Every year there is much talk about M&A (mergers and acquisitions). Some companies forecast it into their budget. For some it is part of their culture to always be seeking opportunities. Some it is a new growth venture. But each year there is talk about “who will by who” and “continued consolidation.” We’ve seen it with distributors, historically many manufacturers have … [Read more...] about Using M&A to Change Paradigms
What do your customers value the most from you?
Lately I’ve been thinking about “value”. Not necessarily from a financial / pricing / cost viewpoint but from a “what does your customer value THE MOST from you?” You may ask why I’m thinking about this? It relates to customer satisfaction, customer experience, value proposition, customer retention, lead generation, account penetration and potentially profitability … [Read more...] about What do your customers value the most from you?
2019 According to Dodge…Takeaways from the Dodge Construction Outlook
Over the past few months there have been a number of economists and analysts who have shared their projections for 2019 regarding the overall economy. Inevitably, with the topics of tariffs, increased interest rates and no artificial fiscal stimulus (i.e like the tax cut or an infrastructure plan), essentially all are projecting an economic environment of slower growth. With … [Read more...] about 2019 According to Dodge…Takeaways from the Dodge Construction Outlook
The Intelligent Building – A reality or just an IoT dream?
The last couple of years have seen a plethora of lighting innovations in a quest to \"control\" the ceiling and eventually a building, a network of buildings and then cities. This is the vision of smart cities ... interconnected devices that enable \"control\" of various electrical and mechanical systems. It starts with lighting controls and can then migrate to building … [Read more...] about The Intelligent Building – A reality or just an IoT dream?
Distributors. Has Amazon Business Been Good for You?
Conventional wisdom is that Amazon Business is not good for MRO and construction distributors.They are a technological behemoth that knows nothing about “our space” and are only successful because they can: throw money at the issue / opportunity have the most advanced technology and know-how to mine data have access to consumers who work in companies (and hence are … [Read more...] about Distributors. Has Amazon Business Been Good for You?
Protecting Price and the Channel in an Online Marketplace World (Amazon)
Amazon Business is talked about regularly within distribution industries in general and especially in the MRO space. Barely a meeting goes by with a manufacturer where the topic of \"what should we do regarding Amazon Business\" is not asked as is the question of \"what are distributors doing online (and to combat Amazon)?\" And then the discussion evolves to internal … [Read more...] about Protecting Price and the Channel in an Online Marketplace World (Amazon)
eCommerce Product Content is King
When times are tough people often say “cash is king”. This can frequently determine which companies survive and thrive during difficult economic times and those that suffer. Nowadays, as companies ramp up their eCommerce initiatives product content is king. This is occurring for two reasons: Quality, robust product content delivers on customer expectations. These … [Read more...] about eCommerce Product Content is King
