Home Depot says pro sales affected by coronavirus | Advance Auto Parts reports lower profit, revenue in Q1 | Column: Machine learning's benefits will become evident
The Home Depot's pro sales grew slower than its do-it-yourself business in the first quarter, with pandemic restrictions being a factor, CEO Craig Menear said Tuesday. "The smaller pro actually performed well throughout the quarter with more pressure on the larger pro," he said.
The Digital Imperative: Ditching Paper Processes The challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed the imperative for the digitalization of warehouse and logistics operations. Businesses that recognize this problem understand the need for easy to implement technology that can quickly deliver on the promise of increased digitalization. Learn about the importance of creating paperless processes in this whitepaper.
Machine learning is an in-progress technology but should bring improvements in operations, quality and enterprise resource planning, among other areas, writes Jeff Fried of InterSystems. "In the months ahead, the industry will begin to see that by democratizing machine-learning across more skill levels, organizations can more quickly realize its full benefits," he writes.
The supply chain upheaval caused by the coronavirus differs from other disruptions in its geography, scope and effect on supply and demand, writes Brent Moritz. He recommends caring for customers and employees, being flexible and having backup and emergency plans in place.
The Key to Digital Transformation As the world faces unprecedented change, distributors must find a way to survive and thrive. It is critical today more than ever to reduce operational costs, scale your business, maximize data security and increase your revenue. Building your ERP solution using cloud architecture with capabilities specific to the distribution industry will position your business to stay on track to reach (and exceed) 2020 goals. Learn more in this webinar.
Lauren McMenemy provides a guide to content marketers on how to communicate with the C-suite, including the metrics that should be used to prove marketing's value and why the term "cost per" should never be used. She explains what each member of the C-suite will want to know when marketers approach them for support, such as the importance of net contribution to the chief financial officer.
Salespeople doing business over the phone and web need to understand how those differ from in-person sales and make sure they're using the appropriate technology and techniques, consultant Troy Harrison writes. "For all that is good and holy in selling, do not use speakerphone -- your customers will spend a lot of time saying, 'Can you repeat that?' " he writes.
Building business resilience in times of change Few businesses, if any, were prepared to face the current environment brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. But the businesses that have reacted quickly and incorporated planning for times of change into their strategies for the future will be the ones that emerge successfully in the age of COVID-19. Hear from prominent industry leaders in this webinar.
Employees who are struggling with burnout, especially working at home, should create "shutdown rituals" such as turning off their computer, saying goodbye to co-workers and planning for the next day, writes Julie Winkle Giulioni. Leaders should model this behavior, she writes, and "give permission to employees to do the same."
CEOs who have started in their roles since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted daily life share their experiences in leading during crisis and doing so virtually. These CEOs are learning that time and energy management are essential for everyone, and also that managing the business and planning for recovery require separate teams.
Are you well-informed about different best practices and knowledge in our industry? If not, NAW's Top 10 E-book List can help get you up-to-speed quickly so you and your business can stay competitive in these challenging times.
At this critical time for the economy, online payment acceptance can mean the difference in whether you're paid. Stream the podcast from NAW Trusted Partner Unified to learn how replacing paper check acceptance with an easy-to-use "PayNOW" link on your website allows customers to pay in real time, online with credit card.
