Randy MacLean, Author at Modern Distribution Management

Tactics to Align Order Value with Logistics Costs (How to Get Your Profits Back)

Amid rampant profit erosion industry-wide, this article explores specific actions distributors are now using to restore their past profit rates.

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September 18, 2024

Data & Analytics

How to Build Profit with Analytics (and Enhance Your ERP)

In pursuing better cash flow, the challenge is identifying the sales that are canceling profits already made, and that’s where analytics comes in.

June 10, 2024

Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution

How to Cover Labor Costs with Sales

In the last of his three-part series, Randy MacLean says you’ll be surprised at what’s possible in using sales to gain at least some immunity from labor cost challenges.

November 9, 2023

Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution

How to Apply Analytics for Smarter Distribution Labor

In the second of his three-part series, Randy MacLean shows the manageable metrics that drive operational efficiency and guide labor assignments.

October 25, 2023

Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution

How Changing Demographics Are Killing Profits

In Part 1 of a three-part series, Randy MacLean uses government data to explain why labor has become scarce and expensive before outlining action to exploit the opportunity it actually presents.

October 11, 2023

Data & Analytics

Analytics that Quantify Value & Grow Profits (Get Control of Your Results)

Randy MacLean shares the most effective analytics used by companies to actually control their results and appease all stakeholders.

May 18, 2023

Finance

Quantum Costing: The Better Alternative to ABC (and the Cost Model You Always Wanted)

In many sectors, Activity-Based Costing is being replaced by Quantum Costing, a newer and more accurate alternative that adds power and benefits to cost analysis. Randy MacLean explains the differences here.

February 23, 2023

Operations

Minimum Order Quantities Are a Game-Changer

Analytics-based policies & price breaks change everything, says Randy MacLean, president of WayPoint Analytics.

March 26, 2021

Strategy

An Argument for Why You Need to Change (or lose control of your future)

If you look around your organization and you see policies and processes that haven’t changed in years, you need to worry. If the consensus is you’re “under margin pressure” and “customer loyalty” has evaporated, those are warning bells alerting you to the lack of necessary and critical change in your company.

March 12, 2021

Strategy

The 6 Attributes of Super-Profit Companies (laser focus is the key to your goals)

There are certain, specific attributes shared by companies that deliver profit rates three- to five- times the industry average. Most companies can immediately adopt them, and get significant cash-flow and profit gains beginning right away.

February 23, 2021

Sales & Marketing

The 5 Things Customers Want (and how to deliver them)

There’s only five fundamental items that truly influence customer purchasing decisions. Distributors with mastery of these items always lead the market, says WayPoint Analytics' Randy MacLean.

February 12, 2021

Data & Analytics

How Analytics are Democratizing the Distribution Market

Dependence on traditional measures such as gross margin can put a drag on growth and profits. New metrics such as cash-flow value to expenses or expenses as percent of revenue, combined with customer-focused services, are propelling those who take advantage of them, says WayPoint Analytics Randy MacLean.

September 12, 2019

Data & Analytics

The Analytics of Operational Efficiency in Distribution

Distributors cannot generate high profit rates without high efficiency.

May 8, 2019

Featured Blog

Identify and Act on Accounts That Eat Your Lunch

These high-volume, low-profit customers can put your company at risk.

May 2, 2019

Data & Analytics

How to Grow a Profit Analytics Culture

Analytics-driven operations can deliver staggering profit gains, but it takes a visionary leader who won’t accept a company’s current limited analytical expertise. In this article the author, who will outline these concepts at MDM’s Pricing & Profitability Summit, www.pnp.com, Apr. 15-17, argues that distributors can shift from a revenue-share mindset to a profit-share mindset by zeroing in on three key metrics: gross profit, cost-to-serve and net before compensation. It also outlines how the concepts of line-item profit analytics and quantum costing can create an effective analytics environment. This article is an excerpt from a chapter in A Distributor’s Guide to Analytics, a book published by MDM.

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March 25, 2019

Research & Analytics

MDM Special Report: Making Money with Small Customers

This report, now available in PDF format, is a benefit for MDM Premium subscribers. Simply log-in below to access and download this series of articles. Not a subscriber? Subscribe or purchase online access below.

There is often a perception in sales that the smallest accounts are not worth the time and effort to obtain the small amount of sales they provide. But a shift in how these customers are served can result in a significant improvement to the bottom line. This special report examines ways distributors can overcome the challenges of selling to smaller customers to make these accounts a profitable part of their business.

Articles included in this special report: