February 25 2011
Volume 41, Issue 4 - Using IT as a Competitive Weapon
41
4
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This is the pdf of this issue of Modern Distribution Management. Apply the full $24.95 pay-per-view cost of this issue toward an annual subscription, which includes two issues a month plus access to more than nine years of online archives and market data. Call 1-888-742-5060 or email info@mdm.com to subscribe. Subscribers log-in to download this issue.
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Distributors must build the skills and capabilities necessary to use IT as a tool to push strategy forward, according to the book, "Facing the Foces of Change: Decisive Actions for an Uncertain Economy." MDM spoke with Guy Blissett, the author, about his research on the topic and how distributors can position themselves to wield IT as a competitive weapon. This is the second part of a two-part series based on an interview with Blissett.
About one-third of distributors say they would like to view IT as a competitive weapon, but just 8 percent say they actually do compete on the "cutting edge of innovation," according to survey results from the new book from the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, "Facing the Forces of Change: Decisive Actions for an Uncertain Economy."
So what does it take to bridge the gap between those who wish they did and those that actually do view IT as a competitive opportunity? …
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At the recent National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors meeting, Guy Blissett, author of the latest Facing the Forces of Change book, addressed an underlying aspect of technology required to fully optimize systems to meet customer needs and provide analysis to make better decisions: master data.
Blissett says that data-driven distributors are creating competitive …
- Premium
MDM spoke with industrial rubber products distributor Lewis-Goetz and Company CEO Jeffrey Crane at the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors annual meeting in January. Lewis-Goetz, Pittsburgh, PA, remained active on the acquisition front throughout the recession, and plans to continue consolidation in its fragmented distribution sector in the next year.
In Part 1 of this interview, Crane discusses current market conditions and why the distributor does not want to expand beyond its product niche as it continues growing nationwide. Part 2 of this interview will appear in the March 10, 2011, issue of MDM.
MDM: How was 2010 for Lewis-Goetz and Company?
Jeff Crane: Much better. 2010 was a …
- Premium
The complexity of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 – the two statutes which made up the health care reform of 2010 – has led to confusion and misunderstanding about the impact of passage on small businesses.
Lars Parkin, an employee benefits broker with Bliley Insurance Group in Boulder, CO, and former president of the Front Range Association of Health Underwriters, recently spoke with MDM about common misconceptions and the impact of health care reform. He also addressed how small businesses can offset the impact of rising health insurance costs.
With so many moving parts, the Affordable Care Act – more commonly referred to as the health care reform act or Obamacare – can be difficult to understand.
“The legislation itself has something like 2,700 pages,” says Lars Parkin, an employee benefits broker and former president of Colorado’s Front Range Association of Health Underwriters. And experts estimate that the final regulations will be nearly 30,000 …
- Premium
Sales and inventories data for wholesaler-distributors in Dec. 2010.
- Premium
News briefs from Feb. 11-25, 2011.
- Premium
This is the pdf of this issue of Modern Distribution Management. Apply the full $24.95 pay-per-view cost of this issue toward an annual subscription, which includes two issues a month plus access to more than nine years of online archives and market data. Call 1-888-742-5060 or email info@mdm.com to subscribe. Subscribers log-in to download this issue.
- Premium
Distributors must build the skills and capabilities necessary to use IT as a tool to push strategy forward, according to the book, "Facing the Foces of Change: Decisive Actions for an Uncertain Economy." MDM spoke with Guy Blissett, the author, about his research on the topic and how distributors can position themselves to wield IT as a competitive weapon. This is the second part of a two-part series based on an interview with Blissett.
About one-third of distributors say they would like to view IT as a competitive weapon, but just 8 percent say they actually do compete on the "cutting edge of innovation," according to survey results from the new book from the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, "Facing the Forces of Change: Decisive Actions for an Uncertain Economy."
So what does it take to bridge the gap between those who wish they did and those that actually do view IT as a competitive opportunity? …
- Premium
At the recent National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors meeting, Guy Blissett, author of the latest Facing the Forces of Change book, addressed an underlying aspect of technology required to fully optimize systems to meet customer needs and provide analysis to make better decisions: master data.
Blissett says that data-driven distributors are creating competitive …
- Premium
MDM spoke with industrial rubber products distributor Lewis-Goetz and Company CEO Jeffrey Crane at the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors annual meeting in January. Lewis-Goetz, Pittsburgh, PA, remained active on the acquisition front throughout the recession, and plans to continue consolidation in its fragmented distribution sector in the next year.
In Part 1 of this interview, Crane discusses current market conditions and why the distributor does not want to expand beyond its product niche as it continues growing nationwide. Part 2 of this interview will appear in the March 10, 2011, issue of MDM.
MDM: How was 2010 for Lewis-Goetz and Company?
Jeff Crane: Much better. 2010 was a …
- Premium
The complexity of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 – the two statutes which made up the health care reform of 2010 – has led to confusion and misunderstanding about the impact of passage on small businesses.
Lars Parkin, an employee benefits broker with Bliley Insurance Group in Boulder, CO, and former president of the Front Range Association of Health Underwriters, recently spoke with MDM about common misconceptions and the impact of health care reform. He also addressed how small businesses can offset the impact of rising health insurance costs.
With so many moving parts, the Affordable Care Act – more commonly referred to as the health care reform act or Obamacare – can be difficult to understand.
“The legislation itself has something like 2,700 pages,” says Lars Parkin, an employee benefits broker and former president of Colorado’s Front Range Association of Health Underwriters. And experts estimate that the final regulations will be nearly 30,000 …
- Premium
Sales and inventories data for wholesaler-distributors in Dec. 2010.
- Premium
News briefs from Feb. 11-25, 2011.
