Severe weather in the West contributed to a 3.7% year-over-year sales decline in the first quarter for Hillman Solutions, which reported net sales of $349.7 million for the quarter. The Ohio-based hardware manufacturer and distributor also announced the promotion of Aaron Parker to vice president of human resources, promoted Amanda Kitzberger to vice president general counsel and secretary, and named Scott Moore as its chief technology officer.

Ingram Micro introduced a unified product catalog for hardware and software within the company's Xvantage platform that is expected to increase efficiencies for the IT distributor and its 160,000 solution provider customers, including faster quote-to-order times. "We need to be able to deliver a business-to-consumer experience in a business-to-business environment," CEO Paul Bay said at the company's Global Cloud and Innovation Summit this week.

Warehouse management systems offer distributors control over transportation, fulfillment and inventory while collecting and presenting the data necessary to help optimize efficiency and cut costs, according to Dan Schuberth, chief revenue officer for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. "A WMS is the beating heart of any modern physical distribution operation. ... This is the most critical investment operating teams can make to ensure they can continue to deliver for customers," Schuberth said.

More than half of fleets already have electric vehicles operating or on order, according to a survey of 110 fleet professionals by Geotab. While the trend to zero-emission vehicles is increasing, challenges such as depot charging and working with utilities still have to be overcome before the goal is met.

To enable sales teams to do their best work, companies should "focus on developing a culture of continuous improvement," writes Mike Kunkle, vice president of sales effectiveness services at SPARXiQ. Kunkle outlines the five foundations for building such a culture, including focusing on growth and collaboration, creating and executing an enablement strategy, and providing employees with ongoing coaching and training.

Martha Karmali, senior product manager at SmartBrief, explains best-practice strategies to help business-to-business marketers elevate their content via videos, webinars, blogs and white papers. Versatility is one of video content's greatest strengths, Karmali writes, explaining how to use the format for both brand storytelling and product demonstration.

Understanding and empathizing with an employee who's upset creates a better chance of resolving workplace conflicts than ignoring those human connections, write leadership experts Karin Hurt and David Dye. Phrases such as "It sounds like you're feeling ..." and "I care about the team and ..." can help temper conflict by clearly acknowledging a colleague's feelings from the start.

Professional development and training that uses gamification can awaken and improve interpersonal skills in a way traditional programs don't, writes Lauren Fitzpatrick Shanks, CEO of KeepWOL. Research shows that employees who are more engaged are better connected, higher performing and more motivated, Fitzpatrick Shanks writes.

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