Arrow Electronics is using an enterprise resource planning system to achieve much of its planned $130 million in annual cost reductions, says Chief Financial Officer Chris Stansbury. The system is helping the company reduce costs in warehousing, operations and back-office functions while providing a unified operational view across three business regions, Stansbury says.

True Value is working to unify inventory visibility online, whether the product is in warehouses or stores. The brand's ship-to-store program will provide same-day access for products.

Warehouse managers and supply chain executives need to know how to manage and use data analytics, Collin Rush writes. He lists five questions to ask, including what data to collect and how it will be received.

Before investing in new shipping software, e-commerce businesses should list their fundamentals, John Kinny writes. Software needs to integrate well with existing sales channels, while features such as label printing, customer self-service portals, reliable support and ease of use are also important elements to consider, he writes.

Inna Semenyuk describes five important elements of business-to-business influencer marketing, including the importance of identifying influencers based on their expertise and the quality of their engagement on specific platforms instead of the number of likes or followers they attract. Invest time in educating influencers about your brand's services or products and get more out of them by co-creating content, she recommends.

Companies have more control over customer loyalty than they believe, as customers are swayed by emotions and memories and not just extrinsic motivations such as rewards, argues Colin Shaw. "Customer loyalty is a long game of consistent service, an outstanding product, and an excellent experience," he writes.

It can often be beneficial to have managers, leaders or others within an organization come with sales representatives for sales calls, writes Colleen Francis. When multiple individuals team up to make a sale, it "shows that the entire company is willing to ensure the success of the buyer and their team," Francis writes.

Anna-Lisa Corrales, general counsel for Jaguar Land Rover North America, discusses how she built her department from a team of one, as well as what she prioritizes in leadership. "If you support the people that you trust, who are hard workers and who appreciate the flexibility and autonomy given to them, they will not let you down," she says.

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