RESOURCES
“We must never be too busy to take time to sharpen the saw”
- Stephen Covey
Article Archives
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Can AI Really Help Distributors Become More Efficient?
Post by: Jason Bader - Principal, The Distribution Team
Since Chat GPT and other AI tools started hitting the scene, I have been fascinated with their potential
use in the world of distribution. It has been a long time since something has made me this curious. In
fact, you could say that I am in awe at the potential. It takes me back to the day I received my first PC,
the Apple 2e. Do a little math folks, that is how old I am. I started experimenting with basic programing
and spent hours making the computer flash and make sounds. I didn’t know what I had, but I knew that
it was something. This wonder, without any regard for purpose, is where I find myself today with AI.
Granted, I have the ability to see some logical applications, but I still feel like my experiments and
queries are just the tip of the iceberg...
From Peddler to Prospector: The Changing Role of Outside Sales
Post by: Jason Bader - Principal, The Distribution Team
Several years ago, I was given the honor of serving as the president of my trade association, the Specialty Tool and Fastener Distributors Association or STAFDA. One of the long-standing traditions is to give the president a small statue depicting “The Peddler”. Imagine an older gentleman with a knapsack and walking stick wandering around and peddling his wares from town to town. Obviously, the profession has grown from these humble beginnings, but our current crop of “peddlers” still retains some of the characteristics of the gentleman salesperson. They often wander from office to office, site to site, looking...
Acquisitions are Tough: Integrations Don’t Have to Be
Post by: Jason Bader - Principal, The Distribution Team
The distribution world is on fire with mergers and acquisitions. It seems like everyone is either looking to
buy or looking to sell a privately held wholesale distributorship. Why are we doing it? Interest rates are
up and there is still some uncertainty in the economy. Wouldn’t this be a time where we are battening
down the hatches and marshalling our resources? Apparently not. The economic prosperity, for some
verticals, and an easing of supply chain issues has emboldened many companies to go out on the hunt...
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Endorsed Services
At The Distribution Team, our goal is to help our clients with any challenge that may arise. Unfortunately, some problems might be a little outside our wheelhouse. This is why we have aligned ourselves with top-notch service providers that excel in their area of expertise. Whether you are interested in gathering information about customer preferences or looking to create a vendor managed inventory program, our endorsed professionals with get you going in the right direction.
- Interaction Metrics
Customer feedback design and analysis programs - HMI Performance Incentives
Loyalty point program design and implementation - Global Logistics Incorporated
Freight management consulting and auditing - Profit 2
Pricing management consulting and implementation - Shelf Aware
RFID Vendor managed inventory solutions