Distributors entered 2022 amidst a bullish and relatively rosy outlook. Having weathered many of the economic and supply chain crises brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, most signs point to opportunities for companies to recover and thrive in the new year. (Fourth-quarter financial results from 2021 suggest that recovering and thriving is already well underway.) […]
Category: Technology
Platforms, Networks and the Future of Distribution
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8 Questions Distributors Should Answer Before Building an E-commerce Site
Everything starts with what your customers need and want. Unfortunately, distributors’ buyers aren’t as simple to market to as B2C customers. For example, many industrial buyers move from project to project and need new solutions every few months. In contrast, others may manage inventories that carry the same items and frequently need to replenish their […]
8 Questions Every Distributor Should Answer Before Building an E-commerce Site
Everything starts with what your customers need and want. Unfortunately, distributors’ buyers aren’t as simple to market to as B2C customers. For example, many industrial buyers move from project to project and need new solutions every few months. In contrast, others may manage inventories that carry the same items and frequently need to replenish their […]
What Labor Shortage? Tech-Enabled Sales Teams Don’t Miss a Beat
Lately, distributors tend to have less trouble finding leads than the manpower to capture them. For the fourth quarter of 2021, 65% of business economists reported an increase in sales, but 57% reported experiencing labor shortages, according to the National Association for Business Economics January 2022 Business Conditions Survey. Why this imbalance? The Washington Post […]
What Labor Shortage? Technology-Enabled Sales Teams Don’t Miss a Beat
Lately, distributors tend to have less trouble finding leads than the manpower to capture them. For the fourth quarter of 2021, 65% of business economists reported an increase in sales, but 57% reported experiencing labor shortages, according to the National Association for Business Economics January 2022 Business Conditions Survey. Why this imbalance? The Washington Post […]
How Distributors Can Deliver Digital Self-Service Through Inventory Management
We all know that COVID-19 forced many distributors to rapidly increase their online presence to meet growing demands from customers for self-service and online product information. This shift to more digital self-service, paired with an increasing demand for remote interaction with sales reps, is the new norm. According to a recent study by McKinsey and […]
COVID Fueled Tech Upgrades; Momentum Defines 2022 Expectations
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Want to Enhance Your Website? Think Like a Content Storyteller
Digital transformation is a growing buzzword in distribution. But what exactly do distributors need to transform? Rethink the product-first focus of your website, for starters. That’s the advice of Andrew Walker, CEO of digital marketing firm Shift7 Digital. Working often with manufacturers and distributors, Walker explains in an MDM podcast (available below) that there is […]
Look Beyond Tech When Evaluating AI/Analytics for Sales & Marketing
One of three opportunities to drive sales success in the new year, according to Gartner’s Chief Sales Officer Leadership Vision 2022, is to prioritize tech investments to create an AI-augmented sales function. Gartner confirms 88 percent of CSOs are considering or already in the process of investing sales budgets in new technology to support artificial […]
2022 Distribution Technology Outlook: Tech Investments to Strengthen Process
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How Important are Cloud-Based Operations for Distributors?
In the distribution world, “the cloud” has become just as important as it is nebulous. And as much as the industry has changed over the past two years, distributors who adapt to volatile markets by streamlining operations via cloud-based tech are more likely to thrive during future disruptions, said Steve Levy, vice president of enterprise […]
Factrees Wants to Modernize the Distributor-Manufacturer-Rep Relationship
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The Amazon Effect: Must Distributors Keep Up?
Few doubt whether Amazon’s fast and free delivery options have impacted the retail, distribution and shipping industries. But some are still debating whether a Prime-like delivery model will translate to B2B e-commerce, and whether such a model is truly necessary. Whether or not distributors need to offer next-day delivery, B2B customers do expect the option […]
Why Digital Transformation Fails: Lack of Communication
Digital transformation seems to be a silver bullet. While it is necessary for success, it doesn’t guarantee success for distributors. Companies don’t always manage change effectively when they modify their business with technology. If they don’t introduce digital tools to their organization with effective communication, their odds of success with digital transformation plummet. What is […]
ABC: 78% of Contractors Using New Tech
Roughly 78% of Associated Builders and Contractors members have implemented new technology in the past two years, with software platforms for project management and accounting as the prime focus of implementation teams, according to ABC’s first-ever construction technology report. ABC released the report Thursday as part of its mission to study innovative technology and tools […]
New Ways of Thinking About P2P Automation
As the distribution industry continues to wrestle with supply chain headaches, companies that embrace new ways of thinking about P2P automation can improve efficiency and grow their bottom line, said Cindy Dobson, P2P sales leader for Esker. “No matter which end of the spectrum that your business is on, supply chain leaders are forced to […]
FleetPride Creates New E-Commerce Site
Irving, Texas-based FleetPride Inc., a distributor of truck and trailer parts and services, has created a new e-commerce site to allow customers to quickly place orders. The company’s web customers previously could only look up product information and were unable to purchase items. There are more than 176,000 products available online for all Class 6-8 […]
Embracing Automation Can Help Distributors Weather Supply Chain Issues
Distributors who increasingly automate business processes and embrace the use of artificial intelligence can be better situated to respond to customer service issues and supply chain problems. In a recent MDM webcast, “Building A More Resilient Supply Chain,” Esker Business Development Manager Nick Carpenter said distributors who automate processes for order management, order-to-cash and accounts […]
Parts Town Goes Full-Tilt on E-Commerce Marketplace Model
To continue reading this article you must be a paid subscriber. Subscribe to MDM Already Subscribed? Click here to log-in | Forgot your password? Parts Town’s new Marketplace will help it expand into other verticals, such as HVAC, janitorial, water filtration, technician supplies and residential appliances. The Red Lightning Group division of Parts Town — […]
