Cloud Computing

Building supplies, construction, specialized tools, and fasteners are just a few of the industries that fall under the umbrella of industrial distribution. There are numerous recurring themes and issues in this varied environment, ranging from industry mergers to aging workforces and supply chain disruptions. Automation and digitization are critical to meeting these challenges and to achieving growth in this space. The software applications within Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems offer an intelligent, scalable solution to complex supply chains, helping distributors adapt fast.

Maintaining open lines of communication, managing vendor relationships, and creating contracts are just a few of the duties that go into creating a vendor management process that, when done correctly, encourages business expansion and optimizes operations. All the activities and projects that support vendor relationships, provide dependable supply chains, and enhance production cycles are collectively referred to as vendor management.

In an article I wrote for Forbes, I mentioned that many e-commerce businesses built new warehouses to meet demand during the pandemic. Once established, however, operators encountered a new challenge: labor scarcity, which 57% of supply chain executives believe has "hindered their ability to meet demand." That shortage persists and many logistics professionals are turning to warehouse automation technology to help retain employees they have and increase their productivity. 

We’re just days away from VAI Prevail 2023, our first onsite event since Nashville, TN in 2018. After several years of successful virtual connection, the VAI team, customers, and partners are ready for in-person and face-to-face networking and collaboration. This year, we’re heading to the Walt Disney Swan Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL, and we have an incredible itinerary over two days.

While concerns have risen around cloud migration, the benefits far outweigh the challenges, and having a cloud strategy can enhance your security profile. In a recent article I published in Strategic CIO 360, I outlined the challenges and pluses of cloud migration, how to handle both, and why you need to make sure your provider is fully transparent about costs.

The next time you're at a sporting event, a retail mall, or the airport, count how many cell phones are in use as evidence that design and development should be a mobile-first approach. Some of the people you'll encounter won't ever put their smartphones down, wholly engaged with making in-app purchases, checking their social network accounts, reading the news, and, of course, interacting. Additionally, the mobile device trend extends beyond consumer use to enterprise functionality, providing employees with continual access to the apps and data they need.