OPs, Up-Tos, and EOQs.. OH My!
Many businesses purchase an ERP system with the goal of automating their purchasing process. Instead of making manual buying decisions, the goal is to use the power of your ERP system to automatically generate purchase orders for the buyer to review and edit as necessary. This frees up the buyers time for more productive tasks like negotiating with vendors, analyzing new product lines, and expediting existing purchase orders. But the problem for many buyers is that the formulas and settings can seem intimidating.
Innovation Paves Way for New Distribution Challenges
I recently came across an article in Time magazine, The 25 best inventions of 2017. The best inventions ranged from shoes engineered to boost performance, a flavor packed guilt-free ice cream that packs fewer calories, mugs that heat your coffee just right, to glasses that give sight to the blind. It seems like today’s efficient electric cars and smart home technologies were introduced into the mainstream a decade ago.
Distributors, Race to Faster Growth Online at Insights 2018
If your growth strategy involves online reach, this year at Insights follow the great conversation happening on digital commerce. We have a compelling line-up of sessions featuring digital commerce experts from Epicor and fellow customers that have done it already – increasing customer loyalty by driving a branded online presence, offering rich and deep product choice, accepting orders from any device, and creating compelling experiences to B2B buyers through any channel.
The Art and Science of Inventory Planning and Management – Part II
Demand planning needs to account for many different scenarios such as the following – you’re selling an $8.00 widget – a customer wants to buy these widgets but decides to go with another vendor because your price is $3.00 higher than a competitor. Or lets says the buyer wants 8 and you only have a quantity of 5 on hand – they may buy the 5 or decide not to buy because you can’t fulfill the total quantity of 8. That extra 3 or 8 widgets that could have been sold but will not be needs to be incorporated into the demand forecast.
The Art and Science of Inventory Management and Planning – Part 1
Inventory control is execution; inventory management and planning is strategy. Planning feeds to the distribution center and warehouse operations, and it’s essential.
Show Me the Money: Kroll International Finds Real Savings in Warehouse Ops Optimization
Kroll International is a leading wholesale supplier of law enforcement, military tactical, public safety, homeland security, first-responder firearms, and shooting sports equipment. For more than 3 decades, the company has specialized in the stock of more than 100,000 products from 160 world-class brands for convenient shipping to dealers worldwide. Known as “the law enforcement wholesaler,” Kroll enjoys an enviable position in a market that is fiercely competitive and which has razor-thin margins.
Distributor Differentiation through Value Added Services – Part 2
You’ll recall from Part 1 in this two-part blog series, I began sharing insights from the book I partnered with Tom Gale, editor of Modern Distribution Management magazine to write entitled Standout from the Competition. Through extensive primary research, our book examined how distributors across North America differentiated their firms in various market environments.
Three of the four ways that smaller companies can gain a competitive advantage—Financial, Talent and Technique—were covered Part 1. Now I’ll cover the fourth.
Distributor Differentiation through Value Added Services – Part 1
In 2003, I partnered with Tom Gale, editor of Modern Distribution Management magazine to write a NAW/DREF book entitled Standout from the Competition . Through extensive primary research, the book examined how distributors across North America differentiated their firms in various market environments.
Bringing Excitement Back to Accounts Payable
A few years back, I was doing a visit with a customer. We were meeting with various departments to review their processes to determine if there was room for improvement. When we got to accounting, a young man walked in and said "Hi, I’m the Lead AP Clerk – I’m bringing Excitement Back to Accounts Payable". To this day I laugh whenever I think of that. Not sure the word "excitement" has ever been used to define Accounts Payable. But maybe it should.
Prophet 21 Instrumental to Achieving Growth Goals
From a 500 sq. ft. office and warehouse facility when Cohn and Gregory first opened in 1977 to five branches totaling 100,000 sq. feet at the present time, no doubt, the wholesale distributor of pipes, valves, and fittings is gearing towards expansion.