THE INFORMED DISTRIBUTOR: SO THE ECONOMY IS DOWN; WHAT DISTRIBUTORS SHOULD DO TO PREPARE FOR RECOVERY
Infor recently started a distribution centric blog called The Informed Distributor, and Gary Rippen, Director of Wholesale Distribution Industry Marketing, recently offered distributors 5 suggestions for preparing for the economic recovery. Check it out.
The Informed Distributor Excerpt:
It is impossible to turn on the news without being bombarded with stories about the volatile economy. Despite reports of a turnaround, workers continue to lose their jobs as companies add more cost-cutting measures. Although the timing is not ideal for all aspects of business, savvy distributors are finding ways to capitalize on the lull in activity by identifying ways to do business better.
Using this time to seek out new growth strategies and identify ways to implement new processes allows distributors to add value while others are cooling their heels. When the market begins to look up, these businesses will have already positioned themselves for success and be able to carry on their momentum.
The distribution industry is full of moving parts, with a large number of business processes that can be examined for fine-tuning. Companies can implement new software tools or identify ways to use their existing software investment to optimize their performance. For example, distributors can take a closer look at their shipping, receiving, material handling, conveyance, picking, packing, slotting, cross-docking, and workforce management techniques to find areas for improvement.
Here are five simple suggestions for distribution companies…