Walmart’s Supplier One is here to stay

What’s good, Vendorville.

Today, being a Walmart supplier can sometimes feel like trying to operate a nuclear energy plant with the mental faculties of Homer Simpson. Every day, new changes enter the mix, adding one more ball to juggle.

As Supplier One takes on a bigger role in the Walmart ecosystem, understanding how to use it effectively has never been more important, which is why we have put together this guide.

Supplier One User Manual

This guide will be helpful for expanding your knowledge on some of the newer elements of Supplier One. Check it out if you want to learn more about:

Order Management
Items and Inventory
Ship Point Management
Payments and Deductions
Reports
Step-by-step instructions for navigating the application

Going Back to Basics

What is Supplier One?

One of the most difficult things about operating the largest corporation that has ever existed is keeping everything organized. Walmart has the operating budget of a small country. Keeping all of its ducks in a row is a colossal task.

Supplier One is a major step in the right direction for helping suppliers to understand some of their key priorities. The Supplier One dashboard is helpful for breaking down which tasks Walmart most wants you to prioritize.

Top Tasks

There are a lot of supplier activities that can’t necessarily be done in Supplier One yet–think about disputing deductions or having conversations with your buyer. This Top Tasks dashboard will give you a sense of what Walmart believes your priorities should be.

With the growth of Supplier One, it becomes essential to distill the various activities across the apps (everything from item maintenance to order management) into a few actionable items.

One Step at a Time

Like any set of detailed instructions, when it comes to getting the most out of Supplier One, going step-by-step is essential. One mistake in item setup can cause ripple effects down the supply chain and in the books. 💵

Related Reading: What is Walmart's Supplier One?

It’s helpful to conceptualize how to get the most out of Supplier One through the example of item performance.

Step 1: Item Proposals

The first step in getting the item before the customer is a good item proposal.

Item proposal starts in the Setup Hub:

Supplier One > Items and Inventory > Setup Hub > Item Proposals > Add an item proposal

From there, suppliers need to add the ID Type and Product IDs. Then, you can add the required, recommended, and optional information on the item.

Step 2: Adding an Item

From there, once the supplier has received approval for the proposed items, they’ll need to be set up for processing in Walmart’s system.

Supplier One > Items and Inventory > Setup Hub > Items > Add an item

At this stage, what matters most is having the right specs for your item. Mistakes here can be very costly down the road. The more detailed and precise you can be at this point, the better. Not only can suppliers avoid fines by getting their item setup precise, but they can also maximize profits, especially in the eComm space, by adding in as much detail as possible.

Step 3: Item Maintenance

Once your items are set up you will never have to worry about anything ever again (😏). Just kidding! Just like anything else in the modern supply chain world, item data requires constant attention and occasional maintenance.

To update item (and other kinds of) data, go to:

Supplier One > Items and Inventory > Maintenance Hub

From there, depending on what needs updating, you could go in any number of directions. In the Maintenance Hub, you can update:

Product Information
Item Configuration
Cost
Inventory
Imagery
Rich Media

Say you want to change an item from in-store only sales to eComm. You would want to consider adding a significant amount of detail to everything from basic item info to rich media that would make the purchasing experience easier for Walmart’s eComm customers.

Unlike Barbosa’s take on the Pirate Code, these policies are more like rules than guidelines. A great way to stay competitive in your category and to grow your Walmart business is to get it right the first time.

Retailer News 🗞️

LinkedIn
Lowe's Acquires ADG for $1.3B

“Lowe's has acquired Artisan Design Group for $1.3 billion, the home improvement retailer's latest effort to expand its professional business amid ‘a soft housing market,’ Bloomberg reports.”

Supply Chain Dive

JB Hunt Faces Shipper Caution in Contract Negotiations

“Customers are holding out for better rates as tariffs and inflation continue to roil trucking markets, one analyst said.”

Supply Chain Dive

Trump's Tarrifs: Tracking the Status of International Trade Actions

“The U.S. has rolled out a deluge of tariffs, sparking responses from trading partners. Here’s where each tariff – threatened or realized – currently stands.”

⭐ Rick’s Tips ⭐

Rick’s always keeping an eye open for changes in Supplier One.

“It’s worth pointing out that Supplier One also has a deeper integration with Scintilla (the app formerly known as Luminate 🙏) these days!

Check out the Reports and Growth opportunity tabs in the left nav to learn more about the reporting app, particularly the benefits that come with a Charter subscription.

For some practical tips on getting the most out of Scintilla, check out How to Pull Reports in Scintilla.”

—Your Friendly Neighborhood Cursor

Let's Circle Back 🌀

If you haven’t had enough unscrambling of retailer apps, try out these! Unscramble each of these words related to Supply Chain.

UTCEMRNEOPR
IDNISTTIROBU
RUFILLMETLEN
AOEESUHRW
RTEOFSCA
ELDTIAME
SOGILTCIS
IULPPERS

With all our best wishes,

Vendorville ♥️

P.S. here’s the answer key!

procurement
distribution
fulfillment
warehouse
forecast
leadtime
logistics
supplier