Supply Chain Optimization

Grit…not Genius

“Modern wars are won by grinding, not by genius” – Cathal J Nolan.  This may apply to the e-commerce war between Walmart and Amazon.  News from the RILA Supply Conference and other sources show Walmart exceeded expectations with comparable e-commerce sales up in Q4 2018, and in 2018 overall.  Amazon remains at the top, but it appears that the momentum in e-commerce growth may have shifted for now. 

Why?
  • Walmart focused investment on pick-up (in-store or curbside) – leveraging their ‘best-in-class” supply chain and massive store network
  • Amazon is countering with cost-cutting – in-sourcing logistics, including last-mile delivery
Time will tell, but I predict the company that invests long-term in their people, technology, customer experience, and culture of ‘grit’ (not leadership genius) will come out on top.
( Written by Guest Columnist Mike Green