It follows a pilot of SIMPL’s technology at a Georgia HD distribution center.
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The move highlights the company’s push into AI-powered CRM that delivers predictive insights and next-best actions to help distributors and B2B sellers drive smarter, more proactive customer engagement.
Bluon has launched PartsConnect, a new app feature that helps HVAC technicians quickly find compatible replacement parts and see local distributor availability, streamlining service workflows and improving contractor access to in-stock inventory.
Gordon Food Service is partnering with RELEX Solutions to improve demand forecasting and replenishment, aiming to boost inventory accuracy, streamline planning and better align supply with customer demand across its distribution network.
Canals has launched an expanded “Operating AI” platform that automates workflows across customer service, sales and back-office functions, aiming to help distributors reduce manual work, improve accuracy and deliver faster, more consistent customer responses. Get the details here.
Co-developed with major electrical distributors, Parspec unifies quoting and post‑award execution to reduce manual coordination and give contractors real‑time visibility into orders and deliveries.
In this sponsored MDM Amplify podcast episode, Canals Co-Founder and CTO Erez Arnon joins to unpack what MDM’s latest AI research reveals about customer service as one of distribution’s highest-impact use cases. Just as importantly, Arnon shares practical guidance on how to vet AI vendors in a crowded, hype-filled market, including key red flags and must-have proof points.
Most distributors aren’t failing at AI — they’re failing at data. This piece unpacks why 95% of GenAI efforts deliver no ROI, how agentic AI is changing workflows, and why a unified data foundation is becoming the real competitive edge.
Oracle has launched a new suite of Fusion agentic AI applications — embedded directly in its cloud platform — that use coordinated AI agents to automate workflows, make decisions and execute tasks across finance, HR, supply chain and customer experience functions.
The administration is pushing for a single federal AI standard to replace a growing patchwork of state rules. If enacted, the framework could simplify compliance for distributors and accelerate AI adoption across the sector — with broad implications for software vendors and digital strategy. Here's what to know.
The designation allows Sonepar to support customers across federally regulated sectors, including defense-related industrial manufacturing, contractors and critical infrastructure.
Unified commerce platforms paired with agentic AI are helping distributors eliminate “phantom margin loss,” optimize fulfillment and unlock real-time decision-making — shifting operations from reactive workflows to autonomous, profit-driven systems that boost growth, efficiency and customer experience at scale. This piece explores the work being done here and the factors at play that determine success rates.
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Proton.ai launched an AI-powered “industry cloud” platform that unifies CRM, PIM, eCommerce and order automation into a single system, aiming to replace disconnected point solutions and streamline distributor workflows with shared data and integrated intelligence.
CRM implementations often fail for a simple reason — sales teams don’t see personal value in using them. This contributed piece explores how distributors can shift CRM from a management reporting tool into a sales advantage that reps actually want to use.
Executives say AI is becoming mandatory at work, but that message isn’t fully reaching employees. A new survey highlights a growing perception gap between leadership expectations and how workers actually view and use AI.
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It positions the AI-powered B2B commerce platform — launched in 2020 — for continued expansion.
The first of this three-part series explores how a mid-market distributor built the leadership discipline, internal foundations and cultural alignment to make innovation scalable, repeatable and durable.
