Weigh these costs and benefits before venturing into the vending fray.
Latest In Inventory Management
Don't wait until your customer asks for it.
Working with channel partners is imperative to mitigate counterfeiting risk.
Knock-off products are found everywhere, from watches and handbags to bearings, electrical products and construction materials. The effects of counterfeit products go beyond lost revenues and the misappropriated use of anothers trademark. This article examines the scope of the current counterfeit market in distribution and what can be done to protect you, your channel partners and the products you sell.
This article includes:
- Financial impact
- Safety and environmental impact
- Customer impact
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- Millennials in Distribution: ‘No Magic’ in US LUMBER’s Strategy
- Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
- Grainger’s Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization
Avoid these common pitfalls that can sabotage a vending-powered VMI program.
This article is part of MDM's 2017 Distribution Trends Special Issue.
There’s no escaping Amazon. Thanks to the company’s recent mammoth grocery store bid, even a trip to Whole Foods for organic marinara sauce or a bundle of kale could inflate Jeff Bezos’ already exorbitant income.
This article includes:
- Retooling delivery processes to minimize threat
- How Amazon is changing the way many distributors operate
- Why increasing the speed of delivery may be inevitable
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Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. The full 2017 Distribution Trends Special Issue is available to download in PDF format to MDM Premium subscribers.
"Amazonification" of supply chain creating loftier expectations for distributors.
Disruptive forces will likely have a transformative effect on wholesale distribution. In our previous two articles, we assessed the financial performance of the wholesale distribution industry and an array of disruptive forces already impacting participants. We also introduced a framework for harnessing these disruptions and the capabilities distributors will need to develop to successfully navigate the current industry inflection point. In this article, the third in the series, we discuss the final two parts of the framework: executing the value chain and energizing the business.
This article includes:
- How distributors of the future will execute the value chain
- Harnessing innovation to create new value
- Energizing the business with analytics and IT
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- Top Trends for 2017
- Why Field Sales Must Evolve: The Gorilla in the Room
- MDM-Baird Distribution Survey: Revenues Slump; Enthusiasm Rules
Don't let yesterday's realities keep you from future success.
Even though the market is already crowded with distributors and suppliers, two industry veterans Larry Davis and John Allenbach joined forces to launch a new master distributor, AgoNow. Davis and Allenbach recently spoke with MDM Publisher Tom Gale about why their company is different and why the market needs a player like AgoNow.
This article includes:
- An overview of AgoNow and its offerings
- The company's top goals
- How the role of a master distributor is changing
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- The Evolving Role of Master Distributors
- A Growing Competitive Threat
- MDM Interview: Winsupplys Winning Formula
New technology can enhance distributors' channel relationships.
Company focuses on removing manual processes in exchange for systemized ones.
How the distribution industry is moving from product-centric to information-based.
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- A Growing Competitive Threat
- Changing Channels Demand New Models
- IoT Poised to Alter Supply Chain
Internet of things is a broad term for a network of connected devices that can automatically communicate with one another. The applications of this new technology are still in the early stages for distribution, but experts expect rapid growth in the next few years. This article examines some of the opportunities and challenges IoT introduces for the supply chain.
This article includes:
- Connecting the supply chain
- IoT opportunities for distributors & manufacturers
- Concerns about IoT
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- New Tech Disrupts Supply Chain
- Integrated Supplys Next Phase
- Supply Chain Sustainability Efforts Grow
Sensors and connectivity provide distributors with competitive advantage.
This article is part of MDM's 2016 Distribution Trends Special Issue.
It used to be that the largest distributors were the biggest threats to small ones. Their ability to outspend other players in technology and growth allowed them to eat up market share across geographies, but new technology and customer expectations have changed the competitive landscape.
This article includes:
- How technology is growing the reach of smaller distributors
- Innovative supply chain solutions that grow market share
- Other strategies distributors are using to gain competitive advantage
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Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. The full 2016 Distribution Trends Special Issue is available to download in PDF format to MDM Premium subscribers.
This article is part of MDM's 2016 Distribution Trends Special Issue.
The proliferation of mobility and growth in the use of sensors is driving connectivity in the consumer and business worlds. Distributors have increasingly embraced the role of mobile in purchasing, leading to more focus on creating mobile-friendly websites. But the practical role of these devices also continues to grow.
This article includes:
- How distributors are using new tech to improve the supply chain
- Why mobility and sensors are important
- What to expect from new tech in the future
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Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. The full 2016 Distribution Trends Special Issue is available to download in PDF format to MDM Premium subscribers.
This article is part of MDM's 2016 Distribution Trends Special Issue.
Chicago, IL-based electrical and decorative lighting distributor Paramont EO recently reconfigured its warehouse to accommodate more products more efficiently. The company was selected as an MDM Market Mover for how it turned an operational efficiency exercise into a company-wide team-building strategy.
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Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. The full 2016 Distribution Trends Special Issue is available to download in PDF format to MDM Premium subscribers.
What is big data and why does it matter?
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- Distributors Adapt to More Sophisticated Supply Chain
- Industry 4.0: Technology-Driven Change
- Chasing Profitability
An efficient logistics strategy can increase profitability and market share.
