dvantage, however, has been its ability to offer not only the exceptionally low prices it is famous for, but the concomitant convenience and pleasant shopping experience that most other discount retailers fall short on: excellent customer service, a friendly atmosphere, and rare out-of-stock shortages. These extra commodities are the result, first, of a focus on people, and second, of a precisely tuned, high-technology supply chain management system that is state of the art.
ôBar coding and radio frequency technologies enabled accurate distribution of goods. Cross-docking also helped Wal-Mart to reduce inventory storage costs. It also helped to cut down the labor and other handling costs involved in the loading and unloading of goodsö (ôWal-Mart's Supply Chain Management Practices: The Benefits Reapedö).
The technological advantages cannot be overlooked in auditing Wal-MartÆs stre
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