Survey: Distributors making e-commerce a priority | CanWel is now known as Doman Building Materials | CDW-G leader: Distribution partnerships benefit customers
Almost 90% of distributors responding to Industrial Distribution's 74th Survey of Distributor Operations said e-commerce is high on their agenda this year, up more than 20 percentage points from 2020. Distributors largely praised their pandemic response and ability to withstand another disaster.
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More trucking companies are raising pay to recruit more drivers, but the move has instead prompted current drivers to switch employers in search of more money and to spend less time on the road. Competition from other industries and the federal drug testing clearinghouse for truck drivers are also making hiring more difficult, industry experts say.
Artificial intelligence can help warehouse operators get the most out of automation and robotics by enabling cross-platform orchestration, synchronous simulation, predictive analytics and continuous improvement, writes Daniel Theobald, founder and CEO of Vecna Robotics. "While much of this may seem futuristic now, it will be commonplace, and necessary, by 2030," Theobald writes.
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Inside sales has become more important as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to avoid in-person meetings and events. The shift has also made customer relationship management platforms most important, with 69% of sales executives stating that CRM systems help managers lead their teams more effectively in a recent Boston Consulting Group study.
5 challenges retailers face today—and solutions Retailers are under increasing pressure to enhance operations, lower costs and improve the customer experience. In this Toshiba Global Commerce whitepaper, we look at how microservices can solve some of retailers' most pressing problems. Download now
Charismatic speakers are inspired by their own message and can block out distractions to convey that spirit to others, writes Nick Morgan. "Great public speaking results from realizing that you, the speaker, are in service to the message and to the people sitting in front of you," he writes.
New leaders shouldn't be afraid to consider issues before taking action or to ask for coaching, writes Fivetran's Mike Faber. Make connections with other new leaders, foster loyalty among your team by truly making them your focus and remember that you are now a role model, Faber writes.
Training your leaders with the knowledge and latest best practices so they can perform at their highest level, grow your business, run operations efficiently, and reduce costs is a whole lot easier when you equip them with the right tools. NAW's Top 10 Best Sellers are distribution-specific, high-quality resources that will provide your leaders with fresh ideas and guidance as they lead your business through these challenging times. Order your copies at volume-discounted prices.
NAW and Gallagher, its trusted partner, have teamed up with Liberty Mutual to create Gallagher Margin Protect for Distributors, which includes an exclusive workers' compensation dividend for best-in-class distributors that rewards superior individual performance as well as group performance. Get in touch to see how we can help.
According to NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence author Mike Emerson, "For salespeople, the top predictor of income should be performance, not tenure. But all too often, it's the other way around. The truth is traditional sales compensation plans that are tied to territory and tenure no longer work. If you haven't already updated your sales compensation plan to meet pandemic-induced changes in how sales teams interact with customers, it's time to act." Read his post.
