Computing and Connectivity Essay

Nonmanagement employees perform the day-to-day operations. The employees in this role can work in a warehouse, in a call center, or even teachers. Employees are serving one main purpose here, and that is to serve the customer. Nonmanagement employees report to a manager or supervisor that falls under the operation management role. Publix has thousands of nonmanagement employees. When someone goes to the grocery store, he or she can see cashiers, deli counter associates, floor associates, bakers, butchers, and others. These roles all are there to serve the customer. They work latterly with the company’s warehouses, call centers, and technicians. While the warehouses, call centers, and technicians are not serving an external customer, the actual supermarket is an internal customer. Based on the author’s job functions, she would fall under the nonmanagement employee role. The author is a supply chain development lead which is a fancy way of saying programmer analyst. She oversees all software coding that arrives from the supplier, tests the coding, and works with the business areas that will be using the software. While her position is salary, and the business areas being supported or reviewed by her are not salary, Jessica’s role is providing a service to a customer. Her customer is also providing service to other customers, whether a store or a vendor. This author has participated in a GPS tracking initiative for the technician’s vans. With this hardware and software install, the application located on the web server is able to go out and determine the geographical location of any technician. The software will then use this to optimize the calls for that location and assign the call to the technician who is closest, thereby saving travel time, communication to the call center, and lost labor time. Optimization such as this is an example of how Publix is working with distributed computing and connectivity. More Opportunities to Revolutionize Publix has numerous competitors such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Winn-Dixie, Albertsons, and even some small grocery chains. The main advantage is that when shopping at Publix, the customers can expect to have a good experience and have quality groceries. The quality does not stop with the groceries either. Currently all the 915 stores are upgrading software and hardware to keep up with the changing technology. The point-of-sale cash registers are being updated to be touch screen and to have a large display for the customer to be able to review all items as they are scanned. Another project is the upgrade of the wireless networks. Before the upgrade, the stores were on a slow wired network, which caused issues if the technicians needed to review all the details or to update his or her calls. The new network will allow the technicians to use their handheld devices and communicate using the store’s fire walled wireless intranet to update their service calls. Recently, Publix jumped into selling liquor in some of their stores. Some were worried this would tarnish the image of the wholesome store. Publix approached the topic very carefully and opened liquor stores adjacent to the supermarket. The profits soared after all these new projects start implementing. Recently, to stay a head of the competition, Publix started a generator project. This project will install a large generator in every store by the beginning of next hurricane season. About 269 stores already have these generators in them. These large generators will run the refrigerated cases for several days after a natural disaster. This project started after millions of dollars in food was lost after the past two hurricane seasons. Publix has reserve fuel supplies at the ports and tanker trucks on reserve ready to roll out to fill any generators needed. These generators are monitored remotely in the corporate offices by an in-house software package that alerts the key personnel to any issues that may arise. When a situation does arise, the store manager is called to check to see if the situation is a false alarm or not, and to help rectify the situation until further help can be contacted and dispatched to the location. Other advantages are allowing customers to refill their existing prescriptions online with their Publix pharmacy. Customers can select a pickup time for the prescription, but if none is selected, the time defaults to the following afternoon. While the pharmacy is always convenient to visit and have prescriptions refilled while shopping, this service allows someone to refill his or her script and run in to pick up if shopping is not intended. These types of technological benefits help Publix revolutionize the grocery industry. Conclusion This author has shown several examples of how her role and others in the organization have been influenced by distributed connectivity to communities surrounding the organization. This author recognizes the potential for growth and revolution for her company and how all jobs must report not only laterally, but downward, upward and even externally. Proactive measures such as the generator program show that Publix is preparing for the future so service can still be provided to areas that are hit by natural disasters. Ability for customers to refill their prescriptions online shows how Publix is keeping connected through distributed computing. While many levels in an organization exist, this author realizes that all roles play an important part in the success of any company and that success can be maximized through distributed connectivity.