Asset protection is integral to every business in the world, whether small or large. With over 9700 shops in over 28 countries Walmart is the world’s largest retailer. Walmart is a relatively new arrival in the South African retail industry.
Walmart’s asset protection division has an important responsibility to the shareholders, customers and staff of Walmart. Walmart employ various methods of asset protection. The most obvious form of asset protection to the shopper are the in-store security cameras and the uniformed security guards at the store entrance.
Shop lifting is a universal problem and stores like Walmart have to protect their assets or go broke. Asset protection also entails keeping the company ‘in the black’ and insuring adequately against possible lawsuits.
Like it or not, big and small businesses both have a very real need for asset protection as do smaller owner run companies, but the approach is understandably different. Many big companies have created entire departments dedicated solely to asset protection. Walmart is one such company. The work of Walmart Asset Protection has several divisions and career options; and their recommendations and actions affect Walmart customers, shareholders and staff in several ways. From the stockmarket to the shop floor Walmart Asset Protection is an integral part of the company.
Asset Protection is also referred to as Loss Prevention and Walmart offers many different career and employment opportunities within the departments of security, asset protection and asset management both here in South Africa and abroad. Staffing requirements are job specific. Some of the jobs in Asset Protection include opportunities to work as security guards, alarm technicians, barcode technicians, managers, auditors and IT. Those individuals who want to pursue a career within the Asset Protection sphere of employment opportunities within Walmart would do well to research the range of careers available in the retail sector of such a large commercial entity, like Walmart.
Those staff employed as security guards are at the frontline of Asset Protection and are the most visible to customers of Walmart. Others in the Asset Protection team deal with cctv monitors, administration, auditing and legal matters etc.
