Technology Leader Panel
Emerging Digital Tools for Distributors
Wednesday, May 13 , 9:00 AM PDT / 12:00 PM EDT – 10:00 AM PDT / 1:00 PM EDT
Technology leaders share what’s working, what isn’t, and how they’re sequencing investments that compound.
The distribution technology landscape is expanding rapidly. From AI-powered demand forecasting and configure-price-quote (CPQ) platforms to product information management (PIM) systems, conversational AI for customer service, and advanced analytics dashboards, distributors are evaluating a growing range of digital tools that promise to improve efficiency, customer experience, and competitive positioning. But with so many options and limited implementation capacity, knowing which tools to prioritize and how to deploy them effectively is a critical challenge for technology and operations leaders.
In this Technology Leader Panel, panelists will share firsthand experience evaluating and implementing emerging digital tools across key functional areas, including sales enablement, customer experience, supply chain visibility, and analytics. You’ll hear practical perspectives on what’s working, what isn’t, and how to build a digital capability roadmap that delivers results.
Key Takeaways
- Emerging digital tools gaining traction in distribution, from generative AI and predictive analytics to modern e-commerce platforms and integration middleware
- Evaluation criteria for prioritizing technology investments with limited resources
- Implementation approaches that accelerate adoption and minimize disruption, particularly for tools like CPQ, PIM, and warehouse management systems
- Common barriers to digital tool success and how to overcome them
- How leading distributors are sequencing digital capability investments across ERP modernization, customer-facing platforms, and back-office automation
What You’ll Learn
- How distributors are evaluating and selecting emerging digital tools — including AI-driven sales enablement, IoT-enabled supply chain visibility, and self-service e-commerce — across sales, operations, and customer experience functions.
- Practical implementation approaches that accelerate adoption, manage change, and minimize disruption to ongoing operations.
- Common barriers that prevent digital tools from delivering expected value, and strategies for overcoming them.
- How technology leaders are sequencing digital investments to build compounding capabilities over time.
Join Us
Register to hear technology leaders discuss the digital tools reshaping distribution operations and how to put them to work in your organization.
Panelist
Frank Heenan
Group Vice President, Epicor Software
Sponsors
Panelists & Hosts
Frank Heenan
Group Vice President, Epicor Software
Frank Heenan brings over 20 years of software experience serving the supply chain with particular focus on distribution. He has spent several years working with distribution companies transforming their business to become leading edge providers in the markets they serve. As a supply chain executive, Frank has assisted companies with operational efficiency, revenue generation and growth, warehouse automation, eCommerce strategies, customer relationship tools and methodologies, and business intelligence processes. At Epicor, Heenan is responsible for driving revenue growth and market expansion in the Americas.
Ian Heller
Chief Strategy Officer, Distribution Strategy Group
Ian Heller joined Grainger as a part-time truck unloader in college and left fifteen years later as the VP Marketing. Since then, he’s held senior executive positions at four other publicly-held firms, consulted with dozens of distributors, and continues to write and speak extensively on how AI, strategy, channel evolution, and other major trends affect the industry. Ian holds a B.A. in History from Roosevelt University and an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.