Case Study

How Walmart Uses Digital Twin Technology to Optimize Operations and Enhance Decision-Making

Results

Finding efficiencies, cutting costs, and embracing the future

“The journey we’re on is transforming our real estate business and the way we think and use data,” Hart enthuses. “I can’t imagine going back to a place where everything was reactive.”

In six months of implementing the Willow platform, Walmart identified and proactively addressed 842 potential failures across 20 stores. The company reduced downtime costs by 20% for critical systems like refrigeration, where equipment failure directly impacts product quality and can have significant downstream impacts. Walmart saved an estimated $1.4M in downtime costs overall.

The more Walmart embraces Willow’s digital twin, the more business cases appear. “We’ve only scratched the surface in what this tech can do to move the business forward,” Hart says.

Zanes advises other retailers to consider a new generation of employees who expect technology in the workplace, no matter the industry. “You’ve got to build your business based on future states and how people operate and think,” he explains. “So think about how you embrace that technology and your future workforce.”

Crecelius says retailers should get ahead of the game by starting with one or two use cases where a digital twin could improve their business, because the technology is inevitable for the industry.

It’s a huge game-changer for retail. It’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ and at what pace retailers adopt this technology.”
John Crecelius, former SVP, Associate & Next Generation Product, Walmart.

Company Profile

Walmart is the world’s largest company by revenue. The retailer operates over 10,500 brick-and- mortar stores and numerous e-commerce sites in 19 countries. It is also the world’s largest
private employer, with 2.1 million employees—nearly 1.6 million in the U.S. alone.