D&H leaders emphasize company's success, stability | Cardinal Health increases use of visibility technology | 3rd-party sellers flock to Amazon by the thousands
Brothers Dan and Michael Schwab, co-presidents of D&H Distributing, say the company will continue to be successful in the face of mergers elsewhere due to its strength in North America and steady ownership. "When you transact with D&H, we're going to be here next week and next month and next year to support you," Michael Schwab says.
Cardinal Health began using tracking technology from FourKites a year ago to monitor personal protective equipment shipments and is now using a customized platform across its trucking, air transportation and other domestic transport systems. The technology came in handy during recent winter storms, when Cardinal Health was able to track a delivery truck carrying pharmaceutical supplies that had to pull over.
The surge in e-commerce is drawing more third-party sellers to Amazon, with an average of 3,700 new businesses joining each day and 295,000 new sellers so far this year, according to research firm Finbold. Third-party merchants accounted for 54% of Amazon's net sales in 2020.
Strategic practices can allow procurement departments to minimize the impact of disruptions and respond quickly with effective planning and synchronized supply chains. Best practices for mitigating and preparing for disruptions include diversification and alternative options, useful partnerships to boost collaboration and a visible, mapped critical path for quicker responses, Wolfgang Hoffman writes.
Warehouses dedicated to e-commerce accounted for the largest share of industrial real estate in 2020, but they could be taken over by third-party logistics providers this year, with general retail and wholesale bringing up the rear, according to a CBRE report. Companies are also "really facing some sticker shock" from higher industrial rents, CBRE Executive Vice President Mindy Lissner said.
A next-generation contact center experience Imagine a contact center that can run from anywhere, with greater scalability and efficiency. No more long hold times, fractured delivery of services, or disjointed systems. Join Deloitte and Salesforce for a webinar on March 30th, where we will discuss the disruptive forces that are likely to profoundly change the way service is delivered — enabling improvements at every touchpoint. Register today
Exceptional customer service starts with salespeople who know how to align their sales process with the way a customer prefers to buy, writes Colleen Francis. "Do not create an artificial sales process that forces your customer into conducting business with you in a way that makes them feel confused or uneasy," Francis writes.
In light of the changes caused by the pandemic, distributors should reevaluate their pricing strategies, promotional efforts and product portfolio, placement and assortment, writes Anthony Guarnaccia of Revenue Management Labs. "Of all the disruptions to our daily life caused by COVID-19, physical location is one of the most prominent," he writes.
[SmartFocus] Innovations in Supply Chain Retailers learned to pivot quickly in 2020 as shopper preferences evolved to embrace eCommerce, curbside pickup and buy-online, pick-up in store amid the pandemic. In this whitepaper, we look at how omnichannel technology and fulfillment services have become essential to retailers' success as they work to meet the needs of their customers and manage their supply chain. Read the whitepaper
The best way to manage the number of emails you receive is to limit the number of messages you send out. Other tips include finding alternatives to email for handling internal communications and project management.
Doris and Bertie's Clare Lynch offers 48 tips to make business writing "sparkle and sing" such as avoiding cliches about "adding value" and "innovative solutions" or crafting an apology without including a fix. Lynch urges writers to read work to their colleagues, write daily for an hour to hone the craft, edit and enlist fresh eyes to proofread.
A conversation with Hallmark and Farmgirl Flowers Now that retailers have learned how to operate amid a pandemic, it's time to get back to business, prioritize those goals that were derailed and set new goals that will prepare our teams for whatever comes next. Leaders from Hallmark and Farmgirl Flowers joined SmartBrief to discuss 2021 priorities, how business has evolved, and what's next. Watch the on-demand webinar
As companies grow, so do their customer portfolios. This can create an unwieldy, confusing, and antiquated set of data that frustrates more than it facilitates. Learn how conducting a periodic portfolio review, from NAW Trusted Partner, Creditsafe, will help to clarify any issues within your customer database while making your sales, marketing, and accounting departments more efficient and effective.
According to guest blogger Jason Hein of Bloomreach, with a digital experience platform, "distributors have a new set of tools they can use to get the most out of the other components of their tech stack. In doing so, they can create an experience that delights visitors, wins new customers and has an edge over new industry disruptors or the competition that lags behind." Read his post.
In this free NAW webinar on April 6, at 2 p.m. Eastern, Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein will evaluate the marketplace strategic options available to distributors, such as becoming a third-party seller on a merchant-owned marketplace, becoming a third-party seller on a marketplace not owned by a merchant, building your own marketplace, the imperative for an industry-owned marketplace, and opting out of marketplaces. Register now! Check out the full Adding Value in a Post-Pandemic World series! Sponsored by Oracle Netsuite.
