Since joining SpartanNash as president and CEO in September 2020, Tony Sarsam has focused the company on what he sees as its "winning recipe" of core capabilities -- its people, its operational excellence and its insight-driven solutions -- that drive the food distributor and retailer's strategy. "[T]he mission that we put [against] our corporate identity is that we want to deliver the 'ingredients for a better life,'" Sarsam said.

The pandemic fueled distribution mergers and acquisitions last year, but the trend is unlikely to continue, in part because of tax concerns, says National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors fellow Brent Grover. "Are we on the downward slope? I would say yes," Grover says.

Warehouse supervisors should use data science applications to improve demand and supply optimization, intelligent appointment scheduling, and automated task planning and worker allocation, write Srinivasa Gudipati of US Cold Storage and Ganes Kesari of Gramener. "Black box warehouses that need minimal human intervention are the future, and it is time to be ahead of the curve with the latest data-driven solutions," they write.

Technology can improve sales efficiency by allowing salespeople to have conversations with buyers over multiple channels, even at short notice. Tech plays an especially vital role in inside sales, with customer relationship management platforms helping salespeople manage increasingly complex discussions and opportunities, writes Colleen Francis.

Dan Monheit, co-founder of Hardhat, explains the concept of status quo bias and why it's relevant for business-to-business marketers, who must help buyers overcome their aversion to risk. "While we can't eliminate risk, we can reframe it, and in doing so, help our audience to see that maintaining the status quo is actually the riskiest choice of all," Monheit writes.

Leaders will be more successful when they can express their emotions in a controlled manner and learn to manage their emotional triggers, writes Marlene Chism, who offers examples of both techniques. "What makes emotional integrity distinct from emotional awareness and emotional intelligence is intentional transparency," Chism writes.

New executives can get off track if they can't adapt to new situations, build teams or work with others, writes Ed Batista. "[T]he longer they remain in the role without trying to improve, the more likely it is that they'll have a negative impact on the performance and retention of their direct reports and peers," Batista writes.

Help your company develop strategic thinkers and an agile team when your employees participate in this one-week course. The NAW Distribution Leadership Program draws on the latest business practices, tailored to the distribution industry, and those business practices are delivered by award-winning faculty from The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business. Register your leaders today!

NAW is working with Industry Insights to gather information from companies like yours for the NAW 2022 Employee Compensation & Benefits Study. The comprehensive survey collects data that doesn't just show you what others are doing; it gives you customizable side-by-side comparison tools so you can decide if you need to make any adjustments to your business strategy. Take the survey.

In this week's article, David explores the levers you can control to predictably make an impact on your business: sell-side price performance, purchase-price performance, sales performance, and cost-to-serve (CTS) management. Read the blog here.