As spring unfolds, MDM takes a deep dive into new beginnings with a Premium issue full of content on recruiting the next generation of talent and what it means to thrive in a post-pandemic business environment. Read the March 25 issue now for a sneak peek at the future of distribution.
Latest In Technology
Strong taxonomy and product data allow functions such as attribute filters and indexable search to be possible. Here are four key functions that show how product data can make or break the user experience.
The pandemic caused real change. Now we have the opportunity to push digital transformation further and faster into the distribution industry. That’s a long-term win, says proton.ai's Benj Cohen.
Harnessing the power of data can transform a distributor. This article introduces distributors to the benefits of analytics, including how data-informed decisions can help a company analyze market potential, profile customers and better target prospects — all of which can grow revenue, reduce costs and improve profitability.
Distributors ADI Global and D&H Distributing saw jumps in customer service requests, including significantly longer call times, over the last year. Here's how they handled the spike.
This issue of MDM Premium takes a deep dive into the distribution M&A landscape for the remainder of 2021. Topics covered include historical thinking that led to today’s perspectives, how 2020 shaped investor and seller mindsets and what to think about when planning a transaction of your own. We’ve also got news on Walmart’s latest automation moves and how you can get a sneak peek at the industry’s future through MDM’s next virtual event.
As platform strategy 101 tells us: the technology is a commodity. The power is in the network. As a result, Applico is seeing two types of marketplace technology providers: SaaS (software as a service) and, more recently, MaaS (marketplace as a service).
This issue of MDM Premium is future-focused. You will learn tips from a top plastics distributor on how to be both environmentally conscious and business savvy for company longevity. Then, you will discover how analytics can reshape the way your business operates. Dive into the February 25 issue now.
Harnessing the power of data can transform a distributor. This article introduces distributors to the benefits of analytics, including how data-informed decisions can help a company analyze market potential, profile customers and better target prospects — all of which can grow revenue, reduce costs and improve profitability.
While e-commerce platforms and marketplaces aren’t new, the pandemic is fueling the need for distributors to take a harder look at them. The latest MDM webcast featured Zoro's Tracy Buelow breaking down how distributors can have a successful presence online.
To make this a successful year, distributors looking to grow their businesses are likely to improve their chances if they grow their digital capabilities, said industry experts Diane Yarrow and David Saunders.
AI can map the products you already have, without a detailed and painstaking master data project. This makes the sales rep look good and allows the customer to get back to work. It’s all part of an omnichannel experience for the customer, says proton.ai's Benj Cohen.
This issue of MDM Premium is features inspiring stories from executives at leading distribution companies on how they overcame the challenges of 2020 and what they are doing to continue to bring positive change to their companies. Read on for inspiration from NW Synergy, Graybar, Cardinal Health and Grainger.
Break content up into smaller, reusable pieces that can be reassembled based on configuration choices. Darwin Information Typing Architecture, the standard used to design component content, ensures that the correct content is associated with each configured product variation.
Our first quarterly data issue of 2021 is packed with benchmark information from the fourth quarter of 2020 to help guide your decision-making. It includes sector-specific commentary from distributors in the industrial, electrical, HVAC/plumbing, building products, gases/welding, pipes, valves and fittings markets. You will also find the latest pricing trends and financial metrics and trading multiples.
On January’s fourth-quarter earnings call, Fastenal CEO Dan Florness and CFO Holden Lewis pulled back the curtain on how they view the company’s diminishing role of physical branches.
Two case studies showcase how distributors are succeeding with technology upgrades and new organizational plans that put their businesses in a strong position entering 2021. Learn how the latest automation technology is improving performance and altering employee perspectives at Allied Electronics, and take a page from the benefits of advanced planning found at ACR Supply.
Four ways that investing in technology now can help your distribution business emerge from the recession stronger than before.
Three of MDM’s five most-read blogs published last month focused on e-commerce and digital, while the tenuous economic situation plus Ferguson’s 2021 forecast also grabbed readers’ attention.
This issue of MDM Premium focuses on ways for distributors to strengthen your digital presence, beginning with a focus on your customer’s journey through your e-commerce platforms and websites.
