NAW has just sent letters to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting that their agencies open an investigation into the General Services Administration’s (GSA) proposed e-Marketplace platform (Section 846) and Amazon’s unfair and anti-competitive practices and processes.

NAW believes that GSA should be fostering maximum competition at this stage of Section 846’s implementation.  Even though GSA identified three credible e-commerce purchasing channels, GSA’s latest Request for Proposal (RFP), Commercial e-Marketplace Acquisition (October 1, 2019), confines its pilot test to only one model, that of the e-marketplace portal, the Amazon platform.  All other e-commerce models have been excluded.

From the NAW Blog: 

In a recent Forbes article, “Moving Beyond On-Demand To The Real-Time Economy,” Kyle Jackson predicts, “In the near future, we’ll see the demand for instant gratification and access to information intensify even more. On-demand is no longer just a gimmick; it’s a reality. As the dust settles on these changes, a new real-time economy will emerge.” This prediction is consistent with our work for Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change® Series, arriving in mid-November, and the Forbes article is an essential read for innovation-minded distributors — especially since Jackson highlights a connection between data, artificial intelligence and trust.

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.

(October 10, 2019, Washington, DC) — The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence is pleased to announce its newest, groundbreaking research study, Optimizing Channel Profitability: A Playbook to Align Manufacturer–Distributor–Customer Relationships, based on a consortium conducted by Texas A&M University’s Global Supply Chain Laboratory. Please go to www.naw.org/ocp or call 202.872.0885 to learn more and to order copies.  Quantity discounts of 15–50% apply when ordering two or more copies.

As manufacturers face new competitive challenges, distributors alter their capabilities, and customers change their requirements, the path forward keeps shifting.

Many manufacturers have not updated their channel policies in a decade, while wholesaler distributors have undergone significant changes in terms of online disruptions by non-traditional competitors, multi-generational workforce dynamics, digital transformation challenges, evolving salesforce structure, and so forth.

A NAW Legal Advisory:

As we first reported in a Legal Advisory in April, the EEOC was ordered by a DC District court to begin collecting compensation data from all covered employers (this data is in addition to the demographic data already required to be filed).  Click here to see NAW’s Legal Advisory.

A NAW Legal Advisory:

After several years of rulemaking, and successful legal challenges by NAW and others which resulted in a second round of rulemaking, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the Department of Labor (DoL) on Friday published a final rule “Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees” – the EAP or so-called “White Collar exemptions” from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements – under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA.).

A NAW legal advisory:

As you may know, the California legislature recently enacted a new and expansive consumer data privacy law.  This new law will require covered businesses to comply with strict requirements on the collection, use and disclosure of “personal information” on California residents.  The law was enacted in late June and will take effect on January 1, 2020.

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.

From the NAW Blog:

For many distributors, growth has been stagnant. The question is – why?

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. September 12, 2019 - Engineered fastener and components distributor, EFC International, continues to “Redefine the World of Distribution”, exhibited in part by the company’s recent implementation of Power BI (from Microsoft). Power BI is linked to their internal SAP operating system and CRM software.

EFC has been at the leading edge of the industrial distribution industry, embracing and implementing advanced innovative technology and digital transformation. Matt Dudenhoeffer, CEO, stated “EFC’s implementation of Power BI provides our team with a powerful business analytics tool that delivers real-time interactive dashboards customized to our business strategy and performance metrics. Our SAP and CRM systems are incredibly versatile in enabling customized reports for our suppliers and customers, and now we can take that a step further with interactive visualizations through a simple interface.”

From the NAW Blog:

Customer service is a big cost center for distributors. It doesn’t have to be. Customer service (CS) reps speak with buyers and decision makers every day. Each conversation is a sales opportunity, but one that CS reps aren’t equipped to take advantage of. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can change this by empowering customer service to make orders, instead of just taking them.

EFC International provides safe and high quality swing couplings for hydraulic, pneumatic, vacuum, gas, chemical fluid and water applications. The swing couplings are manufactured with the latest technologies to provide production methods that achieve efficiency, increase plant safety, improve productivity and save costs for industrial connections.

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From my401kPartners.com

During volatile times, many investors get agitated and begin to question their fundamental investment decisions and choices.

From the NAW Blog:

Over the past few years B2B distributors have learned from successful B2C companies and embraced online sales. Today, distributors must do so again and further update their e-commerce platforms. AI-driven personalization will help distributors sell more across all their online sales channels.

August 22, 2019

From Seth Waugh, Associate Vice President-Government Relations, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW)

From the NAW Blog:

In today’s fast-changing workplace, many distributors struggle to find the right talent with the right skills. Even with a well-designed hiring system in place, distributors may still experience a high rate of failure in getting the right people on board. Why is this the case? What are the roadblocks?

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.

The recent Supreme Court Decision - South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., – has dramatically impacted online retailers and increased possible successor liability risks in terms of Merger and Acquisition (M&A) transactions. Prior to the Wayfair ruling, the “physical presence” standard set out in Bellas Hess and Quill controlled online retailers’ necessity to pay South Dakota sales tax. National Bellas Hess, Inc. v. Department of Revenue of Ill., 386 U.S. 753 (1967) and Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, 504 U.S. 298 (1992). The Physical Presence rule allowed out of state retailers who sell their products or services online to avoid the states sales and use taxes due to a lack of actual, physical presence of the business in the state. However, under the South Dakota Statute affirmed by the Supreme Court, online retailers are now required to pay South Dakota sales tax if their business has a “substantial nexus” with the state. South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., 138 S. Ct. 2080, 2099 (2018). This is reached when the retailer has sold over $100,000 in in-state sales or completed over 200 transactions in the state on an annual basis. Id. at 2084.

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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.

From Elm Sustainability Partners:

In our efforts to keep you updated on developments concerning conflict minerals, we send you this short note.