8 Must-Read Articles from 2009

If you read nothing else, read these eight articles from the pages of MDM's premium newsletter in 2009, covering essential trends and distributor strategies over the past year. (Subscribers to Modern Distribution Management's premium subscription newsletter receive access to these articles and more twice a month.) 

In the pages of this 22-page Special Report, read about:

1. Why Vendor Managed Inventory is gaining ground
This article considers the challenges to implementing managed inventory programs. MDM spoke to Fastenal and Updike Supply, as well as inventory expert Jon Schreibfeder and two vendors to gain perspective on current trends.

2. How to fight the price wars that have erupted in this downturn
To learn how distributors can more effectively react when challenged on price, MDM spoke with pricing expert Mark Bergen of the University of Minnesota, who has been studying the effects of price wars and how to fight them for more than two decades.

3. What makes Alternative Energy markets an attractive growth opportunity
This article explores sentiments toward alternative energy markets as well as growth drivers of these emerging industries.

4. How distributors fought commodity deflation in 2009
The fall of commodity prices exasperated a decline in demand for many distributors struggling to maintain a profitable bottom line. MDM spoke with industry expert Adam Fein and distributors facing the problem for ideas on effectively managing deflationary trends.

5. Demographic shifts in the wholesale distribution work force
As baby boomers speed toward retirement, managers are preparing for the next generation of workers eager to move up the ladder. MDM spoke with and surveyed juniors and seniors at three universities about what they are looking for as they start their careers in distribution.

6. How to protect the knowledge base in your company
MDM spoke with experts on the topic of institutional knowledge retention, and the importance of putting into place a framework for making knowledge transfer a part of the company culture.

7. What Mergers and Acquisitions markets look like after a tough year
The M&A market in distribution has changed dramatically over the past year. MDM spoke with distribution M&A experts about current conditions and when they believe the market could turn around.

8. And why it's key to create a "sense of urgency" as you create and push your 2010 strategy forward.
Harvard Business School Professor John Kotter spoke with MDM Editor Lindsay Konzak about one of the biggest mistakes organizations make when pursuing change.

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