Moving at the Speed of a Pandemic

Product has become a force multiplier for Walmart. We’ve put a lot of effort into evolving the way we work?and today we’re all working together to solve?customer and associate challenges – that’s the secret.??

Perhaps the most important work we’ve taken on over the past 20 months is supporting Walmart’s COVID relief efforts.?When vaccines?first?became available, the execution of their rollout presented?us?with unique challenges.?Each?state had?their own?eligibility requirements, vaccine inventory was unpredictable,?vials required special handling?and our pharmacists needed to manage the increase in vaccine volume while also continuing their?usual?job?responsibilities.?

The challenge: Administering vaccines and providing?timely?COVID-related information.?We?had to design a trustworthy, agile, scalable and HIPAA-compliant experience that connected our customers to the most recent updates in their communities and made vaccine distribution manageable for our pharmacists.?

The solution: Our “four-in-the-box” operating model brought together representation from Product, Design, Technology and Business. That 4ITB team worked closely with pharmacists, doctors and other clinical experts to attack each problem that needed a solution. Each of the four areas offered different talents to ensure we were able to move nimbly – and as one. Their effective collaboration pushed us to improve our way of thinking.?

The results: We began with an online COVID hub that housed all our information – from testing locations to a new online vaccine scheduler that was built in a matter of weeks. The scheduler was customized for each Walmart location based on the vaccination eligibility requirements in their community. It changed constantly to keep pace as new state requirements were announced.?We also built in SMS-based appointment reminders for our customers, so they know when it’s time for their?second?vaccination?and prepared for any recommended boosters.???

Additionally, vaccine schedule management evolved for our pharmacists. We created a new tool that provided visibility and editing capabilities for the online patient scheduler. This allowed pharmacists to schedule second doses while customers were already there for their first.?

On top of this, about 4,000 of our stores are in medically underserved areas as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). We created a series of community events to administer the vaccine and drive higher vaccination rates in underserved and rural communities. Today, all 5,100?Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies are administering the vaccine. So far, we have administered millions of vaccines in the United States.??

In addition to managing the distribution of vaccines, we also heard customers’ concerns about carrying a paper vaccination card, especially in places where proof of vaccination is required for entry. In response, we were the first retailer to launch?a free digital vaccine record. We partnered with CLEAR and the Commons Project and leveraged VCI industry standards so customers could print, download or share their record with a third-party application to show vaccination record in a secure and user-friendly way. Customers can access these digital vaccine records through their?Walmart Pharmacy accounts, meaning they no longer need to worry?about losing, damaging or forgetting their paper copy.??

The takeaway: Design an operating model that empowers teams to execute with speed so they can solve big problems at the speed of life while also planning for an unknown future.?