IT products distributor Ingram Micro has partnered with hardware designer CoreKinect to provide customized internet of things device manufacturing services to its channel partners. "The ability to custom build a sensor specific to an end customer's environment is a game changer for channel partners," said Tim Ament, a senior vice president at Ingram Micro.

Since ending its relationship with Amazon, FedEx has focused on serving e-commerce customers such as Walmart, Target, Shopify and Wish. FedEx delivered 55% of Walmart's packages in the second quarter and is partnering with the retailer on in-store locations where customers can pick up and ship packages.

Hy-Vee is spending $90 million to remodel 14 of its stores in Kansas and Missouri. The work will include improved health and wellness services, new departments, more foodservice offerings, updated signage and revamped convenience stores.

Many distributors have been working to improve how they manage inventory and decrease related inventory and storage costs, writes Bridget McCrea. While some distributors prefer to use lean inventory tactics, others stress the importance of having items available at all times, even if it means higher overall stock levels.

Business-to-business sellers should track key performance indicators such as sales from new business alongside percentage of closed-won deals and other sales productivity metrics. It can also be helpful to track average lead response time and pipeline velocity, as such metrics can help sales teams optimize their operations, writes Lestraundra Alfred.

Paige O'Neill, global chief marketing officer at Sitecore, discusses the importance of having C-suite consensus on digital transformation strategy, why it's essential to identify quick wins while looking to the future and how transformation is being driven by customer expectations. "The mandate customers have given brands is so strong, we're willing to put ourselves through these multi-year projects and come out the other side because we need to modernize," she says.

Executive communication with employees at all levels helps them understand the organization and can prevent loneliness among leaders. "We tell ourselves the 'lonely at the top' myth to justify not letting people in, but the truth is that this is a poorly disguised self-protective mechanism," says Dov Baron of Full Monty Leadership.

Leaders should go first in offering trust even as they must be thoughtful and watchful about to whom trust is extended and expanded, writes Randy Conley, trust practice leader at The Ken Blanchard Cos. "People display their trustworthiness in four primary areas: competence, character, care and consistency," he argues.

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Customer service is a big cost center for distributors. It doesn't have to be. Customer service (CS) reps speak with buyers and decision makers every day. Each conversation is a sales opportunity, but one that CS reps aren't equipped to take advantage of. Artificial intelligence (AI) can change this by empowering customer service to make orders, instead of just taking them. Read this blog post. Subscribe to NAW's blog "Distributing Ideas" for critical business intelligence for distributors.