In our distributor series in collaboration with Modern Distribution Management we covered the "big" changes a leading distributor - MSC Industrial has been making to continue their journey from a "spot buy" distributor to a "Mission Critical" distributor. In Part 2 and Part 3 of the series we dove deep in MSC's digital programs and mission critical initiatives. Behind MSC’s … [Read more...] about MSC Industrial Series Parts 2 & 3 Overview
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How to Avoid Three Big B2B Distribution Digital Death Traps
As a distributor building a digital strategy and creating digital solutions, I’ve worked with advanced and basic software solutions. I’ve been fortunate to be on distribution teams and work with distribution clients over the past 15 years learning sometimes the hard way, the key mistakes to avoid on a digital journey. 1: Mistake of Investing in technology instead of talent The … [Read more...] about How to Avoid Three Big B2B Distribution Digital Death Traps
Opinion: Industrial Tariff talk – Tips on how to prepare for wherever the market goes
This month has been an interesting one as a content provider for the Industrial Channel. We have been writing, crossing out, rewriting on the impact of tariff battles between the US, Canada, Mexico and China. We had a number of articles ready to publish then had to hit the stop button to react to another announced change. We have tariffs go from the "Let's get ready to … [Read more...] about Opinion: Industrial Tariff talk – Tips on how to prepare for wherever the market goes
Industrial Distributors, Is eCommerce Important to Your Customers?
That’s the question many senior executives ask themselves regularly about eCommerce. They’ve invested much into their website. They’ve invested into product data. They’ve invested into people. They ask, does anyone care? Are we getting an ROI? I know I’m being, perhaps, a little facetious as intuitively many believe / understand that these investments are now expectations, … [Read more...] about Industrial Distributors, Is eCommerce Important to Your Customers?
Industrial Distributor: Year End Performance 2024 – AD, Fastenal and Grainger
Over the past few weeks, a number of national distributors have released their 2024 performance and earnings reports. AD, Grainger, Fastenal and others have made news. We've also talked to a number of manufacturers who see the "highlight" numbers and use them as benchmarks, so we've reviewed and sought to find some trends. Overall, business is improving or stable depending on … [Read more...] about Industrial Distributor: Year End Performance 2024 – AD, Fastenal and Grainger