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For the last several years, Lawson Products has been focused on turning its sales trajectory back to the positive through streamlining the organization and focusing on the “legacy” that launched the company. President and CEO Michael DeCata recently spoke with MDM Editor Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier about the initiatives being undertaken by the distributor and the results of those efforts.

DeCata discusses:

How the company has changed since he became CEO
The impact of the company's Lean Six Sigma implementation
Plans for expanding the sales force

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A Practical Approach to Lean
Lessons Learned on Lean
Operations as a ‘Lever for Innovation’

October 10, 2014

Data & Analytics

Commentary: Scotland, Baseball and Better Sales Models

What can baseball and Scotland possibly have to do with each other? More than you might think.

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The State of Analytics in Distribution: 2014
MDM Interview: Why Analytics is About People, Not IT
Making Money with Small Customers

October 10, 2014

Management

How Leaders Can Drive Company Culture

The culture of a company is one key to its success, and changing leadership can create a challenge to developing that successful culture. Joel Trammell, author of The CEO Tightrope, discusses how distribution company executives and leaders can influence company culture to obtain the most useful ideas and criticisms from their workforces.

This article includes:

Initial steps for defining a company's vision
How to avoid the disconnect between upper management and line-level employees
Ways to ensure employees are all on the same page

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Redefining Competitive Advantage
Bridging the Value Gap
Operations as a ‘Lever for Innovation’

October 10, 2014

eCommerce

Overcoming a Technology Deficit

Distributors that lack a digital strategy can find themselves falling behind their competitors as e-commerce and other digital platforms become more important to customers. Linda Taddonio of InsiteCommerce discusses the need to develop a digital strategy and ways to jumpstart the development of that strategy in the recent MDM Webcast, Navigating the Digital Landscape for Distribution.

This article includes:

Why distributors are facing technology deficits
Steps for conducting a digital boot camp
How to create a digital innovation team

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October 10, 2014

Full Issue PDF

Download this Issue in PDF: October 10, 2014

This is the PDF of this issue of Modern Distribution Management.

Table of Contents:

MDM Interview: Lawson Products’ Revitalization
Commentary: Scotland, Baseball and Better Sales Models
How Leaders Drive Company Culture
Overcoming a Technology Deficit
U.S. Market Analysis: Janitorial Supplies
News Digest

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October 10, 2014

Companies

MDM Interview: Stellar Industrial’s Strategic Focus

Earlier this year, Tacoma, WA-based Stellar Industrial Supply announced the addition of Larry Davis, former president of ORS Nasco, to its executive team as executive vice president and chief commercial officer. The move was part of a strategy by Stellar to grow “faster and more effectively.” MDM Publisher Tom Gale recently spoke with Stellar’s executive team, including President & CEO John Wiborg, Executive Vice President & COO Steve Slater and Davis, about the shifts in the market that drove the shift in strategy and where the company is heading.

This article includes:

Why Stellar Industrial hired Larry Davis
The goals the distributor has for shifting its strategic focus
How the move will impact Stellar’s customers and partners

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Cost-Effective Channel Alignment
Who's My Coach? The Changing Role of Sales Managers in Distribution
Redwood Plastics: Success through Online Engagement

September 25, 2014

Companies

Commentary: Analyzing Analytics

At this point, it has become pretty well accepted that data should be a part of big decisions.There are many challenges to becoming highly data-driven, though, from technology limitations to information overload. But one common challenge is the tendency to view an indicator or measurement as something that it’s not.

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Differentiate to Combat Disintermediation
2014 State of Distributor Marketing: Distributor Marketing Shifts to Digital
Disasters Can – and Will – Happen

September 25, 2014

Sales & Marketing

Making Money with Small Customers: Balancing Margin & Cost

Predicting profitability of an order by measuring average margin is ineffective. Averages are susceptible to outliers and rarely represent the true value of any individual measure within the set. In this article, the authors examine flaws in conventional thinking about margin and provide practical ways to better manage small orders.

This article includes:

Common misconceptions about how to measure customer profitability
Better ways to measure the impact of small orders
Tips for how to improve profit from small customers

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Making Money with Small Customers
Measuring the Customer Experience
Cost-Effective Channel Alignment

September 25, 2014

Strategy

Strategic Options for Shipping Efficiency

Supply chain optimization is a goal with so many moving parts, it’s sometimes difficult to nail down what places to begin addressing potential changes. In this article, industry experts simplify the options and set the stage for an efficient, long-term process for freight movement.

This article includes:

Challenges to mitigating shipping costs
The role of technology in improving shipping efficiency
How distributors can use shipping to differentiate

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Differentiate to Combat Disintermediation
2014 State of Distributor Marketing: Distributor Marketing Shifts to Digital
Disasters Can – and Will – Happen

September 25, 2014

Economic Trends

MDM Industrial Inflation Index: August 2014

Modern Distribution Management's monthly Industrial Inflation Index measures a cross-section of industrial supplies.

This index includes:

Abrasives Products
Cutting Tools
Power Transmission Equipment
Fasteners
Valves, etc.
Power Tools
Material Handling Equipment
Belting
Hand Tools
Misc. Metal

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MDM 2Q14 Pricing Trends Report
MDM/Baird Survey: Distributors See Measured Growth in 2Q
The State of Analytics in Distribution

September 25, 2014

Full Issue PDF

Download this Issue in PDF: September 25, 2014

This is the PDF of this issue of Modern Distribution Management.

Table of Contents:

MDM Interview: Stellar Industrial’s Strategic Focus
Commentary: Analyzing Analytics
Making Money with Small Customers: Balancing Margin & Cost
Strategic Options for Shipping Efficiency
MDM Industrial Inflation Index: August 2014
MDM Monthly Wholesale Trade Data: July 2014
News Digest

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September 25, 2014

Management

Disasters Can – and Will – Happen

Disasters touch every sector of the industrial distribution industry every year, costing millions, destroying businesses and affecting the supply chain. Incorporating an emergency preparedness plan can greatly influence the outcome of a disaster, as can the methods undertaken to recover from one.

This article includes:

Case studies from two companies that suffered losses from fires
Steps to take to initiate an emergency preparedness plan
Valuable resources that your company probably already has

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Distributor Marketing Shifts to Digital
Technology-Driven Value?
Construction Drives M&A Activity in August

September 10, 2014

Companies

Commentary: Technology-Driven Value?

It’s easy to say distributors are more than middle men in the sales process. They are there to provide product when customers want it, where customers want it and how customers want it, right? But what is the real value distributors provide? Last week, MDM, in partnership with Grant Thornton, hosted a Webcast examining the threat of disintermediation (or the act of cutting distributors out of the sales process). In that event, the question was raised: Has technology changed what we have traditionally thought value to mean?

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Differentiate to Combat Disintermediation
2014 State of Distributor Marketing: Distributor Marketing Shifts to Digital
Disasters Can – and Will – Happen

September 10, 2014

Sales & Marketing

2014 State of Distributor Marketing: Focus Shifts to Digital

A joint MDM-Real Results Marketing survey revealed that while 80 percent of respondents create an annual marketing plan, for most companies, that plan is largely ignored after its creation. This article examines how distributors across sectors approach marketing and what they consider the most effective channels to be.

This article includes:

What vehicles distributors are using for marketing – and which are perceived as the most effective
How the focus of marketing has shifted for distributors
How distributors approach staffing around sales and marketing

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Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

Cost-Effective Channel Alignment
Who's My Coach? The Changing Role of Sales Managers in Distribution
Redwood Plastics: Success through Online Engagement

September 10, 2014

Full Issue PDF

Download this Issue in PDF: September 10, 2014

This is the PDF of this issue of Modern Distribution Management.

Table of Contents:

2014 State of Distributor Marketing: Marketing Shifts to Digital
Commentary: Technology-Driven Value?
Disasters Can – and Will – Happen
Sidebar: 3 Steps to Initiate an Emergency Preparedness Plan
News Digest

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September 10, 2014

Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution

Who’s My Coach? The Changing Role of Sales Managers

Baby boomers are retiring, and sales managers are recognizing that their current management styles may not be quite as beneficial as they could be. Adopting a strong philosophy and vision for leading a sales team is the first important step to take when shifting a management culture.

This article looks at reasons why the change is happening and what sales managers can and in some cases, should be doing to improve their management styles.

This article includes: