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Nowadays there are a lot of companies which use technology in order to capture data about their consumers. Then, they use this information to better fulfill their needs. Some companies have improved considerably due to the captured data. However, some people are worried about privacy issues.

First of all, I have to say that I am not a client of Wal-Mart because in Spain there are not Wal-Mart stores. For this reason, I do not really know if they have been successful at converting the data into an experience. Obviously, the best way to evaluate Wal-Mart’s improvements is to talk with their clients. They will tell you if the company has improved as a result of the data captured about their shopping habits.

Another point worth mentioning is privacy. Sometimes it is difficult to imagine the information that companies store about their consumers. For example, as we noticed when reading the article, Wal-Mart has access to information about driver’s license and Social Security numbers, geographic proclivities, etc. That fact means that Wal-Mart considers data as a priority. But, the problem is that some consumers are concerned with privacy.

In my opinion, it is reasonable that companies use some information about their consumers in order to better satisfy their needs. If companies use this data to improve their products and services, consumers will be willing to pay more because the products and services will have more value. As a result, companies could increase its profitability.

Despite of these advantages for clients and also for companies, I think that some limits are needed when capturing data from consumers. In my opinion, it is not justifiable that companies such as Wal-Mart have information about court dates, creditworthiness, etc. I also think that transparency is crucial. That means that consumers should know what kind of information the company store about them. For example, I think that “data enhancement” could be risky for consumers. As we learned from the article, data enhancement consists of capturing additional information from consumers buy using consumers’ name and address or telephone number.
Talking about the particular case of Wal-Mart, I do not really know if the company is using the data in a proper and coherent way because I have never bought in Wal-Mart and I have never give information about me to the company. Before giving personal information, I think that is very important to trust the company.

Finally, another interesting point to consider is the supply chain. As we know, Wal-Mart is using the strategy “every-day low prices” and it is always looking for efficiency. Consequently, Wal-Mart has reduced profitability of its suppliers. In my opinion Wal-Mart could use the technology to help suppliers. Given the huge amount of data that Wal-Mart has, it could provide information to their suppliers in order to establish better relationships.

In conclusion, technology is playing a main role in business. Lots of companies use the technology to capture data and better satisfy their consumers’ needs. Probably, this trend will be beneficial for consumers and companies. However, companies should be aware that they have to use this information in a proper and coherent way. If not, they could lose consumers.