Winsupply is addressing supply shortages, in part, by acquiring alternative products, which requires "a new level of creativity," President John McKenzie says. McKenzie also discusses price increases, the role of Winsupply owners in the company's growth, and its goal of reaching $10 billion in revenue by the end of the decade.

US Foods' new initiative is designed to reduce wasted truck miles and direct customers to their optimal distribution center, say interim CEO Andrew Iacobucci and Chief Supply Chain Officer Bill Hancock. The first phase will determine unnecessary miles on existing routes, followed by remapping, while the second phase will introduce dynamic routing technology.

Business-to-business customers intend to keep using digital platforms to buy from distributors and they also are looking for more flexible ways to make payments, according to a white paper by Modern Distribution Management and Credit Key, a B2B lending business. "For many distributors, offering installment financing has led to a 30% increase in conversion rates, as well as a 58% increase in average order value," the white paper says.

Sixty-six percent of executives say that supply disruptions can be minimized by improving collaboration with suppliers and 70% say that product innovation collaborations can improve organizational value, yet many lack the ability to scale those efforts efficiently, according to a survey by Ivalua and Forrester Consulting. "A lack of collaboration has become a running theme for organizations, which is impeding them from realizing greater value from suppliers -- whether it's driving innovation, achieving sustainability goals or improving supply chain resilience," says Ivalua's Alex Saric.

Companies can be missing sales if they're not regularly calling customers, tracking the platforms where customers connect with their brand or investing in brand development, writes marketing expert Sergio Alvarez. "If a large part of your marketing budget is dedicated to brand-building and maintenance, it will pay off in the end," Alavarez writes.

Short-form vertical videos and first-party data are among 10 digital marketing trends worth watching, writes business journalist Ross Darragh, who outlines how to implement each trend.

Companies that adopt self-directed teams must have leaders willing to support them by removing barriers and keeping purpose front and center, writes Art Petty. Shifting away from the top-down structure with which many people are familiar can be challenging, so it's essential to train and coach leaders and team members and help them understand the benefits of the new working structure, Petty writes.

Leaders have to do hard things such as letting people go or saying "no" to requests, writes Dan Rockwell, who notes that some of the most difficult tasks are handling criticism, helping others reach their peak and asking others for assistance. "Leaders who do all the helping -- but don't receive help -- screw a lid on their potential," Rockwell writes.

Looking for insights on creating and building your marketplace strategy? Watch this free webinar for distribution leaders on Marketplace Disruption and Strategic Response. Hear from Ian Heller, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Distribution Strategy Group, and Alex Moazed, founder and CEO of Applico. These two thought leaders, along with a panel of distributors, discuss their own marketplace strategies and share the business decisions that led to their specific strategies. Watch now!

Are you looking for professional development programs to help you retain and develop your key personnel? If yes, then the NAW Certificate in Distribution Professional Management program will help your leaders reach their highest performance levels. Learn more.

The NAW Large Company Roundtables are an exclusive community of thought leaders from Large Company distribution enterprises who congregate to network with non-competing peers in multiple lines of trade on key issues. The companies invited into this community are from distribution firms at or above $100M and $999M in annual sales. Register today!