MDM Premium Archives - Page 10 of 548 - Modern Distribution Management

Log In

Premium Member Dashboard

All your exclusive premium content in one location.

Warehouse Inventory 5
All but two of the 19 wholesale distribution sectors we track moved more pessimistic month-to-month in our May forecast for 2024 revenue growth, which moved into lower single digits.

Premium Monthly

This new-look issue offers research on suppliers’ changing purchase minimums, distributors’ (lack of) AI progress and geopolitical impacts; and updates on Ferguson, Home Depot-SRS Distribution and more.
This issue compares AI adoption rates in manufacturing vs. distribution; explores Grainger’s role as a ‘Problem-Solver’; examines Border States’ acquisition path; and shares takeaways from the MODEX expo.

Market Insight Reports

Find a wealth of data and analysis extracted from the 1Q24 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey, including trending charts and figures for revenue and expectations, plus plenty of interesting commentary.
The report features in-depth articles that recap the year that was 2023 in distribution dealmaking, a full rundown of every deal we covered in October-December, the latest EBITDA trading multiples and more.
Find a wealth of data and analysis extracted from the 3Q23 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey, including trending charts and figures for revenue and expectations, plus plenty of interesting commentary.
Find a wealth of data and analysis extracted from the 3Q23 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey, including trending charts and figures for revenue and expectations, plus plenty of interesting commentary.
Our 2023 third quarter M&A report features in-depth articles on activity by Ferguson and Veritiv, and chronicles the overall quarterly pace of new deals.

There is a popular saying in Colorado that is typically directed toward those from the big cities and out of state who come here and explore the many Forest Service back roads through some beautiful mountain country: “Four-wheel drive has gotten a lot more people into trouble than out of trouble.” The same can be said for technology when applied in misdirected ways.

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Protecting Your Knowledge Base
  • The Case for Proactive Inside Sales
  • Commentary: Customer Service Lessons: ‘Moments of Truth’

In his book Islands of Profit in a Sea of Red Ink, MIT Senior Lecturer Jonathan Byrnes says that most of a distributor’s customers are unprofitable while a few are so profitable that they more than subsidize those losses. In the recent MDM Webcast, How to Secure and Grow Your Islands of Profit Customers, Byrnes shares new tips for identifying and growing business with your most profitable customers and replicating that success with new customers.

This article includes:

  • A look at how profitability has changed in distribution
  • What is negatively impacting profitability in today's market
  • How to identify & overcome the challenges to profitability

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Don't Be Everything to Everyone
  • 5 Building Blocks for Managing Profit
  • Four Barriers to Distributor Profitability
Vending

Distributors are helping to drive increased adoption of industrial vending in recent years. The Fastenal Company, Winona, MN, is largely credited with sparking the growth, but many of the largest distributors – and several smaller ones – have introduced their own vending solutions for customers. This article looks at the current state of industrial vending, drivers of growth and where industry experts and distributors expect vending to go. This article includes an estimated size of the vending market by number of machines.

This article is the first in MDM’s series on the industrial vending market.

This article includes:

  • A snapshot of the current vending market
  • Analysis of Fastenal's impact on the market
  • A look at the competitive landscape
  • The technology & the future of industrial vending

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Distributors Get Smarter About Vending
  • The Counterfeit Challenge
  • Private Label Carries Legal Risks

Purchase the full MDM Special Report, The Industrial Vending Boom, in the MDM Store in PDF format.

GoogleAmazon

Over the past two years, AmazonSupply.com and Google Shopping for Suppliers launched as new players in an already competitive B-to-B landscape. This article provides more details on these two platforms and examines their current and potential impact on the wholesale distribution industry, as well as the challenges and opportunities they bring. Distributors also spoke with MDM about what they are doing to stay relevant as business increasingly moves online.

This article includes:

  • The roles Amazon & Google are assuming in the B-to-B marketplace
  • Results from an MDM survey
  • Analysis of the impact of Amazon on distributor & manufacturer sales & profitability

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Beyond Amazon: E-Commerce's Impact on Wholesale Distribution Markets
  • Beware the Amazon Mystique
  • The Shifting Competitive Landscape in Distribution

This article examines ways distributors can use net profit or net before compensation to segment their markets and target new customer acquisition efforts. The authors argue that this approach will be more lucrative and ultimately easier to implement and less resource-intensive than other methods, including Activity Based Costing.

This article includes:

  • Why net profit or net before compensation (NBC) is a more accurate metric
  • How to measure customer success
  • How to use NBC to target sweet spots for customer acquisition

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Yes, Customers Want to Hear from You
  • A Simpler Way to Manage Customer Lifecycles
  • Five Profit Drivers Critical to Growth
man and woman working
Introducing any of these jobs product manager, chief digital officer, sales enablement manager, trusted adviser and director of inventory has the potential to make your company more open to change, better embrace the customer experience and streamline operations to meet evolving business demands.

Subscribers should log-in to read this article.

3D Rendering of alert logo on laptop computer. Concept of privac
Ransomware has evolved into a billion-dollar enterprise, affecting two-thirds of small to medium-size businesses in the past 12 months, the Ponemon Institute and Keeper Security reported in a recent study. Yet many in this group most often targeted by cybercriminals do not feel an imperative to make cybersecurity a priority. Blame it on the number of publicized attacks highlighting big companies, municipalities, or just about any organization in the healthcare sector and something even more prevalent: a false sense of security in data backup technology.

Subscribers should log-in to read this article.

man holding tablet with pie chart in warehouse
There are well-known quick fixes an inventory management solution can bring to a distributor, such as cutting back on disappearing products or eliminating user error from incorrectly typed SKUs on a manual tracking spreadsheet. But the data available from inventory management platforms can also present a long-term strategic opportunity in the form of improved demand planning, exposure of costly trends and even visibility into competitors share of customer spend.

Subscribers should log-in to read this article.

Manufacturers’ and trade inventories for January 2023 were down 0.1% from December 2022 — but up 11.1% from January 2022.
The Association Education Alliance, a collective of 40+ wholesaler-distributor trade associations, commissioned a report on behalf of its distribution association members to identify challenges and best practices in talent acquisition. The analysis and recommendations provided in the following article are based on interviews with distributors, HR and education experts, as well as results from an online survey of about 190 distributors and manufacturers. Member associations have access to the full report.

Subscribers should log-in to read this article.

Investment Banking Directory

Work with a banking partner that knows your business. Get detailed information on investment banks with expertise in the wholesale distribution industry.

Featured Content

3 Ways Distributors Can Make Better Inventory Decisions

Discover how a leading distributor has revolutionized inventory policies and supply chain planning to…

SHIFT 2023 Playbook

As distribution leaders constantly seek educational resources on business transformation, technology optimization and talent…

Data-Driven Decisions: Opportunities and Challenges in the Data Revolution

Distributors of all sizes and in all verticals are ambitiously investing in data capabilities…

Elevate Your Sales Game: The Ultimate CRM Playbook for Distributors

Customer expectations are evolving, buying behavior is shifting, and competition has become more intense….

Market Prospector

  • Build strategic sales plans.

  • Determine market and demand.

  • Create smart prospect lists. 

Turn your sales data into actionable data with Market Prospector.  A web-based SAAS tool that gives you insight into your market, your territories, your customers and new prospects too. 

Sign Up for the MDM Update Newsletter

Our daily newsletter is your best source for news and trends in the wholesale distribution industry.

Get the MDM Update Newsletter

Wholesale distribution news and trends delivered right to your inbox.

Sign-up for our free newsletter and get:

  • Up-to-date news in a quick-to-read format
  • Free access to webcasts, podcasts and live events
  • Exclusive whitepapers, research and reports
  • And more!

Register for full access

By providing your email, you agree to receive announcements from us and our partners for our newsletter, events, surveys, and partner resources per MDM Terms & Conditions. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Learn More about Custom Reports

Request a Market Prospector Demo

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.