|
|
Over the decade and a half that
integrated supply has developed, integrators have tackled some of the
most difficult problems involved in making these agreements work. But
some of those problems continue to elude efforts at a solution. This
final part of the report examines the biggest hurdles integrators face
as integrated supply continues to mature. Use the email and password
provided in the ISA Advisor welcome email to access this article. Tap
into other articles like this at Modern Distribution Management's ISA
Research Center.
Attention, distribution
professionals committed to ongoing education and professional
development: Plan to attend the 2008 University of Industrial
Distribution, the industry's premier distribution-specific education
program. Mark your calendar for online registration on Oct. 15.
ISA members are now eligible for
special discounts with New Penn, USF Holland, and USF Reddaway through
ISA's affinity partner YRC Regional Transportation.
At the coming eBusiness Summit,
listen to Jeff Schroeder of Yellow Transportation talk about how you can
take advantage of technology solutions to streamline work flow, reduce
costs, acquire fewer charge-backs, and engage customers and suppliers
more efficiently. Learn more and register here.
Send name, title, email address and company
name of each colleague to info@mdm.com. Only employees of ISA member companies
will be added to the list to receive this weekly association update.
Top Gun Survival School for Distributor Salespeople – Between
Sept. 17 and Nov. 19 Details
Webinar: Professional Telephone Etiquette – Oct. 10, 2007
ISA E-Business Summit – Oct. 16-17, 2007
One-on-One Sales Management Seminars: Dave Unplugged Details
For more information on upcoming ISA events, go to isapartners.org.
KEEP READING! Breaking industry news and articles on
distribution trends follow your association news each week in ISA
Advisor. Articles six months and older are available free of charge
to ISA members. Subscription or pay-per-view required for newer content.
|
|
|
|  |
|
|
| |
|
MDM NEWS UPDATE: September 6, 2007
Labor productivity – defined
as output per hour – increased 4.3% in wholesale trade over 2005,
according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. From 1987 to 2006,
productivity increased at an average annual rate of 3.5%. Here's the
rundown of 2005-2006 changes:
- 5.1% increase for durable goods wholesalers.
- 2.7% increase in nondurable goods.
- Productivity rose in 15 of 19 wholesale sectors.
- Output grew in 17 of those sectors.
- Hours fell in four.
- Unit labor costs went down in seven.
The largest increases in productivity were in motor vehicles and
parts, and farm product raw materials. More...
Improve productivity through the smart use of technology.
Learn more in the MDM Technology Best Practices Special Report. Table of
Contents
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Not surprisingly, mergers and
acquisitions fell 25% in August from the same month a year ago, Forbes
reports. Data source Dealogic says a sharp drop-off in activity from
buyout firms is to blame for the August decline as well as a crunch in
the credit markets. Private equity buyers had $15.6 billion worth of
deals in August – much much lower than the $52.7 billion in August
2006. One-billion dollar-plus buyouts reached their peak in May. Just
three in August were over $1 billion.
Deals in private equity have been delayed because of difficulty in
gaining financing. Loans for 18 different deals have been held up,
Forbes says. Despite all of this, M&A deals overall are up 51%
year-to-date. MDM sources say that private equity firms still have a lot
of money to deploy, so interest may stay strong – even if purchase
prices fall from their historical highs. More...
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
In his latest Distribution Trends
blog post, Adam Fein of Pembroke Consulting takes on the HD Supply deal
renegotiation, which he says is not surprising in HD Supply's market
given the sharp slowdown in revenues of building materials distributors.
Fein reports double-digit drops in revenues in 2007 in that sector. He
says the HD Supply deal signals the end of this round of fast and
furious consolidation.
He and other experts expect valuations to fall from their historical
highs in the next few years, putting favor back in the hands of buyers.
More...
|
| |
|
 |  |  | |
|
TRANSFORM YOUR SALES TEAM AT THE
RITZ-CARLTON
Register today for a dynamic
two-day event exclusively for Distribution CEOs and Sales Leaders. Next
event: Chicago, Oct. 10-11, 2007
- Learn a proven holistic model for sustainable sales growth
- Take away tools to impact 2007 sales performance & support
aggressive 2008 sales goals
- Preview results of an NAW-sponsored research study conducted by
Solus Institute
- Hear Dirk Beveridge, industry innovator and president of Solus
Institute
- Attend a Disney Institute presentation aimed at elevating
distributor sales
To register, go online to www.solus247.com/register or call 800-227-4332.
| |  |  | |  | |
| |
|
The National Association of
Wholesaler-Distributors is one of nine organizations that joined in
filing a brief in the Supreme Court of Ohio in a case focused on the
retroactive application of the doctrine of strict liability in product
liability actions brought against resellers, including wholesalers,
distributors and retailers. Strict liability is based on the condition
of a manufacturer’s product rather than the conduct of the
defendant.
More...
How are buyers responding to
recent product recalls in the news? Purchasing magazine put together an
index of articles on the topic. Buyers are setting rigorous
supplier-selection criteria, holding frequent on-site inspections, and
looking for assurance that tier-two and tier-three suppliers are
following quality procedures. Supply chain disruptions can damage a
brand, so companies must use "risk-management roadmaps," one expert
tells the magazine.
More...
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Big Box vs. Local is playing out
in a big way in a neighborhood of Dallas, TX. Lowe's is moving into an
area where Home Depot and the local guy – Elliott's Hardware –
have already staked claims. The main differentiator: Customer service.
One example: Elliott's "legendary fastener section" has a dedicated
staffer that keeps the drawers neatly arranged and fulfills requests in
seconds, according to this Dallas Morning News report. A Texas A&M
University marketing professor says Elliott's understands that it can't
afford to ignore any customer's needs, even if he is just buying a
10-cent screw: "What you deliver each and every time affects your
reputation. It's cumulative and dynamic. It takes a while to build a
reputation, and it takes much less time to ruin it."
More...
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Home Depot CEO Frank Blake says
the now retail-only company will face "headwinds' through 2008, reports
the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "We have tended toward the more
pessimistic side on the housing market in the past," he says during a
recent investor conference, "and perhaps not quite pessimistic enough."
More...
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Most Popular Stories at mdm.com
Free samples of MDM available here.
|
| |
| |
|  |
|
SIGN UP YOUR ASSOCIATES
Sign up other members of your staff to receive breaking news, industry
and association information. To sign them up, click here.
VISIT THE
ISA RESEARCH CENTER
ISA members receive access to more than five years of research and
articles on trends and best practices for wholesale distribution
companies through an exclusive agreement with Modern Distribution
Management, a newsletter and information service. For more information,
visit the ISA Research Center.
ABOUT ISA ADVISOR
ISA Advisor is a weekly news and industry update provided as a member
service of the Industrial Supply Association. More information about ISA
member benefits and services is available at the web site of the Industrial Supply
Association.
ISA Advisor is published weekly by Gale Media, Inc., publisher of Modern Distribution
Management, on behalf of the Industrial Supply Association. 100
North 20th Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103. All rights
reserved. To unsubscribe from this e-mail newsletter, please use the
links below.
|
| |
| |
|
