Pandemic index shows continued drop in distributor sales | Synnex adopts remote work, courses during the pandemic | Pandemic means more demand for Insight Enterprises
The Indian River Consulting Group's Pandemic Revenue Index of 10 distributors averaged a sales decline of about 15% last week compared with the same period last year, marking the eighth week in a row with declines over 10%. Two of the distributors in the sample posted year-over-year gains.
Synnex's distribution centers are open, but most employees are working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, says Sandi Stambaugh, the company's vice president of product management. Synnex is offering more online training for its products, which is "a convenient way for professionals in a variety of roles -- including sales, marketing, finance, and technical support -- to grow their knowledge and ultimately drive more business," she says.
Insight Enterprises has responded to increased customer demand for cloud services, network upgrades, wireless security and collaboration tools during the coronavirus pandemic. Insight also helped customers with telemedicine, digitized retail systems and creating clean physical IT environments.
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.
Warehouse layout changes, robotics, connected devices and artificial intelligence each have potential for improving warehouse fulfillment, writes Kayla Matthews. Because robotics use cases are being demonstrated during the coronavirus pandemic, brands "may realize there's no reason to delay a planned investment any longer," Matthews writes.
Maintaining Business Continuity in Tough Times COVID-19 has impacted the global economy and changed the way businesses operate. Overnight, every business has needed to reassess how to do more with less. Thankfully, sales order automation has made this possible for companies like Genpak. Watch this webinar, now available on-demand, to find out how you can keep customers supplied and supported.
Kaon Interactive CEO and President Gavin Finn explains why reducing business-to-business marketing spend in an economic downturn is counterintuitive and outlines key areas that should be prioritized by B2B companies for investment during the pandemic. He recommends they focus on interactive digital experiences, digital sales tools for videoconferencing and virtual events.
Laying off an employee is emotionally difficult for both a manager and the employee, and those conducting layoffs should do so with care for the employee and for themselves, says Bryan Otte, founder and CEO of HRPlus, and formerly chief human resource officer at SmartBrief. Advocating for a smart exit strategy, being genuine and vulnerable, and recognizing one's own emotional needs are all vital elements of a compassionate layoff process.
As organizations reopen and look to increase staffing, many are turning to an on-demand video interview process, which allows employers to create an online video with key questions that applicants can respond to via video. Many of the questions are situational or behavioral, and the process asks every applicant the same questions.
NAW will partner again with NAW Senior Economic Advisor Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics to produce a second critical economic forecast webinar. Are we at or near the general economic bottom? What is happening in various wholesale distribution market segments? What are the stock market and interest rates doing now and in the near term? "Distribution Post COVID-19 Outlook" will be Thursday, May 28, 3 to 4:30 p.m. EDT. Seats are limited, so purchase yours here.
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.
