Outbreak of Tropical Diseases: Liverpool's Overseas Trade was founded by Sir Alfred Lewis Jones in November 1898. It resulted in the outbreak of tropical diseases. Sir Alfred donated 350 pounds to establish a School of Tropical Medicine, the first of its kind. It provided cutting-edge research and teaching ever since which included co-relating Malaria and mosquito bites.

8. Liverpool means muddy pool: Last but not least the most interesting fact is the history of the city's name. The origin of the name comes from the old English words "lifer" which means muddy or thick water, and pol means pool or creek. Muddy Pool doesn't sound as trendy as Liverpool. In 1190, the first written record was as Liverpul. Later, according to the Cambridge Dictionary of English place-names, the very first reference was of a pool or a tidal creek, so later it got changed to Liverpool.

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Things To Avoid

In Liverpool: a. Being unprepared for the changeable weather: Liverpool resides on the northwest coast of England along with the Irish Sea. This region of the world is famous for unsettled weather. The Atlantic Ocean can bring windy and rainy days even when it's sunny. So be prepared to face constant weather changes. b. Avoid Taxis when exploring: There isn't much of a point in taking taxis when you're in the mood to stroll around the city. Geographically, the city is quite small and we're sure you do not want to waste your money on taxi fares, do you? For a fact, the walk from Royal Albert Docks to the City Centre is not even a 10-minute one. From there again if you walk for 10 minutes, you'll be at the University of Liverpool in the Knowledge Quarter. c. Avoid eating at tourist restaurants: If you're a foodie and want some authentic Liverpool taste, head to a local restaurant. Of course, you can eat at a franchise restaurant, but then you will miss out on down-to-earth cafes, neighborhood pubs, and even finedine bars. d. No mocking the Scouse accent: The Liverpudlian accent is one of the most pronounced in the UK. When talking to a local, you'll hear a mix of English and Irish. With the waves of immigration that emerged in Liverpool, you might feel the urge to copy the accent when talking to a local. The locals get offended and may roll their eyes, so it is better to avoid this common pitfall.

24 | December 2023

Private Label Food Manufacturing:

How They Help Grow Business?

If you are in the food manufacturing industry, you have surely heard about private-label food manufacturers.

In recent times, an increasing number of businesses have turned to private-label food manufacturing as a means to expand their operations and cater to evolving consumer demands. Private-label food manufacturing offers several advantages for businesses, including brand visibility, strengthened customer loyalty, and increased prot margins.

In case you are thinking of implementing private-label food manufacturing but are unaware of this phenomenon, this guide is for you.

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This guide will explore how private-label food manufacturing can facilitate business growth and success in today's market.

1. Enhanced Brand Visibility One of the benefits of private-label food manufacturing is the amplified exposure it affords to business brands. Through offering label products, businesses can reach an audience and gain a greater presence in the marketplace. When consumers come across a label product on store shelves, they often become curious about the underlying brand and may be more inclined to explore other offerings from the same company.

Additionally, private-label supplement manufacturers enable businesses to leverage existing customer loyalty. Many consumers already exhibit allegiance toward stores or retailers and trust the quality of their private-label products. By partnering with these retailers and producing label food items, businesses can tap into this established customer base while simultaneously boosting their brand exposure.

2. Strengthened Customer Loyalty Private-label food manufacturing also plays a role in bolstering customer loyalty for businesses.

In today's market, consumers are increasingly seeking out high-quality products that align with their needs and preferences. By offering labeled food items, businesses can cater to these demands. Establish stronger connections with their customers.

When customers discover a labeled food product they truly enjoy, they are more likely to become repeat purchasers. May even become enthusiastic advocates

28 | December 2023

enthusiastically recommending the product to their loved ones. This wordof-mouth promotion can have an impact on a business's growth and overall success.

3. Better Control Over Production Furthermore, through private-label food manufacturing, businesses gain control over the production process—from recipe development to packaging design. This level of control empowers businesses to ensure product quality, fostering greater customer loyalty. By delivering quality products, businesses can establish themselves as reliable providers and cultivate a dedicated customer base.

4. Increased Profitability Private-label food manufacturing offers opportunities for businesses to boost their profit margins. By producing their label products, businesses eliminate the need for intermediaries and can directly sell to consumers or retailers. This reduces production costs and, ultimately, enhances profitability.

Moreover, private-label food manufacturing enables businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors and command prices for their products.

Many private-label food products offer qualities such as gluten-free options.

By catering to needs or preferences, companies can justify higher prices and achieve better profit margins.

5. Better Control Over Supply Chain Furthermore, private-label food production allows businesses to have control over their supply chain and potentially reduce manufacturing costs. By partnering with manufacturers, companies can negotiate prices and secure high-

quality ingredients at a lower expense. These savings can then be passed on to consumers or reinvested in the business for growth.

6. Provides Business with Flexibility and Adaptability Additionally, private-label food production provides businesses with the flexibility and adaptability needed to succeed in today's fastpaced market. By outsourcing the production process, companies can focus on their core strengths, like branding, marketing, and customer service.

Moreover, private-label food production enables businesses to respond quickly to changing consumer trends and preferences. For instance, if there is a surge in demand for plant-based products, companies can collaborate with manufacturers to develop and produce label plantbased food items. This agility allows businesses to stay ahead of competitors and seize market opportunities.

Conclusion In summary, private-label food manufacturing offers advantages for companies seeking growth and success in today's competitive market.

Private-label food manufacturing offers benefits for businesses regardless of their size. These advantages include increased brand visibility, customer loyalty, improved profit margins, and enhanced flexibility. By collaborating with manufacturers and creating notch private-label products, companies can experience remarkable growth, expand their market presence, and outperform their competitors.

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# STORIES TOLD WITH A NEW PERSPECTIVE!

If you haven’t learned any lesson from the crisis, it’s time to think about it before it happens again.

www.theenterpriseworld.com

-Michael Gareau CEO / Founding President STARPAX BIOPHARMA

HOW DID

BECOME A POWERHOUSE IN THE RETAIL INDUSTRY? 32 | December 2023

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Whether it is a party on the weekend or just regular grocery shopping, Walmart is always preferred by U.S. citizens. If you are a tenant living on your own or you have a family to feed, Walmart products are affordable as well as accessible. Though Walmart has become a huge brand in the retail industry, it has faced ups and downs and still stands as the retail powerhouse.

Have you ever thought what would have been its journey? What are the marketing strategy techniques that made it a successful company? In this article, you will delve into the basic know-how of Walmart and understand its journey closely.

Being a multinational powerhouse in the retailing industry, Walmart is based in the United States of America. Its various department stores focus their services on middle-class and lower-middle-class people. According to Fortune Globe 500, the company stands as the second-largest public corporation in the world. Today, it is one of the most valuable companies in the world that employing more than 2 million people. The organization is based in Bentonville, Arkansas. In 2009, it earned 51 percent of its $258 billion in sales from the U.S. grocery business.

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THE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF ESTABLISHMENT 1945

1945: Sam Walton bought a Franklin franchise variety store, located at Newport. The moment served as a stepping stone for his future retail ventures.

1962

1962: The first official store was inaugurated in Rogers by Sam Walton. It was mainly focused on providing customers with a wide range of products at lower prices.

1969

1969: In this year, the company developed into a publicly traded company, that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, under the symbol "WMT."

1970

1970s-1980s: The rapid expansion of the company took place across the United States where various stores opened and grew into the dominant force of the retail industry. The company emerged with a new strategy of "Everyday Low Prices" (EDLP) in which efficient customers were targeted and it included dynamic Walmart products.

1983

1983: In Washington, Missouri, the first Supercenter was launched. It combined the concept of the traditional discount store with grocery store along with a traditional discount store which will give a one-stop shopping experience to consumers.

1991

1991: The company started expanding its ventures outside the boundaries of the United States. The first international store was set up in Mexico City, Mexico. The event marked the beginning of its global expansion.

2000

2000s: The company was expanding its business on both domestic as well as international levels. The Walmart Neighbourhood Market was introduced which included smaller grocery-focused stores and emphasized its commitment to satisfy customers at low prices.

2005

2005: The sustainability business program was launched which was aimed at turning the company into the environment-friendly one. Catering to this, several initiatives were commenced incorporating waste reduction, less energy consumption, and promoting sustainable sourcing.

2010

2010s: The focus was shifted to e-commerce and digital innovation to leverage technological upgradation to succeed in the retail industry. The organization started acquiring e-commerce companies like Jet.com and spent on improving online shopping experiences. This is how it stayed ahead of every competitor in the market.

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2020

2020s: Consumer preferences were put forward and expanded into other international markets. The company was targeting organic products to meet its commitment to uplift farmers of the country. It is evolving every day and adapting itself to technological advancements.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS Being a retail giant, Walmart revolutionized the industry with its low-cost business model. It nurtured exceptional customer service along with an extensive product range. Due to prioritizing affordability and convenience, Walmart has become a common household name. Today it is serving millions of customers at the international level and maintaining its position as a leader in the retail industry. Its mergers and acquisition deals have become headlines not just in US newspapers but also in worldwide news.

The organization has encountered cultural challenges during acquisitions and mergers that took place in its journey. Due to human resource negligence issues, some of its mergers and acquisitions failed miserably, however, it demonstrated how cultural issues are not considered when international business affairs arrive. For example in the Argentinian Market, the company experienced insensitivity to the culture of Germans, South Koreans, and Latin America. It added to employee demotivation due to which the company became incapable of competing with others.

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Success Strategy Every successful organization builds its unique strategy which gives successful results and creates benchmarks for others to follow. If you want to build your business on the larger platform then read these tactics applied by Sam Walton: 1. Emphasis on low prices: The famous “Everyday Low Prices” strategy emphasizes life-essential products whose prices are kept low to target middle-class and lower-class people. It helped products to gain a wide customer base. The company cracked the budget-conscious shoppers and values their convenience.

2. Large-scale operations: Walmart stores are operated in around 27 countries and its massive scale allows them to negotiate lower prices with suppliers and spread fixed costs across many stores. Such larger-scale operations allowed the company to deal with investors and build trust with them. According to records, its customer experience was enhanced due to deals cracked at higher management levels.

3. Innovation and technology: Being a leader in the retail industry, Walmart was among the first companies that leveraged a cashless payment system, barcoding, etc. With the help of technology, it improved the customer experience and invented new operational techniques. For example, the company has spent heavily in the field of e-commerce and has innovated technologies, such as its automated pickup towers and its use of robots to clean floors and track inventory.

4. Prioritizing employee satisfaction: It is better known as a tough employer in the market, however, the company made efforts to revamp working conditions and enhance employee satisfaction in recent years. In 2019, the company increased its starting wage to $11 per hour and offered

38 | December 2023

additional employee social and economic benefits.

Disease Control and Prevention to close retail stores in the area.

5. Strong corporate culture: The strong work culture incorporates efficiency, frugality, and customer service. Sam Walton, founder of the organization known for his hands-on leadership style and commitment to serving customers. He made sure that similar leadership values were passed down to subsequent generations of leaders.

3. Sustainability/ Environmental Issue:

Overall, there are various factors that contributed to the growth and development of Walmart and the company emerged as a giant in the retail industry.

Challenges 1. Ethical Issues: Regardless of being the largest private employer worldwide, Walmart has faced ethical issues with respect to gender discrimination, exploitation, and compensation of workers.

Moreover, the higher management took a stance against developing worker's unions that could work to improve working conditions. In 2013, National Labor Relations sued the company due to its low wages. It was proved that the company had violated the rights of employees and imposed illegal restrictions. Despite the pressure from employees, it suspended workers who participated in the strikes, which eventually led to employee turnover.

2. COVID-19 Pandemic: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 60 stores were closed and the Omicron variant disrupted the retail industry. The crisis situation restricted direct contact with customers and limited their access to various retail services. For instance, in Maryland, a store was shut down due to the high emergence of COVID cases among the communities. Soon, it was recommended by The Centers for

According to Food and Water Watch and the Institute, Walmart stores are not following performance standards based on environmental protection.

The company ran into the issue of vending substandard products as it reduces the durability and quality of goods. Issues of reduction of waste, lagging behind renewable energy sources, overuse of electricity, etc were the most prominent ones. Today, Walmart has taken a long time goal to operate 100 percent renewable power and leverage technology for sustainable development.

Walmart International People prefer Walmart due to its lower and sustainable products which help them to save money and live better. To bring value and convenience to millions of customers, Walmart International is operating in 19 countries outside the U.S. The unique global perspective of the company builds connections and brings innovations to the market to make customers' lives easier. Moreover, strategic partnerships are built through equity investments to support core businesses.

Walmart International is building a strong strategy that includes small and medium businesses and simultaneously generates growth for the company and partners.

Ultimately, it leaves a positive impact on stakeholders.

Walmart International includes more than 5,100 retail units and approximately 550,000 associates around the world.

Additionally, the products are sold by the Global Sourcing Unit which includes apparel, homeware, jewelry, hardlines, and more throughout the world. The unit is upholding the reputation of the company as the most trusted retailer in the world, by regularly auditing the practices of suppliers and working with them through the Walmart Responsible Sourcing Program to help them meet high standards.

FAQs 1. How many Walmart stores are active?

Globally, there are 10,500 active Walmart stores and 20 Sam's Clubs US in 27 countries. Before FY2023, the company will be employing 2.1 million associates worldwide.

2. What time Walmart is closing?

The closing and opening times of Walmart stores vary according to the area.

However, most of them are opening at 7 am and close at 8.30 pm.

3. What is Sam's Club US? An American chain of membership, Sam's Club US is the only retail warehouse club owned and operated by Walmart Inc. It was established in 1983 and named after Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, Sam's Wholesale Club.

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40 | December 2023

REVIEW •Founder: Matt Baglia •Founded: 2012 •Headquarters: Jamestown, NY •Number of Employees: 11-50 •Website: https://www.slicktext.com/

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Overview Yes, knowing your target audience or customers is important. But do you know what is even more important?

Targeting your audience in such a way that would drive them to take action that is beneficial for your business.

One of the popular methods today that leverages this method is SMS marketing. Within the SMS Marketing industry, SlickText is a prominent player, and according to their website, the #1 rated marketing service today.

Through the easy-to-use interface of SlickText, you can create valuable bonds with your customers that drive business. In addition, SlickText offers 15+ native integrations and over 4000 more through Zapier to help you grow your lists, ingest subscriber data, and automate productivity.

Today, thousands of marketers across North America are using SlickText’s integration to grow e-commerce revenue, nurture leads, build email lists, send text blasts, and more.

How SlickText was Founded?

After graduating from Fredonia State University, Co-founder Matt Baglia was researching non-traditional marketing channels for business owners. Feeling discontent with the reach of email and social media, what appealed to him was text messaging and its under-adopted marketing method.

With a background in product management and marketing, Matt thought developing SlickText would prove to be a great move. A lot of hard work went into the product and translated to SlickText serving thousands of customers and becoming an industry leader through usability, message quality, and customer service.

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Features 1.Text to Join People can text to join your SMS lists by sending a keyword to your dedicated number or shortcode.

Use SlickText’s marketing tools to advertise your keywords and SlickText will organize and build your contact list.

2.Opt-in Forms Build mobile-friendly opt-in forms that can be used as a landing page, at kiosks, on tablets, or embedded on your website. SlickText, with its Form Builder, makes the task of building a form hasslefree. No knowledge of design or coding is required.

3.Website Popups Popup enables you to effortlessly grow your text messaging lists by presenting website visitors with an opt-in form as you browse. The earlier you capture the visitor info in their site experience, the better it will be for you to maximize list growth potential and conversion.

4.Text Surveys Quickly collect valuable information for your business through SMS Surveys. Whether you are looking for people to vote or gather feedback in general, SlickText makes everything easy for you.

5.SMS Auto-responders Build mobile-friendly opt-in forms that can be used as a landing page, at kiosks, on tablets, or embedded on your website. SlickText, with its Form Builder, makes the task of building a form hasslefree. No knowledge of design or coding is required.

6.Automated Workflows Automated workflows provide tailored messaging for leads and customers based on their behaviors.

The combination of workflows and automation marketing can be leveraged to create e-commerce abandoned cart sequences to SMS chatbots for fostering leads.

7.Text to Win Text to win helps you engage with your customers or target audience. It allows everyone to win something through a simple text. Thousands of businesses and organizations have achieved great success with their text-to-win contests. SlickText’s SMS Marketing software makes it easy for you to set up a contest and automate the process.

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Pricing and Plans

1. The Basic

2. The Step Up

3. The Lil Bro

4. The Big Bro

•$29/month •500 texts per month

•$49/month •1,000 textsper month

•$79/month •2,000 texts per month

•$139/month •3,600 texts per month

5. The Boss

6. The Albatross

7. The Whale

8. The Monstro

•$189/month •5,000 texts per month

•$350/month •10,000 texts per month

•$750/month •25,000 texts per month

•$1,250/month •50,000 texts per month

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Can I Download My Chat Thread?

Our inboxing feature allows subscribers to respond to the messages you send. With this tool, you can export your chat transcript for later reference. It's a handy little tool, accessible on a "per subscriber" basis.

To download a transcript, click on "Inbox" and select a chat thread that you wish to download. Once inside the chat thread, there will be an “open to download the transcript” at the top.

If I Reply STOP, Does It Remove Me Off All Lists?

The reply of STOP only removes a subscriber from the last list they had an interaction with. The user may continue to reply STOP as often as they would like, each time removing themselves from the previous list they are associated with. To be removed from all text lists on a specific short code number, simply reply STOP ALL at any time.

Does SlickText Offer a Free Trial?

Yes! SlickText offers a free 2-week trial. The free plan offers access to the mass texting service, including text word, auto-reply, birthday capture, and more.

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