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The Distributor’s Guide to AI Implementation

From the NAW Blog:

AI is an incredibly beneficial tool for distributors who want to transform their offerings and get ahead of the competition. Artificial intelligence can analyze complex data and provide unique insights into customer patterns, product demand and future sales. With it, you can support various sales channels and enhance how your team interacts with customers.

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Showcase Your Pac-West Membership on LinkedIn

You may have seen recent posts about Pac-West’s new and improved LinkedIn page. We want to offer a more detailed explanation of why we’re making the switch and the benefits of following our new page.

For years, Pac-West’s main LinkedIn presence has been our group. Making the switch to a company page has a variety of upsides: for one, our posts will now be viewable publicly, so that anyone who is learning about Pac-West for the first time can see what we do without having to join the group. In addition, the new page comes with a great new benefit for our members: the ability to tag Pac-West in your LinkedIn profile.

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How AI Can Help Distributors Fix the Persistent Backorder Problem

From the NAW Blog:

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chain linger in 2021. The most visible challenge for distributors has been extended lead times, which means frustrating backorders for customers who need product now — and not three weeks from now. That’s unlikely to change soon.

Why Distributors Can Make Millions with Messy Data

From the NAW Blog

One of the most valuable resources distributors have is their data. Data can reveal what your customers are likely to buy, what growth opportunities you’re missing out on and where you can cut costs. Distributors with the right data can meet customer needs and dominate competitors. But acquiring and handling data properly is no easy task.

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What is your strategy in this era of technology disruption and transformation?

From NAW

Leading technology companies are offering customers new ways of ordering — by voice or product image. In addition, leading distributors and retailers are using AI-enabled business intelligence to understand their customer needs better, and they are applying autonomous vehicles, including drones, for deliveries. How important is all of this technology capability to your customers?

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3 Reasons to Invest in AI Now

There are a lot of reasons for distributors to adopt AI. As I explain in previous posts, the technology can help inside and outside sales reps sell more, transform customer service branches into revenue drivers and boost e-commerce performance by double-digit percentage points. At this point, the real question for distributors is not if they should adopt AI, but when. In this post, I’ll answer that question.  READ MORE

 

Which Multi-Trillion Dollar Opportunity Should You Pursue?

From the NAW Blog

Digital marketplaces were a major theme at the recent NAW Executive Summit, and for good reason; B2B marketplaces are predicted to be a $3.6 trillion boon for distributors in the next few years. This new opportunity is certainly good for distributors, but it does make action even harder. How can AI, e-commerce and marketplaces all be multi-trillion dollar opportunities? Further, which one should distributors pursue first?

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How to Succeed in a Customer-Driven Digital Value Chain

From the NAW Blog

Are you ready to participate in a digital value chain driven by customer demands for the virtual ordering of products and services, which provides for instant transparency and ever-increasing benefits while at the same time lowering costs?

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Nix Data Silos to Cash In on AI

From the NAW Blog:

Data silos have always been bad for business. They limit employee performance and sow dysfunction among different teams by restricting access to information. As Big Data and AI become major forces in business, the negative effects of data silos will become even more severe. Distributors should integrate databases now and employ comprehensive AI to avoid the data silo trap.  

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5 Questions to Ask Your AI Vendor

From the NAW Blog:

AI will create trillions in business value within the next few years, but that cash won’t be distributed evenly. Not all AI is equal, and only distributors who invest in the right AI will profit. Knowing what questions to ask your AI vendor will put you in the position to capitalize on the AI value boom.

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The Key to Defensibility in the Digital Age

From the NAW Blog:

The problem with most new technologies is that they quickly become obsolete. This is frustrating for distributors who are always trying to keep up with the newest thing. But AI should be viewed differently. Unlike other developments, it won’t be swept away by accelerating waves of innovation. AI does not merely endure: it adapts and becomes better over time. Using AI is an investment in the future, and one to make today.

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Winning with Artificial Intelligence Requires the Right Knowledge

From the NAW blog:

In my research for Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change® Series, which is coming to you in November, many of my conversations with distributors were about one of the hottest forces of change — artificial intelligence. Often, distribution leaders talked about artificial intelligence as a software solution that distributors might implement as a best practice for improving profits or sales productivity. For example, distributors may implement pricing tools enabled by artificial intelligence to achieve smart pricing to optimize profits or to suggest products as sales priorities to improve account productivity.

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What Is AI?

From the NAW Blog:

Businesses succeed by using AI in many ways. Whether that is Amazon growing revenue with personalized product pitches, or UPS routing drivers efficiently to minimize costs, the bottom line is that AI gives users a competitive advantage. My previous post explains why distributors are primed to benefit from AI. In this post I’ll go further to explain what this technology really is, how it works and how distributors can start tapping into its benefits.

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How to Get Around the Laptop and Tablet Ban on Planes

From Inc.

A handy toolkit for those of us who depend on uninterrupted flight time to get work done. READ MORE

How to protect yourself from ransomware

From CNN

How much do individuals need to worry about their personal computers being targeted? READ MORE

See 10 ways to ruin a cybercriminal’s day

From eset.com

Technology has changed the way we live, our relationships with others, and even how we take care of ourselves. These days, everyone – from the most inexperienced to the most advanced user – takes measures to protect themselves from cybercriminals seeking to compromise or steal information. In this article, we discuss how you can fend off cybercriminals’ malicious attacks, making it much more difficult for them to succeed. READ MORE

Yahoo hack warning: What happened and should you be worried?

From The Telegraph

Yahoo has warned customers that cyber attackers may have compromised their accounts in the past two years, finally alerting them about malicious activity it has known about for months. READ MORE

How To Run A Successful B2B Social Media Marketing Campaign

From Search Engine Land

Take a close look at the nexus of B2B business models and the primary function and benefits of social media. By understanding where these two most effectively connect, it becomes easier to see where marketers can invest their time to get the best results in B2B social campaigns. READ MORE

PowerPoint Isn't Dead Yet: Three Presentation Tips That Still Work In 2017

From Fast Company

You don't need to be a graphic designer to add clear, comprehensible images to your talk. READ MORE

How to Help Your Company Adopt New Technology

From Inc.

 When it comes to technology, it's not always good to be an early adopter. Instead, it's better to be a fast changer. READ MORE