International Business Machines Corporation IBM recently joined forces with Walmart’s white-label delivery service, Walmart GoLocal, to simplify the operational workflow for retailers.  Walmart GoLocal provides a wide array of delivery options such as same-day, next-day, multi-day, scheduled, batched deliveries and more. By incorporating Walmart GoLocal into its order management system, IBM is aiming to offer its retailers and clients seamless access to last-mile delivery solutions.

Last-mile delivery is one of the most complex and expensive components in the supply chain. Businesses often incur significantly higher expenses when delivering in remote locations. Increasing clients’ expectation of faster delivery services also complicate the issue. In addition, there are various other logistical complexities in last-mile delivery services.

Through its partnership with Walmart, IBM intends to address these issues. Walmart boasts decades of retail expertise, reliable delivery network and extensive coverage across all 50 states. Walmart GoLocal’s comprehensive suite of last-mile solutions efficiently supports retailers of any size to augment their delivery efficiency and improve the experience of their customers. With transparent pricing and no hidden fees, these solutions enable business to formulate advance business strategy and boost profitability.

IBM Sterling Order Management System (OMS) is a leading-edge software platform that allows businesses to track orders from initiation to final delivery. By combining all the sales channels into one platform, it simplifies inventory management, third-party logistics management, shipping options and returns management, organizes client orders and also reduces shipping expenses.
 
Through the recent collaboration, Walmart GoLocal’s extensive suite of capabilities will be available on IBM’s order management system. The IBM platform will offer an intuitive, highly customizable interface that will minimize the requirement for complex modification and allow retailers to easily avail Walmart’s services.

Will This Partnership Drive IBM’s Share Performance?

IBM is expected to gain from Walmart’s strong presence in the retail industry. The availability of Walmart delivery services, along with IBM’s expertise in order and inventory management, will be a lucrative choice for small retailers, as it will empower them to compete more effectively with larger players in terms of delivery time and reliability. It will likely drive adoption for IBM Sterling OMS solution in retail space. This bodes well for long-term growth.

IBM Stock’s Price Movement

Shares of IBM have gained 30.4% in the past year compared with the industry’s 1.4% growth.

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IBM’s Zacks Rank and Key Picks

IBM currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Keysight Technologies, Inc. KEYS sports a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

In the last reported quarter, it delivered an earnings surprise of 5.10%. Keysight is expected to benefit from the growing proliferation of electronic content in vehicles, momentum in space and satellite applications and rising adoption of driver-assistance systems globally.

InterDigital IDCC sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an earnings surprise of 114.47%.

It is a pioneer in advanced mobile technologies that enable wireless communications and capabilities. The company designs and develops a wide range of advanced technology solutions used in digital cellular, wireless 3G, 4G and IEEE 802-related products and networks.

Zillow Group, Inc. ZG sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an earnings surprise of 9.38%. ZG delivered an earnings surprise of 25.47%, on average, in the trailing four quarters. The company is witnessing solid momentum in rental revenues, driven by growth in both multi and single-family listings, which is a positive factor.

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