Everything from product size to how agreements are made may be different in another country.
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There’s room for all sizes of competitors, but to succeed, you have to capitalize on what you’re best at.
Many distributors dont have enough debt, author Brent Grover says.
Create value by acting on opportunities beyond product to grow net profitability sustainably.
New contributor Stuart Mechlin offers advice on how to add another dimension to your decision-making.
Without trust, a relationship can disappear as quickly as it began.
From something as large as a hurricane to something as small as a water main break, all businesses should plan for potential disruptions.
The value you create for your customers and suppliers determines the value you can harvest.
Distributors should frame their decisions with an eye toward growth, economist says in recent MDM Webcast.
Here’s a fresh take on the traditional SWOT analysis for distributors.
Working with family members can be challenging if roles are not clearly defined.
Without effective processes, even the best profit-mapping information will not be converted to action.
Simplicity, strategy and taking a holistic view of supply chain opportunities are critical when looking at data.
This article is part of the MDM series: The Shifting Competitive Landscape.
The case studies in the Dec. 10, 2012, issue of MDM Premium, the first articles in MDM’s series on the shifting competitive landscape in wholesale distribution, feature distributors who are collaborating to compete more effectively.
These distributors are adding value to customer relationships by partnering with competing or complementary distributors to meet customers’ needs more effectively and efficiently. The collaboration includes integration across a wide spectrum, from selling another distributor’s inventory to opening branches together.
This growing interest in collaboration among distributors is changing the competitive landscape. If done right, it builds on the distributors’ value propositions and expands their influence in their local markets. This can pose a threat to competitors who may underestimate the impact such collaboration can have, not only through greater efficiencies, but also through increased revenues and greater stickiness with customers.
On a broader front, partnerships on a local level potentially take the edge off national distributors’ advantages of scale
The way leaders view their employees has strategic implications for the business.
Good forecasting requires more than just software, Jon Schreibfeder says in latest episode of Executive Briefing.
In Producing Prosperity: Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance, Harvard Business School professors Gary Pisano and Willy Shih explain their view that when U.S. companies outsource their manufacturing operations, much of the country’s ability to innovate and compete goes overseas, as well. Shih, a professor of management practice, spoke with MDM staff writer Angela Poulson on why a manufacturing renaissance would bolster the U.S. economy. He also discusses the importance of building and maintaining “industrial commons” to fuel this revival.
MDM: Why did you write this book?
Willy C. Shih: Our main purpose was to elevate the discussion in this country on what we think is a very important topic. There is a lot of high-level, circumstantial discussion about manufacturing and jobs, and what we really wanted to do is get a more detailed discussion going so that policy makers and leaders in the industry and the public sector can have a more intelligent discussion about core issues.
MDM: Your book’s subtitle is Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance. Broadly speaking, why does the U.S. need a manufacturing renaissance, and how in this case do you define one?
Actively recruiting vets is a growing trend in manufacturing.
No matter how long you’ve been in the industry, the pace of change dictates you open yourself to ongoing education.
We may never have complete clarity in business, but we shouldn’t let uncertainty hold us back.
