Demand for online customer service portals has risen, even as supply lags.
Posts By Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier
Latest episode of 7 Minutes With: Ted Stark of Dalco Enterprises on increased competition in the jan-san industry.
Disruptive technologies, better data management and multichannel initiatives will be on the front lines for distribution.
MDM readers identify their biggest technology challenges for the new year.
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The first filing deadline for the conflict minerals provision of the Dodd-Frank Act is fast approaching. While the provision – requiring disclosure of the use of tungsten, tin, tantalum and gold sourced in and around the Democratic Republic of the Congo – only directly applies to public manufacturers, the actual impact is much broader than anticipated, and many distributors aren’t sure of the steps they need to take to comply.
This article examines the conflict minerals rule and how its effects are being felt all along the supply chain. It also provides practical information on how distributors can prepare for helping customers comply with the new rule.
This article includes:
- An overview of the SEC Final Rule on Conflict Minerals
- Analysis of the broader impact of the rule
- Steps for creating a game plan to address the rule's impact
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- The Growing Cost of Product Liability
- The Counterfeit Challenge
- Global Markets Are Not Just for Large Companies Anymore
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The U.S. automotive industry hit bottom in 2009, with total light-vehicle sales falling to 10.4 million units the lowest level since 1982. Chrysler and GM filed for bankruptcy that year; Ford, while avoiding the courts, had to make its own cuts.
Today, the industry is nearing full recovery, albeit with some significant changes. This article examines the current state of the automotive industry in North America, how the recovery has affected suppliers and distributors serving the market and the outlook.
This article includes:
- Distributors’ perspectives on the auto industry collapse and recovery
- Lessons learned
- Outlook for the auto industry in North America
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- Wallet Share, Demands Drive Acceleration in Channel Convergence
- Third Quarter MDM-Baird Survey: Slow But Steady Growth
- Wind Market Grows; Challenges Remain
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The U.S. auto industry has returned from its collapse, but the industry – and the the distributors who serve it – have made some big changes.
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Tool manufacturer launches toolsofthebrave.com website in response to demand for American-made products.
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A successful vending program will result in mutual benefit for the distributor providing the solution and the customer using it. This article is a case study about how industrial distributor Machine Tools Supply has achieved success by focusing on designing its vending solutions around customers’ unique needs.
This article is part of MDM’s series on the industrial vending market.
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- Distributors Get Smarter About Vending
- Industrial Vending's Growing Pains
- MDM Interview: Fastenal's Vending Evolution
Purchase the full MDM Special Report, The Industrial Vending Boom, in the MDM Store in PDF format.
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CEO: Company will focus on three key areas to achieve goal by 2016.
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Manufacturers and distributors often think about data differently, leading to inconsistent data sharing.
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McCausland: ‘Growth is hard to come by in this economy.’
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Survey: Political environment, changing provisions contribute to uncertainty about impacts of the Affordable Care Act.
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Impacts from the shutdown will likely continue to be felt for several months.
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Sales growth remains low for most respondents in the latest MDM-Baird Distribution Survery.
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Distributors are now driving record growth in industrial vending adoption among end-users. Even though vending has been around for a couple of decades in the industrial space, many say it still has a huge runway for growth. But as with any trend in its “infancy,” distributors looking to expand their vending services are faced with challenges, from initial investment to profitability to getting up-to-speed quickly on all available options to effectively respond to customer demands. This article examines key challenges identified by distributors and provides best practices for addressing them.
This article is part of MDM’s series on the industrial vending market.
This article includes:
- Why distributors should take an offensive stance with vending
- The challenge of profitability & product mix
- Vending's impact on relationships
- The importance of aligning expectations around vending
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- Industrial Vending: 'A Runway for Growth'
- Distributors Get Smarter About Vending
- Vending 'Explodes' as a Service
Purchase the full MDM Special Report, The Industrial Vending Boom, in the MDM Store in PDF format.
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Bad product data sharing processes can have a negative impact on sales and relationships.
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MAPI: Residential construction to return to ‘normal’ in 2015.
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Over the past two years, AmazonSupply.com and Google Shopping for Suppliers launched as new players in an already competitive B-to-B landscape. This article provides more details on these two platforms and examines their current and potential impact on the wholesale distribution industry, as well as the challenges and opportunities they bring. Distributors also spoke with MDM about what they are doing to stay relevant as business increasingly moves online.
This article includes:
- The roles Amazon & Google are assuming in the B-to-B marketplace
- Results from an MDM survey
- Analysis of the impact of Amazon on distributor & manufacturer sales & profitability
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- Beyond Amazon: E-Commerce's Impact on Wholesale Distribution Markets
- Beware the Amazon Mystique
- The Shifting Competitive Landscape in Distribution
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Michael Sprague discusses the critical consequences of failing to implement good product data sharing processes.
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