HVAC distributors such as First Supply have been able to increase online sales by investing in their websites and running promotions to encourage customers to shop there. "We went live with a new platform, new [product information management system], and drastically improved product content to create a totally new online shopping experience," says company e-commerce director Tim Winter.

US officials on Wednesday released a report to Congress and a playbook outlining the government's plans to make COVID-19 vaccines free to all Americans. Medical supply company McKesson would be the main vaccine distributor and vaccinations would occur in four phases, beginning with health care workers, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions.

The manufacturing concept of mass customization can be applied to learning and development, especially when personalization is focused on improving performance rather than just increasing knowledge, write Edward Boon and Robert Brinkerhoff. "Focusing on personalized coaching provided by our busy sales managers using microlearning, e-modules and a virtual role practice platform, we've seen wonderful results," says Builders FirstSource HR executive John Foley.

"Cyber-enabled" employees — those who have an above-average understanding of cybersecurity but are specialists in other roles — are vital to maintaining security, writes Simone Petrella. She describes numerous such roles in IT, software development and governance, and she notes that an employer focus on abilities rather than titles "provides an efficient way to upskill and prepare for the cyber-enabled jobs of the future (and today) without leaving positions unfilled or waiting for a pipeline of candidates through lengthy degree programs."

Self-driving trucks are a critical component of the commercialization of autonomous vehicle technology and will offer fleet owners greater efficiency and savings -- up to 30% per mile, writes Scott Corwin of Deloitte. He adds that over the next two decades, AV trucking will be phased in across the country, with implications for the workforce, the supply chain and trucking industry infrastructure, among other things.

Distributors often struggle with cross-selling, but artificial intelligence can simplify the process by providing salespeople with order patterns and indicating which items customers may want, writes Debbie Paul of Distribution Strategy Group. "Cross-selling is really the lowest-hanging fruit for any inside or field sales rep," she writes.

Seventy-seven percent of employees say benefits are a key component of their compensation package, up from 67% in 2019, and 73% say they're a major reason to stay with their employer, up from 59% last year, according to Prudential. In addition, 75% say employee benefits are "more important than ever before" because of the pandemic.

According to analytics and technology expert Brent Johnstone, "If your company hasn't adopted best practices before going into a crisis, it will show in your performance. Doing an assessment now, mid-crisis, is one of the most valuable things you can do to shore up core capabilities for the 'new normal'. We've identified key questions for each of the 7 Ss identified in 'Optimizing Distributor Profitability: Best Practices to a Stronger Bottom Line' to assess your performance through the pandemic and pave your way forward." Read his post.

Register now for NAW's Sept. 24 live webinar, "How Distributor Customers Will Use Technologies From Their Suppliers and Who Is Winning." Leading technology companies are offering customers new ways of ordering. Retailers and distributors are using AI-enabled business intelligence to understand customer needs better and are applying autonomous vehicles, including drones, for deliveries. Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein will delve into how important all of this is to distributor customers and whether distributors need to build technological capabilities to remain competitive.

NAW shares thought leadership each week in the NAW Blog "Distributing Ideas." NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellows, authors and guest bloggers discuss today's critical issues specific to wholesale distribution. Catch up on blog posts here. Better yet, subscribe here and we'll deliver a new post each week straight to your inbox.