In a time when optimism and clarity are hard to come by, I’m moved by how the fundamental value of distribution is in the right place, at the right time. At one level it’s about moving product, but it’s much deeper than that – distributors keep the economy running.

In a time when optimism and clarity are hard to come by, I’m moved by how the fundamental value of distribution is in the right place, at the right time. At one level it’s about moving product, but it’s much deeper than that – distributors keep the economy running.

In this second of our three-part conversation on innovation in distribution, J Schneider of strategy and consulting firm Dorn joins host Tom Gale to discuss what innovation looks like in 2020 for distributors and manufacturers. In this episode, we look at the ways smaller distributors often have an advantage to identify opportunities for innovation, the need to be selective in building manufacturer-distributor partnerships around a shared vision for innovation, and how to build a culture of innovation.

A major part of the equation that has built so many incredible ongoing success stories in distribution – face-to-face communication and interaction – has virtually overnight been removed from the table indefinitely. But the real strength has always been in the depth and quality of our personal relationships, writes MDM’s Tom Gale. That won't change.

A major part of the equation that has built so many incredible ongoing success stories in distribution – face-to-face communication and interaction – has virtually overnight been removed from the table indefinitely. But the real strength has always been in the depth and quality of our personal relationships, writes MDM’s Tom Gale. That won't change.

Customers continue to leverage digital and e-commerce tools to improve their buying processes. But for many distributors, their outside sales model isn’t working as effectively as in the past to keep up with how customers want to buy. That growing gap is why a dedicated part of our research and coverage has been on the strategies, best practices and tactics for how to transform the sales process to reduce selling costs and increase efficiency and customer engagement. And it’s why the prize when it comes to increasing sales performance is on specific ways to become a more buyer-centric seller.

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While this privately held industrial supplier with more than 300 employees may not be a Harvard Business School case study in management structure, the three-brother leadership team has managed to buck the odds of many third-generation businesses by nurturing an entrepreneurial culture in an 85-year-old company. Listen to Doug Ruggles share what’s worked to drive growth with a customer-centric solutions approach, with host Tom Gale.

You'll be hard pressed to find a distribution executive in January – in Europe or North America – who had a good thing to say about the last two weeks of business in 2019. The likely culprit was having Christmas and New Year’s holidays fall mid-week; customers, employees and revenues took time off. Manufacturing employment declined slightly in December as well but changed little in 2019 after growth the year before.

You'll be hard pressed to find a distribution executive in January – in Europe or North America – who had a good thing to say about the last two weeks of business in 2019. The likely culprit was having Christmas and New Year’s holidays fall mid-week; customers, employees and revenues took time off. Manufacturing employment declined slightly in December as well but changed little in 2019 after growth the year before.

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Consultant J Schneider shares an outside-in approach to managing innovation for distributors to move toward solutions that benefit both the company and its customers, bringing value to the entire supply chain.