IFS said the acquisition extends its industrial AI platform into warehouse operations, connecting manufacturing, warehouse execution, and supply chain processes within a single system.
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Legacy systems are at their breaking point. Distributors need AI-driven, cloud-based enterprise systems to expand margins and build resilient, scalable businesses.
Off-the-shelf technology often falls short of the needs of mid-sized distributors. Custom-built systems are expensive and inflexible.
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Watsco is applying AI across its analytics, ecommerce, and customer service tools.
In distribution, onboarding’s not as simple as handing over a laptop and a pricing strategy.
As AI investment continues at record pace, its environmental footprint is becoming impossible to ignore.
Well-run companies know that customer retention is critical to long term success as a business. For some companies, an annual increase of 1% in
While some distributors have spent time creating a value proposition that employees can recite by heart, when it comes time to really talk about
You must look closely at the business you want to acquire from your competitors, in order to define a specific strategy. Do you want
It’s a great idea and it requires thoughtful planning. Most distributors want to increase sales by entering new markets — but what does that
How Your Reps Can Make Calls without Visiting Customers Background As of this writing, the coronavirius (COVID-19) is infecting an increasing number of people
An Amazon Post Full of Nonsense Carries a Serious Underlying Message We all know the world is not fair. For one thing, celery is
Antisocial Distancing: The Best Worst Advice on Working from Home As the COVID19 pandemic sweeps across the globe, it’s causing sickness, death, and economic
During a Crisis, You Must Know the Lingo to Join the Convo Early in my career, I was terrified of math (due to post-algebra
My colleagues have written some great articles about the uncertainty around the COVID-19 outbreak. This article is geared toward what distributors can do right
Distributors are facing unprecedented uncertainty due to the impacts of the global COVID19 outbreak. While many safety and janitorial supplies wholesalers are seeing some
What’s the difference between customer service and inside sales? What are the skills sets distributors should look for when hiring for a successful proactive
Many taglines distributors have embraced are far too general to have any differentiating impact. Here are seven taglines you should avoid – and why.
This is a sample intro paragraph and can be used to introduce readers to your article. This is an example of a WordPress post,
In general, distributors’ ongoing shift to digital is a good thing; depending on the segment, customers do prefer to be communicated with digitally.
About 90% of respondents in our annual State of Distributor Marketing survey with Modern Distribution Management think they are delivering more value than their
There’s plenty of opportunity in B2B e-commerce right now. Even distributors and manufacturers who have yet to implement e-commerce capabilities can still get in
To many distributors, e-commerce and e-business sound interchangeable. Yet, there are important differences in the definitions.
Your top 10% of customers are covered by field sales. How are you reaching the other 90%? The very largest of a distributor’s accounts
E-business goes beyond just shopping-cart revenue. E-business involves a broader strategy that incorporates website ordering, EDI, punchout and email/fax order automation, along with an
A value proposition tells customers who the company is and why they should do business with them. A clear and compelling value proposition has
A value proposition tells customers who the company is and why they should do business with them. It is built on what a company
Given the presence of global players and digital disrupters with extensive multichannel reach and marketing capabilities, mid-market distributors have to think differently.
Most distributor inside salespeople are actually playing the roles of customer service reps and don’t have the skillset for a more proactive role. As
Customers and prospects may learn about, shop for and buy products from your company in a variety of ways—online searches, website visits, interaction with
Historically, suppliers have sold directly to a few of their largest customers. About 46% in the latest survey reported they are selling direct online
Opportunity is high for B2B e-commerce, according to the eighth-annual MDM distribution e-commerce survey conducted with Real Results Marketing
Search engine optimization (SEO), as technical as it sounds, is critical for a distributor to be found online. In fact, a search engine like
We’ve seen a strong correlation between companies that are high-performance marketers and those who target their marketing efforts to roles or personas within their
An effective value proposition defines the benefits of your company’s products and services – and makes clear how your company is different from the
The truth is: The “next” generation is here now. The oldest Millennials are 36; many are moving into or are already in decision-making positions.