Fastenal's business is largely about "reacting to what we're seeing today" rather than relying on long-term forecasts, Chief Financial Officer Holden Lewis says. However, Lewis says that more planning is required when ordering products from outside the US.

CDW is acquiring Sirius Computer Solutions from a Clayton, Dubilier & Rice affiliate in a cash deal worth $2.5 billion. CDW says the purchase of the IT solutions integrator will expand its services portfolio.

Motion President Randy Breaux says the pandemic has taught him the importance of communicating honestly and clearly with employees and listening and responding to customers. Meanwhile, Motion's procurement team has excelled using data analytics even as the company faces supply chain issues like anyone else.

Finance teams can combat waste in logistics operations through better technology and data, integrating logistics with other departments and knowing what questions to ask, writes Mike Nervick, CEO and co-founder of Sleek Technologies. "Traditional freight procurement processes are static and no longer effective in managing today's market volatility," Nervick writes.

Companies should look at projects with their profit-producing customers through "a dedicated, multi-capability team," as the collaboration can yield innovation, transformation, cash benefits and other and mutual gains, write Jonathan Byrnes and John Wass of Profit Isle. "The executive sponsors on both sides should set expectations on how future benefits will be distributed between the two companies, clearing the way for the operating team to work without this concern," they write.

From customer relationship management software to social selling, there's a long history of innovations that were supposed to help sales organizations find instant success, writes Anthony Iannarino. However, there's no substitute for quality leadership, an agile sales approach and properly measuring each salesperson's effectiveness, Iannarino writes.

MeritB2B's Gil Barzilay explains why business-to-business marketers should invest in connected TV to take advantage of its reach, targeting capabilities and to engage buyers as they work from home. "CTV advertising gets in front of a broad number of potential business buyers and creates brand awareness, driving early-stage research," Barzilay writes, noting, "It also solidifies messaging to current customers and leads already in-pipe."

The college-level baseball team that employed Larry Hanauer's son as a batboy serves as an illustration of why organizations should mentor, develop and entrust junior people, even if they don't "have any sage advice to contribute." "Teamwork is great, but even the most junior employees should own a task for which they are solely responsible and whose results they can see (and be held accountable for)," Hanauer writes.

Corporate culture prizes standout employees, but it is important to recognize that average workers who meet expectations also are critical to team success. This group should be celebrated to boost retention and engagement.

Many distributors experience the paradox of watching marketplaces grow sales at explosive rates while seemingly seeing no sales erosion to Amazon Business, etc., themselves. How can this be? What is the nature of the threat? When will it affect you? Most importantly, what should you do about it?. Discover the answer to these questions and more on Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. ET by registering today!

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