The parent company of Office Depot on Tuesday rejected an acquisition offer by Staples but said it may consider a joint venture or a sale of its e-commerce and retail arms. Such a deal "would also help maintain competitiveness against nontraditional retailers and optimize ongoing choices for consumers," ODP Corp. Chairman Joseph Vassalluzzo wrote in a letter.
Grainger, Henry Schein and Owens & Minor are part of a group of N95 mask manufacturers, buyers and distributors working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to improve mask distribution. Members of the group are allowed to share production information without the fear of antitrust lawsuits.
All Sysco employees who were furloughed last summer because of the pandemic have returned to work, and the distributor doesn't expect additional furloughs, CEO Kevin Hourican says. "We think we're a few months away from seeing a significant rebound in our business, and we don't want to furlough associates when we're going to be rehiring in a very short amount of time," he says.
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Business intelligence and analytics can't live up to their potential with data "hidden" in mainframes, writes Model9 CEO Gil Peleg. Peleg outlines new strategies for penetrating data silos, pointing out that "an organization with the ability to liberate its mainframe data will have the capacity to monetize it."
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The best way to improve sales effectiveness is often to get a clearer picture of your client's needs or viewing things from a new lens, writes Anthony Iannarino. "The more you improve your vantage point, the better you are able to create value for your contacts, resulting in a greater ability to create and win opportunities," Iannarino writes.
Many sales organizations are tempted to promote top salespeople into managerial roles, but not every salesperson wants to become a manager or has the right skill set for the job, writes David Brock. Offer them other rewards such as larger territories, special projects or mentoring new hires, Brock writes.
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Leaders must always be looking for star potential, and introverts are an example where talented people will hide in plain sight, speaking up less than others but just as capable, writes Joel Garfinkle. "If you want to harness that shrewd analytical thinking, look for your introverts and encourage them to share their thoughts, even if it's just one-on-one with you, in a smaller group or in a less chaotic environment," he writes.
In this capstone NAW webinar, "Strategic Change During Disruption: An Industry Response to Get Smarter, Faster and Stronger," on Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. Eastern, Ian Heller will summarize what he learned from the research conducted with distributors, suppliers and customers. He'll provide a roadmap forward: a specific set of recommendations on the strategic actions that the distribution industry -- and individual companies -- should take to fend off competitors, outflank disruptors and prepare to take market share and improve profitability. Sponsored by Unilog and PROS.
Don't miss NAW's first-ever Digital Summit, Jan. 27-28, which attracts CEOs and senior leaders of leading wholesale distribution companies. First-time attendees will have the chance to hear from industry leaders and experts and discuss topics relevant to their business, including learning from distribution CEOs on our "Leading in a Time of Transition" panel as well as having opportunities for peer-to-peer networking and idea exchange. Use NAW's special 5- and 10-pack registrations to bring your team! Register today!
Pradip Krishnadevarajan, co-author of NAW's "Pricing Optimization: Striking the Right Balance for Margin Advantage," discusses how "pricing" is one of the most complex day-to-day decisions in any business environment, and the distribution industry is no exception. In fact, pricing is the most critical profitability lever for distributors due to their position in the supply chain, ever-increasing competition, and other business forces like commoditization and globalization. There are six primary pricing variables that he calls, the Six Faces of a Pricing Cube. Read his post.
