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SHIFT 2023 Playbook

As distribution leaders constantly seek educational resources on business transformation, technology optimization and talent management, MDM’s SHIFT conference has answered the call. The annual executive summit invites distributor decision-makers to attend and absorb three days of thought leadership across numerous topics that our audience has indicated are top-of-mind for those driving the industry forward.

 

Here, we’ve compressed four of the sessions from our 2023 SHIFT event into an MDM Playbook, extracting key takeaways from the content they offered. They include transformation case studies on industrial supplies outperformers Motion and Global Industrial Company; insights from Gartner on using technology as a burden-lifter on sales staff; and lessons from a panel discussion about workplace culture components that foster an environment where talent want to work and stay.

 

Read on to view those pieces from our marquee in-person event, and mark your calendars for MDM’s 2024 SHIFT conference, to be held Sept. 11-13 in downtown Denver.

Data-Driven Decisions: Opportunities and Challenges in the Data Revolution

Distributors of all sizes and in all verticals are ambitiously investing in data capabilities over the next three years, and for good reason: the distributor data divide is big and growing. 

 

Our latest research, Data-driven decisions: opportunities and challenges in the data revolution, reveals the striking finding that the most data-savvy distributors are twice as likely to report using advanced data techniques in every single part of their business and twice as likely to report moving faster than average to continue growing their data capabilities

 

As a result, distributors who have been slow to adopt data capabilities are moving quickly to catch up. Of the distributors who identify as low-maturity today report realistic, 70% revealed that they have realistic plans to achieve high-maturity within the next three years. 

 

Download the report today to read more about these and other findings from the research, a multi-month effort that engaged over 200 senior distribution executives.

 

Elevate Your Sales Game: The Ultimate CRM Playbook for Distributors

Customer expectations are evolving, buying behavior is shifting, and competition has become more intense. 

Leading distributors see these challenges as opportunities and double down on the strategies that take them to the next level. 

 

Read on for seven winning strategies to increase revenue, crush the competition, improve profitability, and set your sales team up for attainable, long-term success. 

 

In this playbook, you’ll discover how to:

  • Unify offline and online sales to seize every opportunity
  • Develop higher-converting marketing campaigns with personalization
  • Improve sales efficiency and performance with automation
  • Train your team to take a more consultative approach to selling
  • Maximize profits with your pricing strategy
  • Identify the best opportunities for growth and expansion

 

What It Takes to Embrace AI in Distribution for Next-level Business Success

Dive into the world of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in wholesale distribution with our practical guide. Uncover firsthand experiences from industry executives at different AI adoption stages, offering valuable strategies, implementation tips, and inspiring stories for your business’s transformative journey.

 

In an industry where the potential of AI is rapidly evolving, our guide becomes your compass. Join the narratives of three executives who, much like you, have seamlessly integrated AI into their operations, witnessing its transformative impact and now championing its potential for success. Consider AI not as a foreign concept, but as your next strategic partner in the distribution landscape. Just as you rely on supplier relationships and logistics providers, AI enhances efficiency and elevates the customer experience. Download our guide now to pave the way for your business’s AI-powered evolution and revolutionize wholesale distribution.

 

Elevate Your Sales Game: The Ultimate CRM Playbook for Distributors

As distributors adapt to changing dynamics, CRM software has evolved to become much more than a tool for logging activity and tracking sales performance. A robust, user-friendly CRM platform empowers sales reps and your entire customer-facing team to be more efficient and proactive, improving customer engagement and profitability. 

 

In this resource, we’ll discuss the key benefits of CRM software, the most important factors distributors should consider when evaluating solutions, how to improve user adoption, and how to maximize the impact of your CRM with battle-tested sales workflows.

 

Achieving Consistent Customer Experience: A Distributor’s Guide

In today’s dynamic business landscape, ensuring a consistent and exceptional customer experience is the ultimate differentiator. The path to success for B2B distributors is no longer just about products and services; it’s about the seamless journeys you create. Our whitepaper, “Achieving Consistent Customer Experience: A Distributor’s Guide,” is your roadmap to achieving excellence. By exploring innovative strategies, overcoming challenges, and reaping the rewards, you’ll position your business at the forefront of customer-centricity.

 

Don’t merely adapt—lead the way. Embrace the future of distribution, download the whitepaper now, and watch your business transform into a customer-centric powerhouse.

 

New Solutions for Tomorrow’s Challenges: A Distributor’s Guide

Introducing “New Solutions for Tomorrow’s Challenges: A Distributor’s Guide” – a comprehensive whitepaper that delves into the evolving landscape of B2B distribution. In today’s global economy, where connections between manufacturers, retailers, and end-users are more crucial than ever, traditional distribution models are facing significant disruptions due to digital transformation, shifting customer behaviors, and supply chain complexities. To remain competitive and ensure sustained growth, distributors must anticipate and adapt to these challenges.

 

In the rapidly evolving distribution landscape, embracing technology, nurturing talent, and enhancing supply chain resilience are critical for distributors to thrive. This whitepaper equips distributors with valuable insights and strategies to navigate these complexities successfully. Don’t miss out on this invaluable resource for the future of B2B distribution.

 

3 Key Ways Distributors Can Boost Productivity

In the world of wholesale distribution, efficiency is the name of the game. Whether you’re a small distributor or a large-scale operation, the pursuit of productivity improvements is unceasing. Our whitepaper, “3 Key Ways Distributors Can Boost Productivity,” is your definitive guide to not just identifying areas for enhancement but also executing transformative changes with finesse.

 

This in-depth document takes a deep dive into the pivotal strategies that empower distributors to maximize their operational efficiency. From harnessing the untapped potential of automation within modern platforms to revolutionizing customer experiences, we unveil the keys to sustainable success. Don’t let outdated practices hold you back; take the first step towards a more efficient and profitable future. Download the guide now and equip yourself with the knowledge to elevate your distribution business to new heights. While your competitors ponder their next move, you’ll already be charting the course to a more prosperous tomorrow.

 

Distribution AI: A playbook to accelerate success

Are you tired of the AI buzzwords? It’s time to cut through the noise and take practical steps to truly transform your distribution business with our newest groundbreaking research report. 

This comprehensive report is the culmination of months of rigorous research, featuring in-depth interviews with industry-leading AI experts and distribution executives who have successfully harnessed the power of artificial intelligence. We’ve distilled their insights into five key behaviors that are driving success in today’s distribution landscape, and outlined 2 to 3 actionable building blocks that you can immediately implement.

Whether you’re just beginning your AI journey or looking to fine-tune your existing strategy, this report is your roadmap to success. We’ve also included a valuable worksheet to help you assess your AI maturity and identify areas for improvement.

Download the report today and start putting these proven strategies to work for your business. It’s time to turn AI hype into AI success.

 

Unlocking Agility and Business Growth with the Right Tools

Is your current business management system positioned for success? Does your back-office system give you a 360-degree visibility on your customers, vendors, inventory, orders, and service? Would you like better insight into performance and the necessary information to make critical business decisions?

 

If you are concerned that your current systems are holding your business back, know that you are not alone and there is a better way. If your distribution company is experiencing any of the challenges above, implementing an ERP solution like NetSuite can improve operational efficiency and enable employees to react to customer and business needs in real-time. 

 

In this eBook, we summarize many of the issues that distributors face and why many have decided to move to different business management solutions like NetSuite.

 

Insights, AI & More: What Distributors Are Doing to Improve the Customer Experience

For most of B2B distribution history, the deciding factor for customers came down to quality. The distributor with the better products, brands and available options had the advantage to win their business. As industrial, commercial and building supply markets became increasingly fragmented and competitive over time, the emphasis shifted to customer service.

 

To learn what distributors are doing on the Customer Experience front and deliver the buying experience that customers expect today, Modern Distribution Management partnered with Infor on a Spring 2023 research project. This resulting report illustrates current CX trends and the technologies that distributors are leveraging to meet and exceed customer expectations.

 

10 Must-Haves for Distribution ERPs

If you’re in the market for a new ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution and are already starting to look at vendors, you’ll want to read this guide.

 

Every ERP has baseline features such as accounts payable, receivables, inventory tracking, forecasting. But there are other must-have features that can improve your margins, help you grow faster, and differentiate you from competitors. Plus, you should consider what you need to today – and what you’ll need in the upcoming years.

 

This eBook will help you determine what capabilities will be necessary to drive tangible value today and in the future. Use it to develop your technology roadmap and set the criteria for what you’ll need from an ERP vendor.

 

A Distributor’s Key to Staying Relevant

Digital transformation is accelerating throughout global businesses. What started as a leap of faith for many enterprises during the pandemic has become a true competitive advantage for those businesses embracing digital solutions.

 

The wholesale-distribution sector, typically a laggard when it comes to adopting new technologies and processes, must pursue digital transformation for the same reasons — primarily because their customers are demanding it.

 

2023 Research: The State of Data Analytics in Distribution

It’s all here. MDM’s latest research into the utilization of data analytics in distribution — including barriers, frequency, application areas, prioritization, planned investment and more.

 

The benefits of modern data analytics tools such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Business Intelligence (BI) software and Pricing Intelligence software are many. They take the guesswork out of decision-making. They provide real-time information at a time when speed is vital. They democratize data use across the organization and help distributors un-silo departments that were previously using disparate processes. They show distributors what their customers want — not just from a product demand standpoint, but how they want to buy it. That’s just for starters.

 

Distributors’ Keys to Cybersecurity Effectiveness

Digital transformation has revolutionized the distribution industry. Distribution customers can make purchases, access resources and find a more “Amazon-like” buying experience in just a few clicks thanks to the convenience afforded by the digital channels.

 

However, the instant accessibility provided by these digital avenues is a double-edged sword for distributors. On the security front, digitally stored data can be stolen or tainted by hackers, viruses and other cyber threats, and distributors need to ensure their information is properly protected at all times.

 

This report examines the current state of cybersecurity in distribution; how it should be prioritized in key areas of operations; what measures distributors can take; and where to find help along the way.

 

A Distributors Guide: How to Simplify Your Tech Stack to Fuel Growth

There is a tech tool for every challenge. The downside is that this can easily lead to decision paralysis — there is an overwhelming amount of options to pick from, and choosing the right tools and the right vendors for them is a challenge in itself.

 

But that doesn’t mean simplicity can’t still be the best path forward for today’s distributor. This report will detail the myriad market challenges facing distributors today, how distributors are addressing those challenges with increased use of technology, and how a simplified, consolidated technology approach is proving effective in this endeavor.

 

Suppliers Speak: The State of Inventory Management Visibility

The supply chain situation entered 2023 in much better shape than which it entered 2022, but the inventory lessons of the past two years were apparent: Just-in-time is too prone to disruption to remain the industry standard in the post-pandemic world.

 

In this report, we will examine new research from Modern Distribution Management that shed light on the current state of inventory management practices among distributors and manufacturers.

 

The Inventory Management Solution that Positions Your Business for Success

Is your warehouse overflowing with the wrong SKUs? Are you finding your mounting Excel spreadsheets less and less useful? Do you depend on manual, tedious processes to keep your inventory management afloat? If so, you are not alone. The wholesale distribution industry is stuck between aged, legacy systems and modern business needs. 

 

A poor inventory management strategy can have a detrimental impact to distributors. High inventory costs, fluctuating inventory turnover, unnecessary order duplication, errors in reporting, lost customers and additional costs all wreak havoc on your business strategy. 

 

That’s why an inventory management system is so important. 

 

In this eBook, we share how a good inventory management system can help ease distributors pain points. Topics include good management strategies, solutions to ever-changing customer demand and key questions to ask if your inventory management system isn’t giving you the information you need to be successful. 

 

Marketplace Suite Spot℠

The Marketplace Suite Spot℠ report evaluates the top marketplace development technologies businesses can use to create, launch, and grow an ecommerce marketplace. Some of these marketplace enablement technologies require integration with a standalone ecommerce platform to operate, some include that customer-facing catalog/cart/checkout functionality along with marketplace-specific functionality. The report contains vendor information, platform capabilities, ideal market fit, and more including several comparison visuals in order to gain a clearer understanding of the leading options in this space.

 

Industry Outlook 2023

Nearly three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, distribution business conditions are still far from “normal,” as in what they were in late 2019. While improved in most areas of pandemic-led disruption, 2022 was the third-straight year that distributors had to navigate major challenges of inflationary pricing, supply chain bottlenecks and a labor pool that has been difficult to attract and retain. Those factors were amid the ongoing challenge of a digital transformation that the entire distribution landscape had already embarked on pre-2020 but was forced to accelerate by B2B buyers’ rapidly evolving preference for a digital buying experience.

 

With 2022 now behind us, let’s look at the current state of forces impacting distributors, what 2023 may have in store and how distributors can navigate conflicting market signals.

 

How and Where Distributors Can Leverage Automation in 2023

As companies have struggled to pivot normal operating procedures over the past few years, automation tools have rapidly emerged as levers to not just manage stretched employee resources, but to support a deeper business model transformation. Automation – often referred to as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) – typically yields the highest and fastest return-on-investment of any technology deployment, especially in early adoption stages.

 

In this report, we’ll examine ways in which distributors are navigating this journey, expanding the use of automation across every area of the business – customer-facing, back-office, warehouse and delivery. We’ll share insights from a distributor that has created transformational leverage through process automation. And we’ll also offer a few tips on how to frame your own successful automation deployment.

 

Revenue Intelligence: The Defining Advantage in Post-Pandemic Markets

Since the onset of the pandemic, Modern Distribution Management has identified key differentiators between distribution organizations challenged to tread water and those able to strengthen profitability and customer loyalty. The biggest differentiator is how the successful organizations effectively use data analytics tools across operations, sales and marketing, while struggling organizations are holding on to the status quo. And the gap is widening.

 

This report distills MDM research from the past two years to provide a roadmap for how distributors can use advanced analytics best practices to drive revenue growth and profit despite (and often because of) a volatile market environment.

 

The State of Digital Platforms in Distribution

As technology, buying behaviors and influence from the B2C market disrupt the distribution industry, models that worked for decades are no longer effective. Distributors are adopting new platforms, ecosystems and tools to ensure they can fulfill demand across a variety of channels and deliver the additional value commercial buyers demand.

 

Download this free report to learn how distributors must innovate to meet the changing landscape.

 

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