North Carolina-based Advance Auto Parts reported fourth-quarter profit of $106.7 million and revenue of $2.47 billion. The company also announced that CEO Tom Greco will retire at year's end after seven years at the helm.

Dallas-based Builders FirstSource reported fourth-quarter profit of $384.5 million, despite a 7.7% reduction in core organic sales compared to a year ago. Fourth-quarter revenue came in at $4.36 billion, a 6% drop from a year ago as the construction supply company faced headwinds from a decline in single-family housing construction and commodity deflation in the year's second half.

Associated Wholesale Grocers has announced that it will renew its partnership with Givex to use its technology to power AWG's shopper engagement platform, a data marketing, loyalty and digital coupon program used at more than 600 independent grocers that processes more than $3 billion in sales. Givex's enterprise coupon portal offers an additional 500 AWG-associated retailers coupon content from the wholesaler and its authorized vendors.

Manufacturers increasingly are using simulation to manage how a supply chain operates, using a virtual form of operations and products to predict the outcome of challenges. "The supply chain deserves to have a digital twin of its own," says Adrian Wood, director of strategic business development at Dassault Systemes. "It's a model of the capabilities and constraints in an organization that allows you to play with 'what if' [scenarios]."

Salespeople can overcome the stereotype of being pushy or manipulative by practicing self-awareness and authenticity and being aware of the challenges a prospect is also facing, say University of Southern California adjunct professors and authors Colin Coggins and Garrett Brown. "Give yourself permission to be authentic and be aware that the world will give you credit for your flaws, that the world will give you credit for being just like the person you're talking to, who is imperfect," Coggins says.

Employers can create a work environment that nurtures talent and spurs them to perform to their highest capacity by following six steps, Mary Jo Martin writes. Provide resources to support employee well-being and mental health, implement transparent communication channels and prioritize career growth, Martin advises.

Ann Harrison, dean of the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, says when leaders are dedicated and act in a systematic way, they can make progress on diversity, equity and inclusion, proven by her success in diversifying both the student body and faculty over the past four years. In addition to being intentional, Harrison also says organizations need "to focus on the pipeline" and find "resources to make these changes."