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.
AI not only will give employees more time to innovate by eliminating tedious tasks, it should allow them to be more engaged with their
Each speaker came at it from a different angle, but a clear pattern emerged: AI isn’t just a tech buzzword anymore.
Artificial intelligence is no longer an abstract concept for wholesale distributors.
It won’t be long before customers’ AI purchasing agents will be communicating directly with distributors’ AI sales agents, says keynoter Trent Gillespie.
Analysts say distributors remain attractive to investors in volatile periods because of their flexibility and early economic recoveries.
By 2030, AI-driven systems will orchestrate warehouse operations with precision that exceeds even the best human coordinators.
Why the smartest distribution leaders are designing facilities that adapt, scale, and perform under pressure.
If we want to lead smarter warehouses, we need smarter conversations. And that starts with soft stuff.
One of the biggest mistakes I see with CRM rollouts is thinking of it as a software project with a start and end date.
The game doesn’t end when the shift is over. It lives on in every person you’ve lifted up and every team you’ve shaped.
In wholesale distribution, the buying process isn’t always as clear-cut as we think it is. And it’s not just one process.
Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly turning to self-service technologies to streamline operations, meet customer expectations, and drive revenue growth.
The hot new form of AI is rapidly spreading into the business world. Two distributors describe their AI journeys.
Regardless of how we got here, what many of us discovered is a career that offers more than just selling and moving boxes.
WMS, LMS, OMS, WES, YMS: whatever acronym we use, they’re all tools, but they’ll never replace the need for leadership.
Trent Gillespie will detail approach to AI in a keynote entitled “Designing an AI-enabled business” at Distribution Strategy Group’s Applied AI for Distributors conference.
Whatever else happens in the world, your competitors will use AI to drive performance.
In logistics, we track everything: fill rates, dock turns, labor ratios. But leadership? That’s harder to quantify.
Forget the buzzwords—these five practical strategies are helping distributors turn AI into real-world profit gains.
Whether you’re leading a warehouse team or the executive board, the goal is the same: build systems that respect the humans who run them.
In this second post, I offer an unusual but practical step toward that goal: using art shared experience of film and reflection.
The warehouse is more than a place where goods move. It’s a place where people grow.
Most AI tools are built with impressive capabilities, but not always with the end-user in mind.
Distributors can quickly test multiple mitigation strategies and identify the most effective path.
What if distributors could transform their business model to unlock opportunities no one dares to chase?
How Stellar Industrial and Palmer-Donavin are meeting customer expectations.
Pricing data needs to be normalized and centralized to be actionable.
While sales reps are drowning in tasks, prime selling opportunities slip away.
Experts say there’s a disconnect between sentiment and the hard data.
Companies that fail to embrace AI as a strategic imperative now risk falling behind.