Conversations often go sideways when the topic turns to AI. Most of the anxiety stems from widespread misunderstanding about the activities this tech can and will eventually execute. Brooks Hamilton is the guy that C-suites rely on to cut through the chatter. He’s the CEO of Hamilton AI Strategy Advisors, a development service specializing in artificial intelligence for distribution. Jason caught up with Brooks to explore the collaborative opportunities that emerge when tech and team are thoughtfully integrated. Brooks also shares real-world examples using distribution data sets and gets candid about the areas where AI might not make the most sense.
“There’s been a playbook [in distribution] that has worked very well for the last 50-60 years,” says Brooks. “Focus on the primary value propositions––the right product at a fair price––but that pricing piece is usually third or fourth in terms of the value prop.” The equation, Brooks asserts, has shifted dramatically, especially in the last decade. Distributors need to keep up with the faster flow of information if they want to stay in business.
“Distribution is a very data-rich industry,” says Brooks. “Much of these systems and processes are not quite the same from distributor to distributor, but they rhyme.” Purpose-built AI can compare and interpret nuances from one distributor to the next (think catalog entries, product images, and stock codes). And it’s getting better all the time. “When outside organizations look at this, they see something that really fits well for the current set of AI capabilities,” Brooks says. “There is sufficient consistency of process from organization to organization to allow for a significant injection of technology solutions.”
Hamilton AI helps C-suite leaders understand their options. Brooks provides strategic executive education, organizational implementation, and brainstorming workshops to help teams conceptualize AI-driven transformations. The workshops are incredibly impactful. “The moment somebody hears, ‘Hey, we’re bringing an AI solution to your department,’ the initial response is fear, not excitement. This is when leadership should be very thoughtful about what they’re going to do,” advises Brooks. Ultimately, AI helps employees get back to their best activities, like relationship-building, and that’s good for business.
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QUOTES
“I think distribution is known as a little bit of a technology laggard. But, I think in some ways that’s an unfair characterization.”
“The item that distribution organizations need to consider is how they are going to use AI within their organization, and how that aligns with their value proposition to the market as well as what they’re known for.”
“In the realm of AI, the winners are not going to be those who have the biggest balance sheets. It is going to be those who are going to move the most quickly and decisively.”
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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.
This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios.
Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Connected Peers, providing virtual communities for wholesale distributors; and INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.
