Category Archives: Line Item Profit Analytics

128. Brand Power-Shift To Your Service-Value Solutions

2020 Companies, AmazonBusiness, Core Renewal, Distribution Industry Sales, Distribution Strategy, Index, Line Item Profit Analytics, LIPA, Supply Chain Partners, WayPoint Analytics

Invasion of Better Clone SKUs for Less

Retail “hard discounters” (HDs: Aldi, Lidl and Trader Joe’s) and Amazon have attacked B2C factory brands in the past 18 months. In 2017, the HDs announced big expansion plans for the US, while Amazon ramped up their B2C private-label-clone SKUs. Then, in October (’18), AMZ quietly announced their “brand accelerator program”. Prediction: this program will spark the creation of new B2B clone products on Amazon.

The Clone Formula: Equal or Better Quality For 50% Less

Continue reading 128. Brand Power-Shift To Your Service-Value Solutions →

126. Weak ROI on Analytics? Very Common! So?

2020 Companies, Big Data, Index, Line Item Profit Analytics, LIPA, Profit Analytics, WayPoint Analytics

ERNST YOUNG (EY) SURVEY RESULTS

A recent EY survey (11-6-18) of bigger companies (than typical distributors) revealed that:

  1. 80% of firms see big upside potential with analytics, but can’t get results. There is a gap between insights and action not taken by employees.
  2. 56% said a culture of decision-making by intuition ruled. (Any intuitive account-call planning going on at your company?)
  3. 60% cited lack of budget and organizational commitment as the biggest pain point.
  4. 67% plan to hire more analytical talent
  5. But, 80% can’t find the talent they need.

Continue reading 126. Weak ROI on Analytics? Very Common! So? →

125. Rent An Analytics Champ To Jumpstart a Renewal

AmazonBusiness, Big Data, Core Renewal, Cost-to-Serve Math, Index, Line Item Profit Analytics, LIPA, Profit Analytics, WayPoint Analytics

Baseball’s Lessons For Distributors

Two books document the rise of game-changing analytics within major league baseball (MLB): Moneyball (’03) and the highly-recommended, Astroball (7/18)[i]. The 2018 MLB playoffs featured the best, most analytically-empowered teams (along with big-talent payrolls).

Studies on MLB analytics departments from ’03 to ’18 reveal that: Continue reading 125. Rent An Analytics Champ To Jumpstart a Renewal →

118. Financial Blind-Spots of Most Distributors

Big Data, Cost-to-Serve Math, Distribution Industry Sales, Index, Line Item Profit Analytics, LIPA, Profit Analytics, WayPoint Analytics

What Do Line-Item Profit Analytics Reveal?

Waypoint Analytics is the only cloud-service firm that offers distributors an array of tools based on a Line-Item, Cost-To-Serve (CTS) model, and a calculation engine. The firm has, over its 10-year existence, created CTS models for well over 100 distributors in over 50 different channels. The aggregate stats for this pool of progressive distributors are startling: Continue reading 118. Financial Blind-Spots of Most Distributors →

115. Selling Millennial – B2B, Self-Serve, Digital Buyers

AmazonBusiness, Big Data, Concierge Customer Service, Distribution Industry Sales, Distribution Strategy, Index, Line Item Profit Analytics, LIPA, Profit Analytics, WayPoint Analytics

Millennials? Digital-Buying Preferences?

Millennials are presently: 20-36 years old; involved in 85% of B2B purchases; the final buying authority 35% of the time, and will be growing past 50% by 2020. Their Amazon (AMZ) phone app is (statistically) their most valued and frequently used. They want their Amazon B2C buying experience at the office. AMZ owns your Next Generation Customers (NGCs)

Reps, Distributors, Master Wholesalers, Manufacturers: will you ally to be first with solutions for your NGCs needs?   Continue reading 115. Selling Millennial – B2B, Self-Serve, Digital Buyers →

114. Reviews on Best Distributor Web Sites: MSC Industrial, Crescent Electric, Essendant, Hajoca, et. al.

AmazonBusiness, Big Data, Distribution Industry Sales, Distribution Strategy, Index, Line Item Profit Analytics, LIPA, Profit Analytics, WayPoint Analytics

Must-Read Blog Series

Go to this link for an article on MSC Industrial and Crescent Electric:

digitalcommerce360.com

Pay attention to the specific features, benefits and design guidelines that are reported. Consider doing the same for the reviews for: Essendant’s (8/9); Hajoca’s (8/28); Cardinal Health’s (8/31); Univar’s (7/30); and Blair Candy (7/25: small-firm story!) Continue reading 114. Reviews on Best Distributor Web Sites: MSC Industrial, Crescent Electric, Essendant, Hajoca, et. al. →