Last month I participated on Prokeep’s webinar on order quotation and order automation. For a pre-launch event, the attendance was great. Winning Nowadays Goes to the Quickest - Customers Don't Have Time to Waste Customers want speedy responses to quote and questions. The reason – they are running fast. Not enough time, or maintenance labor, to get all the work done so … [Read more...] about Winning Orders with AI-Powered Sales Quoting & Ordering
Productivity
AI for HR
How AI Can Transform HR for Industrial Distributors The Bottom Line: People are a distributor’s largest asset — and AI can now automate the HR burdens that slow leaders down. HR expert Tracie Sponenberg identifies five accessible, affordable AI tools distributors can pilot today to streamline onboarding, scheduling, performance reviews, employee experience, and HR … [Read more...] about AI for HR
AI for Industrial Supply IMR’s
From a tech viewpoint, AI is what companies talk about. Distributors are implementing it or at least discussing it. Not much gets shared within the manufacturer environment but it is well in use. Independent manufacturer reps (IMRs) have also asked the question. Some have dappled. Few are advanced. Most are intrigued but lack expertise and/or are concerned about … [Read more...] about AI for Industrial Supply IMR’s
Embrace Change to Adopt AI and Improve Profits in the Industrial Channel
The concept of digital transformation, let alone AI, as a future driver for your organization is probably a folly unless … You have a leader, and leadership team, which believes in change. There are two key words in the above sentence … “leadership” and “change.” Leadership infers vision, an ability to perceive “need,” an entrepreneurial mentality that desires growth, … [Read more...] about Embrace Change to Adopt AI and Improve Profits in the Industrial Channel
Prokeep Helps Capture the Text and Turn it Into Dollars
As distributors seek cost-effective ways to improve customer experience, improve productivity and have a cost-effective sales tool, while doing all of these digitally, Industrial Trends is pleased to welcome our newest partner, Prokeep. Prokeep offers a unique solution to distributors, which can also cost-effectively and easily be used by manufacturer representatives, which … [Read more...] about Prokeep Helps Capture the Text and Turn it Into Dollars
ChatGPT, AI, Office, Teams and More Technology to Power Your Industrial Business
Within distribution there is a continuous, and increasing, call for distributors, manufacturers, and manufacturer representatives to “invest in technology.” And I would presume that companies are spending more on technology / digitalization than ever before. It may not show up in the IT budget, but marketing, pricing, sales, warehousing, manufacturing and other departments now … [Read more...] about ChatGPT, AI, Office, Teams and More Technology to Power Your Industrial Business
The Road to a New ERP System
Deciding on an ERP system is one of the most challenging decisions for an Industrial distributor given its impact on business operations … everything from easy of doing business, ability to integrate with other tools, access to information, cost (acquisition, maintenance, training, productivity) let alone it touches every person who interacts with a company … associates, … [Read more...] about The Road to a New ERP System
Punchouts Drive eCommerce in the Industrial Channel
eCommerce is more than, in the words of an Amazon and MRO analyst, “click and ship”. eCommerce is about a methodology and a mindset to do business more electronically. In fact, the commerce element can be very diversified, especially for medium to large MRO buyers. Consider Amazon Business, Grainger and MSC. Companies such as Grainger and MSC report that over 30% … [Read more...] about Punchouts Drive eCommerce in the Industrial Channel
Using Digitalization to Optimize Operations & Drive New Business in Industrial
To combat the challenges of today’s marketplace, progressive distributors looking towards the future are investing more and more into digitizing their processes to optimize performance. These companies recognize that: Data can be monetized. This means that information in their ERP systems can be acted upon rather than remain in data silos and databases. Whether this is … [Read more...] about Using Digitalization to Optimize Operations & Drive New Business in Industrial
Is AI Coming to Your Industrial Warehouse?
The technology topic of the year in distribution has been, and will continue to be, AI. In reality, much of AI is really ML (machine learning) but it's not as "sexy" to talk about data being built into algorithms, to mine data and then deliver information, insights and/or potentially predict (or recommend) actions. The difference between AI and ML, from a theorist's viewpoint, … [Read more...] about Is AI Coming to Your Industrial Warehouse?
