Walmart manages temperature and operating functions in stores using connected IoT devices

Walmart manages temperature, operating functions and energy use in stores using a network of connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The discount giant currently has more than 7 million unique IoT data points across its more than 4,600 U.S. stores. Every day, this network of connected devices sends almost 1.5 billion messages regarding a variety of store conditions.To help manage this massive volume, Walmart has built proprietary software designed to use advanced algorithms to detect anomalous events in real-time and take action to fix issues quickly.

Walmart’s real estate team helps ensure proper food quality by monitoring refrigeration units with IoT systems. The retailer’s IoT application monitors the temperature of an individual unit to ensure proper food safety standards, and also monitors how equipment is performing and takes proactive steps towards maintenance repairs to reduce the cost and downtime caused by equipment failure.

Through the use of a solution called Demand Response, Walmart can reduce energy consumption to any of its U.S. stores for a set amount of time and then have systems in place to automatically return equipment back to the normal operating standards. As a result, Walmart can lower energy use anywhere in the U.S. by region or an individual store, reducing energy consumption and lowering utility costs without impacting the customer experience.