The Federal Trade Commission accused top Amazon executives, including current CEO Andy Jassy and former CEO and founder Jeff Bezos, of communicating through the Signal encrypted platform using a disappearing messages feature. The FTC says its 2019 investigation into Amazon required the company to retain and turn over documents, and executives sidestepped those requirements and destroyed potential evidence in ongoing business conduct and antitrust investigations. An Amazon spokesperson called the FTC's claims "baseless."

MDM Analytics is launching Market Prospector 4.0, an updated version of its market profiling software service that caters to electrical, industrial, construction and facilities maintenance suppliers. Market Prospector assists in market sizing, segmentation, forecasting and targeting high-potential accounts using proprietary models, and the software provides detailed insights into market potential. The Market Prospector 4.0 release introduces enhanced data visualization, agile development architecture and deeper data analytics support.

Plumbing and heating products distributor Ferguson has ramped up delivery speed and capabilities by building market distribution centers that incorporate scalable AutoStore robotics technology, mechanization and sortation in major metropolitan areas, says Michael Jacobs, senior vice president of supply chain. In an interview with Steve Baker of Logistics Viewpoints, Jacobs details the company's supply chain modernization efforts, diving into the expected financial return of the technology and its ability to pick most daily order lines and improve the company's utilization of space.

Distributors seeking customer relationship management software should ensure their sales teams are leading the selection process and minimize the number of people involved to speed things along, writes Benj Cohen, founder of Proton.ai. Other considerations include focusing on the strategic goals distributors wish to accomplish with software implementation and prioritizing features and vendor qualifications over price to evaluate the merits of the solution, Cohen writes.

Flexibility and access to technology are essential after an extreme supply chain disruption, writes Tony Harris, senior vice president and chief marketing and solutions officer for SAP Business Network. It is important to be able to have real-time visibility into inventory status and shipment scheduling, rapidly identify options and connect a wide variety of resources digitally, writes Harris.

LinkedIn's algorithm now prioritizes quality over engagement, which makes it a much more powerful content marketing tool for business-to-business marketers, writes Skona's Jenny Sagstrom. Encourage and support leaders and employees to share their subject expertise on the platform and use a variety of content formats, from short-form video to graphics to provide actionable insights for customers, Sagstrom advises.

A rift between leadership and employees can cause low morale, a decline in productivity and talent leaving, writes Vlad Vaiman, a professor and associate dean at the School of Management of California Lutheran University, who suggests leaders prioritize clear communication, address ongoing conflicts, reemphasize common values and be open to hearing and acting on feedback. "Senior executives have a critical role in ensuring that employee grievances are addressed in a sensible and equitable manner, fostering a culture of fairness and responsiveness," Vaiman notes.

High commodity prices, which are still above pre-pandemic levels, are likely to prevent central banks from reducing interest rates swiftly, according to a World Bank report. The bank noted that while global commodity prices have stabilized, they remain elevated, posing inflationary pressures and economic vulnerabilities.

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