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There are two types of leaders: the “Quarterly Distributor” and the “5-Year Distributor.”
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.
Watsco is applying AI across its analytics, ecommerce, and customer service tools.
Distribution Strategy Group conducted an electronic survey of 305 participants to better understand trends in distribution marketing. This survey was conducted with Modern Distribution
Distributors and wholesalers have been dealing with the “small order problem” for decades. Now, more than ever, mastering the policies and procedures that are
The 2014 distributor marketing survey covered several areas of marketing, including planning, objectives, vehicles, channels and organization. Companies are using more digital marketing than
For most distributors, the top 10 percent of their customers represent 60 percent to 90 percent of that distributor’s revenue. Those customers are well
If you give a salesperson 100 accounts to call on, odds are he or she will actively work the top 20 to 30, receive
E-commerce demand generation is in transition. According to results from the third annual MDM Distribution E-Commerce Survey, while most distributors are increasing e-commerce revenue
This article examines the results of the 2014 State of E-Commerce in Distribution Survey and how the industry’s e-commerce offerings are maturing. Part 2
Over the last 20 years, there has been a broad movement by distributors to make operational improvements such as supply chain management, process standardization,
They are undifferentiated because they say and offer essentially the same thing as their competitors. They are not relevant because they have not been
When we ask executives for the value proposition of their business, they usually provide a ready, confident and well-rehearsed answer. The answer consists of
Customers have indicated a preference to receive communications in both digital and print formats. It’s not a surprise that they still want to receive
Some of the best distribution companies have unified the diverse voices that make up a business into one message, both internally and externally. I
Data points in time indicate a real trend either up or down less than half of the time. By tracking trends, we can do
Ask the best private equity investors, or for that matter, any acquiring company such as chains, vertical convergers or platform investors – even independent
E-commerce revenue as a portion of total revenue has grown significantly in the past year through the growth of existing e-commerce sites, as well
You are familiar with the portfolio concept if you own any kind of equity, bond, real estate or other investment fund. If you’re familiar
Many independent distribution companies wonder why their gross margin, net profit and attendant multiples are inferior to their $2 billion-plus sales, national-market, publicly held
In this article, I will discuss a useful approach, the Private Equity Investor Framework, which will help you think like an investor to improve
The vast majority of distributors who are still in business today have good direct salespeople without whom they would not be in business. Yet
Although e-commerce initiatives are front and center for many distributors today, in-store revenue remains essential. Yet most distributors with walk-in trade place limited emphasis
Everybody knows that it is easier to sell to existing customers than it is to acquire new customers. A good segmentation of your markets
If created and managed well, outbound and inbound calling programs can be very effective. What’s more, implementation does not have to be expensive or
For many, inside sales involves ordering, technical support, returns handling and credit management. Rarely does it involve proactive, outbound sales. Simply put, those with
When we ask successful distribution company executives about the sweet spots in their market, they readily provide a confident answer. The problem with the
Up-selling and cross-selling are the two primary means of growing an account. Among these, cross-selling is paramount. Here’s why: many distributors have regular customers
One of the biggest challenges for any sales and marketing organization is when to reach out to a customer with an offer or promotion.
Good product data is crucial for any successful distributor catalog or e-commerce website. This includes accurate and complete specifications of products as well as
Catalogs and e-commerce are critical individual components in distributors’ marketing arsenals. Distributors that have taken advantage of clear synergies between the two are reaping
Distributor measurements of effectiveness primarily include return on marketing investment, customer retention and lifetime value, and secondarily include share of wallet and internal rate
There was heavier participation from industrial, electrical/electronics, building, safety, hardware, and HVACR. Other participating sectors include chemicals and plastics, building materials, pulp and paper,