Flitman takes over as Builders FirstSource CEO | Chief operating officer named at Optimas Solutions | AI aids in predictive analytics for supply chains
Modern Distribution Management (tiered subscription model)
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Tired of “making it work” with your current software? We know our solution gets results because, well, it already has. SalesPad is designed to unite selling, fulfillment, forecasting, shipping, and invoicing into one visibility-boosting software, and over the last 19 years, over 1,000 distribution professionals have adopted it. Learn more here
Artificial intelligence helps supply chains improve predictive analytics related to demand, which allows companies to reroute shipments and respond to events like the blocking of the Suez Canal, says Mario Harik, XPO logistics chief information officer.
Despite all the talk about migration to the cloud, "on-premises IT environments will exert a considerable amount of gravity for years to come," writes Mike Vizard. Vizard outlines the challenge: Enterprises must get better at moving data from lake to lake "to help rein in storage costs that are already spiraling out of control."
Getting retail back to business [now on-demand] How are retail companies faring after making adjustments based on the pandemic, and what is on their agenda as they move forward into this new era of retail? Watch on-demand as SmartBrief, Hallmark and Farmgirl Flowers discuss where their businesses are picking up and how their goals have evolved over the last year. Watch now.
Some 44% of business-to-business marketers say compelling storytelling is important for their website experience, while just 24% of prospects say the same, according to a report from Orbit Media Studios and Ascend2. In addition, 22% of prospects want a beautiful design, which is prioritized by only 12% of B2B marketers.
Business-to-business marketers should harness the power of retargeting on social media as the strategy not only drives conversions, but also boosts brand awareness, writes Fractl's Domenica D'Ottavio. D'Ottavio explains the psychological pull of "mere-exposure effect" and how to implement a social retargeting strategy, as well as offering tips on errors to avoid.
Your contact center of the future…Now A series of disruptive forces are likely to profoundly change the way service is delivered, which will ultimately enable omni-channel experiences and seamless, human-centric service. In an on-demand webinar, Deloitte and Salesforce discuss these impending changes and how improvements can be enabled at every touchpoint. Watch now
Surprises are best handled by not jumping too quickly to action, writes Steve Keating. "Rule number one when dealing with the unexpected is NEVER make anything more of a challenge than it needs to be," he writes.
Research suggests that people get disillusioned with their ideas the further into the creative process, even when great solutions are still possible. Avoid the "creative-cliff illusion" by constantly asking whether there are better solutions, says Kellogg School of Management professor Loran Nordgren.
How to transform specialty retail using AI Retailers who choose to leverage AI and machine learning to solve critical business problems sooner rather than later will reap the benefits, as investments in AI yield more value as they mature. Read Google Cloud's survey report to learn about the most common and highest value use cases for AI in retail. Download Now
In this free NAW webinar on April 6, at 2 p.m. Eastern, Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein of Distribution Strategy Group and Alex Moazed of Applico will bring you the latest thinking on marketplaces. They'll 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! Sponsored by Oracle Netsuite and Zoro.
NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellow Mike Marks writes, "The field sales rep is as American as baseball. But the traditional role of the B2B field sales rep was on a steady decline even before the pandemic, as we have lost roughly 25% of the B2B field sales jobs since 2015. In the wake of COVID-19, with tighter budgets and a spike in e-commerce use, transforming bloated market-serving sales teams into a lean market-making force has become even more vital to distributors' survival." Read his post.
NAW and Distribution Strategy Group have launched a seven-part free series called, "Adding Value in a Post-Pandemic World: New Leadership Strategies for Distributors." We'll focus on innovative ways for distributors to differentiate themselves from industry disruptors. Distributors will understand the challenges facing the industry over the next decade, and will be armed with new modes of thinking and information to build robust strategies with staying power. Each part includes a free research report to download and a free webinar to watch live and on demand. Sponsored by Oracle Netsuite and Zoro.
