Overview
Today’s competitive markets demand that wholesale distributors evolve more quickly, become more efficient and provide memorable customer experiences. For decades, distributors have thrived primarily on great existing customer relationships. In the new millennium, simply breaking bulk and having great relationships are not enough. Today, leading distributors are using digital technology to create, deliver and sustain new and meaningful customer experiences. If you’re not thinking about how to incorporate technologies such as drones, 3D printing, smart vending machines, customer facing apps and more into your strategy, you will be left behind.
To survive, companies must rethink business processes and models and use of their vast wealth of data to remain relevant and leapfrog their competitors. Disrupters are making headway in markets traditionally served by distributors and customer and employee expectations are changing rapidly.
Challenges
Increasing competition from manufacturers
Warehousing and transportation cost
Supplier and retailer consolidation
Retailers demanding faster delivery
Vulnerability of changing prices
Centralized buying by large customers
Solutions
- Marketing with Speed and Agility
- Omnichannel Commerce Management
- Mobile Sales Force Automation
- Quote to Cash
- Omnichannel Customer Service
- Subscription Billing and Revenue Management
- Real-Time Customer Insights
- Procurement Analytics
- Logistics Networks
- Cost Recovery and Rebates
- Sourcing and Contract Management
- Operational Procurement
- Supplier Management
- External Workforce Management
- Invoice and Payables Management
- Services Procurement
- Supplier Collaboration
- Demand Management and Insights
- Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning
- Transportation Management
- Warehouse Management
- Response and Supply Planning