Walmart Retail Link & Nova App Onboarding: PO Tracking, MABD Dates, and Supply Chain Visibility
Original: Using Retail Link To Update s PO's - Walmart
This onboarding session between Kyle Bartlett and Queenie Pan focused on training Queenie on Walmart's Retail Link platform, specifically the Nova app for daily PO tracking, as part of the CPFR workflow. Key topics included navigating Nova's Advanced Search using the 9-digit supplier number, downloading and importing PO data into Google Sheets, understanding PO structure by SKU and shipment location, and interpreting MABD (Must Arrive By Date) and Do Not Ship Before/After dates. Kyle provided a detailed explanation of why the full supply chain cycle takes 2–4 weeks despite only 3 days of transit time, accounting for DC lot waiting, cross-docking transfers, truck schedules, and store unloading frequency. He also demonstrated pivot table creation and a weekly order projection formula, and clarified which steps will be automated via his AI agent versus handled manually by Queenie. Access gaps for Nova, Alloy DOC AI, Pipeline, and sell-out files were identified and flagged for follow-up.
Chapters
8Meeting Start & Office/Connection Check-In
Kyle and Queenie exchange greetings and address connection issues due to Queenie working from the office with poor Wi-Fi and nearby construction noise. Queenie relocates to a meeting room to improve audio quality.
Access Issues Review: Missing Links, Alloy, and Retail Link
Queenie raises access issues from the SOP, including missing access to the Pipeline, selling price, and sell-out files, which are noted as China-team owned. The Alloy DOC AI tool and Walmart Retail Link access are also reviewed, with Kyle noting he needs to follow up on Nova app permissions.
Navigating Retail Link and Locating the Nova App
Queenie shares her screen to show she has Retail Link access, and Kyle walks her through finding the Nova app under the Apps section. Nova does not appear in Queenie's account, prompting Kyle to plan outreach to the Walmart team to grant her special access.
Nova App Walkthrough: Running Advanced Search and Downloading PO Data
Kyle demonstrates how to use Nova's Advanced Search with the 9-digit supplier number and current week order create date to pull Walmart's daily POs. He shows how to download the results as an XLS file and import it into Google Sheets for analysis.
Understanding PO Structure: SKUs, Cross-Docking, and MABD Dates
Kyle explains how PO data is broken down by SKU and shipment location, the difference between staple stock and cross-dock orders, and how Walmart uses item numbers instead of vendor SKUs. He introduces MABD (Must Arrive By Date) and Do Not Ship Before/After dates, clarifying how these drive shipping timelines.
Supply Chain Timing Deep Dive: Why Deliveries Take 2–4 Weeks
Kyle provides a detailed walkthrough of why the full supply chain cycle from order placement to product on shelf can take two to four weeks, accounting for transit time, DC lot waiting, cross-dock transfers, truck schedules, and store unloading frequency. He also explains the weekly data reporting lag that prevents real-time visibility into when supply is received.
Real-Time Tracking Tool Discussion and $1M Visibility Platform
Kyle describes a real-time tracking tool the team explored that would provide hourly SKU-level supply visibility and enable better forecasting, but was cost-prohibitive at $1 million. He contrasts this with the current once-a-week data update limitation.
Pivot Table Analysis, Weekly Order Projection Formula, and Automation Overview
Kyle demonstrates how to create a pivot table from the Nova export to roll up weekly order quantities by SKU, and explains a formula that projects full-week order volume based on how many days have elapsed in Walmart's Sunday–Friday order week. He closes by outlining an AI automation agent he uses to pull Nova data automatically and confirms which steps Queenie will still need to handle manually versus what will be automated in the CPFR workflow.
Key Takeaways
- Queenie does not yet have Nova app access within Retail Link — Kyle needs to contact the Walmart Nova training team to grant her special access before she can run PO reports independently.
- To pull daily POs in Nova, use Advanced Search with the 9-digit supplier number and 'current week' order create date; Walmart places orders daily by 10–11 AM PT, so data is typically complete before Queenie's workday begins.
- MABD (Must Arrive By Date) is the latest date product must arrive at Walmart's DC — it is not the store delivery date. Do Not Ship After is typically 2–3 days before MABD, and the team targets shipping at least a week in advance.
- Despite 3-day road transit, the full pipeline from order placement to product on shelf can realistically take 2–4 weeks due to DC lot wait time, cross-dock transfer delays, outbound truck scheduling, and store unloading frequency.
- Walmart's reporting lag compounds visibility issues: if product arrives at a store on the 12th, that data won't appear in the CPFR system until the following Monday (the 18th), reflecting data as of the prior Saturday (the 16th).
- The weekly order projection formula estimates full-week PO volume by dividing days elapsed by 6 (Walmart's Sunday–Friday order week) and scaling up the current cumulative order total — useful for early-week supply gap detection.
- Queenie's manual responsibility in the Nova workflow is limited to logging into Retail Link, running the Advanced Search, downloading the XLS, and pasting it into the designated Google Sheet tab — all subsequent CPFR updates and formula calculations are automated via Kyle's AI agent.
FAQ
Does each PO contain one SKU, or can multiple SKUs be combined in one PO?
POs can contain multiple SKUs. The Nova export breaks rows out by SKU and shipment location, so one PO number can have multiple rows — for example, a staple stock PO might contain four different item numbers. The vendor stock number (vendor SKU) is present in the data, but Walmart identifies items by their own internal item numbers rather than vendor SKUs.
Do cross-dock orders go directly to Walmart stores, bypassing the DC?
No — cross-dock orders still go to Walmart's DC first. At the DC, the product is transferred from the inbound truck to an outbound truck bound for the store. The MABD date applies to DC arrival for both staple stock and cross-dock orders.
What does MABD stand for, and how is it different from 'Not Before Date' and 'Not After Date'?
MABD stands for Must Arrive By Date — it is the latest date the shipment must arrive at Walmart's DC. This is distinct from 'Do Not Ship Before' and 'Do Not Ship After,' which govern when the vendor is allowed to ship. Normally, Do Not Ship Before defaults to today (immediate), and Do Not Ship After is typically set about 2–3 days before the MABD, with a practical target of shipping a full week in advance.
If transit only takes 3 days, why does it still take 2 weeks for product to reach the store shelf?
Because transit time is only one part of the pipeline. After arriving at the DC on the MABD date, product may sit on the lot for 4–5 days before being unloaded. Cross-dock transfer adds at least a day. The outbound truck may then sit another day or two before departing, followed by 3–4 more days of transit to the store. At the store, smaller locations may only unload trucks once a week, adding further delay before product reaches the shelf. Combined, this easily adds up to 2–3 weeks even when road time is only 3 days.
When I download the Nova report each day, does it show only that day's orders or the cumulative week-to-date total?
It shows the cumulative week-to-date total from Sunday through the current day. So if you download on Tuesday, you see all orders placed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. If you download again on Wednesday, it will include Sunday through Wednesday.
Which parts of the Nova-to-CPFR update process will be automated, and what will Queenie still need to do manually?
Queenie will still need to manually log into Retail Link, run the Nova Advanced Search with the 9-digit supplier number, download the XLS file, and paste the data into the designated Google Sheet tab. Everything after that — the formula calculations, pivot rollup, and transfer into the CPFR file — is handled by Kyle's AI automation agent.
What would the $1 million real-time tracking tool have provided that the current system cannot?
It would have provided hourly SKU-level supply visibility, including real-time location tracking of each SKU by truck, estimated arrival times at each location (DC and store), and the ability to build historical benchmarks for how long product typically sits at each stage. This would have enabled significantly more accurate forecasting compared to the current once-a-week data update limitation.
Action Items
- {'task': "Kyle to contact the Walmart Nova training team representatives to request special Nova app access for Queenie's Retail Link account.", 'owner': 'Kyle Bartlett', 'reference': "Chapter 3 — Nova does not appear in Queenie's Retail Link Apps list"}
- {'task': 'Kyle to reach out to the China team to get Queenie access to the Alloy DOC AI tool.', 'owner': 'Kyle Bartlett', 'reference': 'Chapter 2 — Alloy DOC AI access flagged as China-team owned'}
- {'task': 'China team to grant Queenie access to Pipeline, selling price, and sell-out files once they return from holiday.', 'owner': 'China Team (Esther / Christine)', 'reference': 'Chapter 2 — Pipeline and sell-out files identified as China-team owned; access not yet granted'}
- {'task': "Kyle to set up his AI automation agent on Queenie's computer so that Nova data is pulled automatically each day.", 'owner': 'Kyle Bartlett', 'reference': "Chapter 8 — Kyle confirmed he has automation that can be extended to Queenie's machine"}
- {'task': 'Kyle and Queenie to reconnect later in the afternoon to walk through the CPFR file, RJW supply comparison, and remaining onboarding steps.', 'owner': 'Kyle Bartlett / Queenie Pan', 'reference': 'Chapter 8 — Kyle noted he had to hop off but flagged a follow-up call for the afternoon'}