| December 12, 2012 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- McKesson CIO/CTO uses dual role to manage technology
McKesson Corp.'s Randy Spratt has concurrently been chief information officer and chief technology officer since 2009, taking on the latter role in large part to help McKesson shift to the cloud, according to this interview. "[I]n a given quarter, I spend about a third of my time on CIO responsibilities, a third on CTO responsibilities and a third in learning about new technologies, learning about our customers," Spratt said. Forbes
(12/10)     
 | See the ERP solution analysts call the "Champion"
What makes an ERP solution stand apart so much that a leading analyst labeled it as the market "Champion"? See for yourself in an upcoming webcast. You'll discover how Sage ERP X3 helps distributors deliver on time, every time. Plus you'll learn how it can help you improve collaboration with suppliers--even across multiple languages and currencies. Register now. |
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| Operations and Technology |  |  |
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- 3D vision keeps industrial trucks on track
Robotic industrial trucks, otherwise known as automated guided vehicles, have typically required costly infrastructure to keep them on track. But new vision-guided AGVs require none of that, using rapidly taken pictures of a given route to provide a kind of 3D map that orients them and can be changed as often as needed. SupplyChainBrain.com
(12/7)
- IT leaders more focused on efficiency than growth
Investments in cloud computing and data analytics are paying off for enterprises in the form of increased efficiency, but despite changing attitudes, IT departments are not yet having a significant impact on business growth, analysts say. According to a poll of business and IT leaders in four countries sponsored by Juniper Research, 20% of enterprises are not fully prepared to leverage advances in IT into new business opportunities, while more than half say they are working toward that goal. eWeek
(12/6)
| Sales and Marketing | | |
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- Adopt new sales strategies to achieve success in 2013
Your company will need new strategies to achieve its objectives for the coming year, writes Jim Keenan. Among other things, you may want to reorganize your team, adopt a new sales methodology or hire more representatives, he notes. "It's not enough to say you're going to focus on working harder, making more calls, doing more research," Keenan writes. Instead, you'll need "specific, targeted strategies that increase your ability to overcome the challenges." A Sales Guy blog
(12/5)
- 4 basics steps to consider before jumping into social media
Deciding whether to undertake a B2B social media effort requires a hard look at how much time and money it will take to yield enough revenue to make it worth it, SiteLogic President Matt Bailey says. If it passes that test, view your message as stable and the medium as the moving target, carefully matching company to social channel. Start with keyword research to ensure that social media efforts are properly tracked and measured. MarketingSherpa
(12/6)
| The Business Leader | | |
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- How to lead like a Zen master
When someone presents you with an idea, you should take a deep breath and wait 24 seconds before letting yourself criticize it, Cue Ball CEO Tony Tjan says. If you can manage 24 seconds, then try 24 minutes. "Then if you become a Zen master of optimism, you could wait a day and spend that time thinking about why something actually might work," he says. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(12/8)
- Take big risks, or you're guaranteed to fail
Bosses should be willing to take big risks, otherwise they'll never succeed, says Tom Perkins, co-founder of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. "If there is no risk, you have already missed the boat. Your competitors will already be there," Perkins says. Knowledge@Wharton
(12/5)
- Give your employees the gift of leadership development
The best bosses know when to step back and let their employees take the lead, writes Jennifer V. Miller. Leadership development shouldn't be reserved for people with a formal title, Miller explains. "When you provide your team members with an opportunity to exercise their leadership muscles, you're giving them a tremendous gift," she writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership
(12/6)
| NAW Insider | | |
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Order "In Search of the Perfect Customer": softcover or e-book
"In Search of the Perfect Customer: Cost-to-Serve for Distributors," by Brent Grover, is available as a Kindle edition (Amazon.com) and a NOOK book (BN.com). Or order a softcover edition from NAW. Wholesaler-distributors must protect their most profitable, high-growth potential customers and avoid squandering precious resources. If your company is overlooking opportunities to make money and stop profit leakage, read this book.
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Will your business grow this year?
Through the use of new technologies and best practices, smart wholesaler-distributors have an opportunity to better understand and navigate current conditions so they can improve organization-wide management of customer risk and pinpoint potential profits in their existing customer base. Download this complimentary whitepaper: "Building a Financially Healthy and Profitable Customer Base."
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