NSBE - Convention 2011 - (Page 16)

david anfield of Walmart upgrading the Shopping Experience By Kevin M. Briscoe b ased in Bentonville, Ark., Walmart serves more than 200 million customers per week at more than 8,800 retail units. Walmart is positioned in 15 countries and under 55 different banners. Whether it’s known as Walmex in Mexico, Asda in Great Britain or Seiyu in Japan, a robust network of sales channels is needed to meet the mammoth worldwide demand. As a senior business analyst on the company’s eCommerce Integrations Product Team, David Anfield is an integral part of this network. Anfield manages the data integrations between the Walmart.com website and Walmart stores, as well as the store sys- “The thing I like best about my work is the opportunity to affect the way customers think about shopping.” tems needed for electronic order fulfillment. “My team and the projects I work on are focused on driving traffic to the stores through the use of technology,” says Anfield, a 30-yearold native of Montgomery, Ala. “Our focus is to provide customers the ability to purchase any product from any Walmart store from anywhere in the world.” To get products from the warehouse to the public involves a number of tasks for Anfield. First, he works closely with customers, external partners and his counterparts in the Information Systems Division to establish business requirements and solutions. In addition to providing project documentation, managing project scope and ensuring on-time completion of project tasks, Anfield is also the test lead responsible for master test strategy, master test plans, environment configurations, application installations, testing schedules, test design specifications and test cases. Such work has resulted in familiar programs such as “Pick Up Today,” “Site to Store,” Sam’s Club “Click and Pull” and “Asda Home Shopping.” “The thing I like best about my work is the opportunity to affect the way customers think about shopping,” Anfield says. “We are innovat16 • nsbe magazine • convention 2011 ing the shopping experience to give customers conveniences that they may not even be aware they wanted.” Despite being a technocrat in one of the world’s best known companies, Anfield was late to the technology game. “When I was younger, I wanted to be a pharmacist,” he says. “But (during) my junior year in high school, I took a computer course and fell in love with technology. It was one of the few courses that challenged me to think and not just memorize facts for a test.” A graduate of Harding University in Searcy, Ark., with a master’s degree in Information Systems from Harvard University, Anfield adds that his technical education “gave me the foundation for understanding how systems work and the importance of those systems.” Now, he views science and technology education as “the foundations for new technological invention, curing diseases and creating a more sustainable planet.” Walmart’s size and scope make the company, by definition, a diverse place to work. Yet, Anfield says the company does more than provide lip service to work force diversity. In fact, he has been involved in recruitment efforts that have led to an increase in minority representation across the company. “Working for Walmart affords me the opportunity to work with people from all over the world,” says Anfield. “Working with people from different backgrounds and cultures has taught me about the differences that we have, but also has shown me that there are more similarities than differences. Focusing on those similarities while accounting for the differences is what helps to make Walmart so successful.” ■ www.nsbe.org http://www.Walmart.com http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - Convention 2011

Nsbe - Convention 2011
Contents
The Essence of Engineering
Flipping the Script on Retention
Nsbe’s New High-Tech Hook-Ups!
The Programs Zone
David Anfield of Walmart
Kerry Nichols of NAVAIR
Arthur Hall of Philadelphia Gas Works
Kevin Engram of Illinois Tool Works
Dr. Kevin M. Carter of MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Nsbe Calendar
Membership News
Mack Named Clarkson University Trustee
National Advisory Board Update
Nsbe Honors a Diversity ‘champion’
Things to Do in St. Louis
Golden Torch Award Winners
NSBE’s Steve Earl: Building for Home and Community
Employer Profiles
Advertisers Index

NSBE - Convention 2011