Walmart’s SPARC initiative in spotlight again

On shelf availability at Walmart and the retailer’s newest technology tool will be the topic of discussion next week when Doing Business in Bentonville hosts an event on October 16 featuring a panel of speakers that includes Walmart’s director of supplier innovations Mike Graen.

The focus of the 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. breakfast session will be Walmart’s SPARC program, an initiative born out of the desire to improve the on shelf availability of products by creating a Supplier Portal Allowing Retail Coverage (SPARC).

The SPARC tool, which is available to suppliers through an app on their iPhone or Android device, provides account teams with real-time inventory information from Walmart stores. The technology gives suppliers access to up-to-the-minute inventory data allowing them to monitor on-shelf performance of products and make real-time stocking decisions anytime, anywhere. The program was first disclosed earlier this year and and over the summer a bare bone version of the tool was launched called SP Lite. Now the tool is ready for prime time and Walmart is rolling out SP 2.0.

In addition to Graen, other panelists include Bill Akins, vice president of client services at Rockfish Interactive and Michael Clark, director of retail strategy and execution at Kellogg.

For more information or to register to attend visit, http://www.doingbusinessinbentonville.com/