4 ways distributors can manage, prevent stockouts | Southern Glazer's matches employee donations to help Ukraine | HP Hood says most plants are back online after cyberattack
Distributors can minimize the impact of stockouts by evaluating product demand and adjusting quantities if necessary, as well as by changing lead times or vendors to replenish inventory in a timely fashion, writes Jon Schreibfeder, president of Effective Inventory Management. Schreibfeder also recommends having realistic customer service goals and taking a cooperative approach to working with buyers and salespeople.
About 90% of long-haul trucking in the US could eventually be performed by autonomous driving systems, which could displace 500,000 human drivers, according to a University of Michigan study. Researchers say human drivers could handle the first and final legs of the trip, passing cargo off to robotic trucks that would handle the longer middle portions on interstates while also alleviating driver shortages.
Warehouse management systems have been around a while, but some warehouses still aren't using them, or are using only basic capabilities, not robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Different SaaS vendors are better suited for companies of different sizes, with larger companies potentially using multiple vendors.
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Too many sales professionals are proud of putting in long hours on often-ineffective tasks, while salespeople who are incredibly efficient and hit their goals while putting in fewer hours are mischaracterized as "lazy," writes David Brock. These supposedly lazy salespeople, who consistently reach their sales targets, know how to focus on their most promising opportunities, use tools to reduce busywork and constantly evolve their strategies to maintain efficiency, Brock writes.
Fran Biderman-Gross, founder and CEO of Advantages, explains the difference between brand-oriented and revenue-oriented metrics and advises business-to-business marketers on how to use both to measure performance. "[I]dentify and focus on the actionable metrics that genuinely matter to the success of your business," such as A/B testing results and conversion rates, Biderman-Gross suggests.
How to offer fast and reliable delivery Consumers want their goods — fast. And when that order arrives, they expect it to be right. Join Pivotree and Fluent Commerce as they discuss 5 key success factors for fast retail delivery. Watch the webinar.
Study participants who received nudges to ask more "Why?"-based questions were able to create more cross-departmental connections than people whose curiosity wasn't piqued, according to Harvard Business School professor and researcher Francesca Gino. Managers who express such curiosity openly can set a strong example for their teams, Gino says.
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