Arrow Electronics Chief Information Officer Vin Melvin says he is motivated by the "ability to make a difference to the strategic capabilities of an organization through technology," over the long term. Arrow is making greater use of data intelligence and machine learning.
The majority of US and Canadian transportation and logistics firms say last-mile delivery is the supply chain's least efficient component, according to a study commissioned by SOTI and Arlington Research. Most companies surveyed see the value in mobile-first strategies and those who have implemented them are realizing the benefits, but one-half say obsolete technology has resulted in lost customers.
Only about 1 in 100 ransomware attacks are publicly disclosed, says Jared Phipps of cybersecurity provider SentinelOne, but that could change as ransomware groups increasingly steal data and threaten to release it. This "name and shame" tactic puts much greater pressure on companies because in many cases, disclosure of data theft is required by law.
Distributors need to avoid a "customer-centricity gap" with e-commerce platforms by making sure digital offerings are meeting customer expectations and needs, according to an Episerver report. Personalization, direct selling and optimizing Amazon's marketplace are three steps survey respondents are likely to pursue, the report says.
Some 56% and 53% of marketers say the pandemic prompted them to create more social and thought leadership content, respectively, while 47% said the crisis spurred them to adopt a more emotive tone, per LinkedIn and Vision Critical. The research also reveals the top channels marketers pivoted toward during the pandemic are webinars, organic social and digital video.
Bad hiring decisions are costly, Lou Adler of The Adler Group writes. Adler outlines four ways to know if you are on your way to a bad hire, such as when members of the hiring team do not agree on job requirements or when strong applicants drop out of the process early.
Remote brainstorming sessions are effective when they make collaboration easy and help people discuss issues that can't be hashed out over email, writes Ximena Vengoechea of Pinterest. "Ask participants to input a simple response into a shared document, such as a spreadsheet or set of slides, where you plan to gather responses during your session," she writes.
Distributors have made progress in navigating through this unprecedented disruption, but much more is needed. In this live webinar, we will follow up with Michael DeCata, President and CEO of Lawson Products, to hear how he is navigating through COVID-19 and how it has accelerated his plans around innovation. Mark Dancer, author of NAW's "Innovate to Dominate," and Richard Blatcher of PROS will explore with Mike how distributors must implement an "innovation ecosystem" to compete in the new normal. Register today! Sponsored by PROS.
NAW's new project, "How Technology Will Transform Wholesale Distribution," will help forward-thinking distributors to develop successful marketplace strategies, form new methods of differentiation, and survive and thrive through the digital transformation and disruption before us. To ensure that our research includes the advanced technology distributors are using now or contemplating using, please take 7-9 minutes to complete this survey. All answers will be kept confidential.
