How Distributors Are Driving Productivity with Process Automation

Distributors are under persistent pressure to do more with the same headcount, and process automation has moved from an IT initiative to an operational imperative. But the gap between what automation promises and what most companies have actually delivered remains wide. The distributors making real progress are not automating everything at once; they are identifying the right processes, in the right sequence, with the right tools.

In this Technology Leader Panel, technology leaders working with and inside distribution companies share where automation is generating the clearest productivity gains, how they are prioritizing which processes to tackle first, and what separates implementations that stick from the ones that stall.

Key Takeaways

• Where process automation is delivering the clearest productivity gains for distributors right now
• How leading technology teams are identifying and sequencing automation opportunities
• The platforms and tools gaining the most traction across order management, fulfillment, and back-office operations
• What separates automation implementations that scale from those that stall after the pilot
• How distributors are measuring productivity impact and building the case for continued investment

What You’ll Learn

How distributor technology teams are building the internal case for automation investment, including the metrics and frameworks being used to measure and communicate productivity impact.

Where process automation is generating the clearest productivity gains in distribution today, including the functions and workflows where returns have been fastest and most measurable.

How technology leaders are identifying and sequencing automation opportunities, from quick wins in repetitive back-office tasks to more complex integrations across ERP, WMS, and customer-facing systems.

The platforms and tools gaining the most traction across order management, inventory, fulfillment, and finance, and the integration considerations that shape those choices.

What separates automation rollouts that scale across the organization from those that stay stuck in pilot mode, including the change management and workforce factors most implementations underestimate.