Swati Kirti, Sr Director of Data Science at Walmart, discusses Walmart's AI & data strategies, customer experience, supply chain optimization, scaling AI solutions, and innovation in retail with host Richie.
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Quick takeaways
Walmart uses data to personalize customer experience online, offering tailored recommendations and improving browsing efficiency.
Walmart leverages AI and data analytics to optimize supply chain operations, enhancing inventory planning, demand forecasting, and route optimization.
Deep dives
Use of Data and AI in Retail
Data and AI play a crucial role in the retail ecosystem, impacting various aspects such as merchandising decisions, supply chain management, and enhancing customer experiences. These technologies enable automation, provide better insights to business stakeholders, and enhance user experiences across different channels like stores, clubs, and online platforms.
Data Science Department at Walmart
Swati Kirti leads a centralized team of data scientists and engineers at Walmart, focusing on driving AI and ML product development to support international businesses. The team develops tailored AI solutions for different markets while collaborating with product managers, application engineering teams, business users, and UX designers.
Improving Customer Experience with Data
Data is utilized to personalize the online shopping experience by curating information based on customer preferences, offering personalized recommendations, and enhancing the overall browsing and shopping journey. In physical stores, data-driven strategies ensure customers find products efficiently, creating a seamless and satisfying shopping experience.
AI in Supply Chain at Walmart
AI and data analytics are instrumental in optimizing Walmart's supply chain operations, including inventory planning, demand forecasting, and route optimization. These technologies help in managing inventory efficiently, optimizing transportation routes, and enhancing the overall supply chain strategies for improved operational efficiency.
There aren’t many retail giants like Walmart. In fact, there are none. The multinational generates 650bn in revenue, (including 50bn in eCommerce)—the highest revenue of any retailer globally. With over 10,000 stores worldwide and a constantly evolving product line, Walmart’s data & AI function has a lot to contend with when it comes to customer experience, demand forecasting, supply chain optimization and where to use AI effectively. So how do they do it? What can we learn from one of the most successful and well-known organizations on the planet?
Swati Kirti is a Senior Director of Data Science, leading the AI/ML charter for Walmart Global Tech’s international business in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Chile, China, and South Africa. She is responsible for building AI/ML models and products to enable automation and data-driven decisions, powering superior customer experience and realizing value for omnichannel international businesses across e-commerce, stores, supply chain, and merchandising.
In the episode, Swati and Richie explore the role of data and AI at Walmart, how the data and AI teams operate under Swati’s supervision, how Walmart improves customer experience through the use of data, supply chain optimization, demand forecasting, retail-specific data challenges, scaling AI solutions, innovation in retail through AI and much more.