Most distributors say that data analytics is important for sales and operations, and companies are also using it in marketing, customer support, finance, HR and C-level management, write Jonathan Bein and Robert Kelley of Distribution Strategy Group. "The right analytics tools give you the capacity to take a step back and start managing the business in terms of where it's going and how it's growing, and to get unstuck from managing day-to-day," they write.

Koch Foods will spend $220 million to expand its poultry processing plant in Fairfield, Ohio, by 402,000 square feet. The food distributor will also add at least 400 jobs at the plant after the expansion is completed.

Scoular has agreed to spend $4.4 million for Iowa assets of Pipeline Foods, which is in bankruptcy court and must have the deal approved. Scoular also named legal chief Megan Belcher to its board.

Cybersecurity should be part of an open dialogue between IT and workers, who need to "understand social engineering attacks and the role they have to play in keeping the business safe," notes Tony Pepper, CEO of Egress. Pepper also advocates for a positive culture that "empowers employees to make the right decisions rather than punishing them for their mistakes."

Distributors can counteract the impact of labor shortages and even improve productivity by closing gaps in processes, minimizing mistakes and having employees focus on the most important goals, writes Judd Marcello of Conexiom. Marcello also recommends using hybrid sales strategies and adopting technology such as data analytics, the internet of things, automation and robotics.

Distribution salespeople will have to keep being flexible to reach customers as the Delta variant of the coronavirus restricts travel and companies enact vaccine requirements and other safety protocols for visitors, Elizabeth Galentine writes. Virtual sales and e-commerce will remain important but won't completely replace in-person sales, according to distribution executives.

Sales managers should encourage their teams to conduct prospecting activities each day, with results measured to properly assess what's working and what's not, writes Colleen Francis. "Your sales team needs to not only make prospecting a consistent habit, but they need to do it in a systematic and strategic way that has the data to prove what they're doing is effective and leads to results," Francis writes.

Leaders of any title or level should reflect on what their values are and how those values affect their leadership approach, writes Ken Blanchard, who offers a four-step process. "A leadership point of view is a very personal statement that requires reflection and vulnerability," he writes.