The pandemic has emphasized the importance of supply chains, with distributors taking care of their people while helping them focus on business continuity and core goals, said leaders from Cardinal Health, Grainger and Graybar at the NAW 2021 Digital Summit. Assume everything can go wrong, and document company responses so your successors have that knowledge on hand, said Graybar Chairman, President and CEO Kathy Mazzarella.

Indian River Consulting Group's Pandemic Revenue Index of 12 distributors increased by 3.9% the week of Jan. 18-22. "These past two readings much more closely resemble the low- to mid-single-digit marks that the PRI maintained from mid-September through mid-December," Mike Hockett writes.

Google eliminated commission fees for third-party sellers on its Buy on Google marketplace in July, but that failed to attract a significant number of new vendors. The zero-commission model is attractive to sellers, but many think the site doesn't generate enough traffic and sales to make it worthwhile, according to Juozas Kaziukenas, founder of Marketplace Pulse.

The next two years will see quadrupled demand from businesses for robotic goods-to-person material handling systems to maintain social distance between warehouse workers, according to Gartner. Dwight Klappich, vice president analyst with Gartner Supply Chain, says these systems are less invasive than movement-tracking technologies and can also enhance productivity.

Technology companies such as NVIDIA are using machine learning and artificial intelligence to develop business-to-business recommendation solutions that can be used by marketers to identify and fix customer challenges, Daniel Newman writes. B2B marketers also can enhance the buying journey with AI through conversational technology to quickly solve buyer problems and optimized content to provide a more personalized experience, Newman writes.

The demise of third-party cookies offers brands an opportunity to address the ethics of consumer data tracking and data technology -- a practice that has gone beyond a simple exchange of information for a more personalized brand experience, writes Wunderman Thompson's Alex Steer. "[A] lack of attention to data ethics has led us down paths that now threaten the basis of digital advertising," Steer writes.

Distributors that give employees advanced educational opportunities can benefit from greater retention and efficiency, especially compared with only giving raises, writes Kourtney Gruner of the Master of Industrial Distribution program at Texas A&M University.

During this 90-minute open discussion, you'll exchange ideas with a trusted network of C-suite peers in distribution. Companies belonging to this community are from firms between $100 million and up to $1 billion in annual sales. There is no formal agenda or speakers -- just you and more than a dozen of your friends in distribution discussing today's pressing issues. Last year, participants shared how they were protecting their employees during the pandemic and more. Don't miss this opportunity. Register today!

Old school distribution is about stocking inventory, taking orders and serving demand. New school distribution is about innovating through customer services and working side-by-side with customers in the real world. The future of distribution is about solving problems in your customer's business -- often before your customer even knows a problem exists. Innovate to Dominate provides breakthrough ideas, lessons from leading distributors who are innovating and inspiration to help you lead your customers into the future and sustain your competitive advantage.

Are you well-informed about different best practices and knowledge in our industry? If not, NAW's Top 10 E-book List can help get you up-to-speed quickly so you and your business can stay competitive in these challenging times.