| September 24, 2008 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Sysco stays on schedule despite Hurricane Ike
Thanks to robust planning, mostly based on lessons learned from past storms, even Hurricane Ike could not stop food distributor Sysco Corp. from making its appointed rounds: One day after Ike landed, the company was operating at full capacity in the Houston area. "We have a good planning process and an even better execution," said Ken Spitler, president and COO of Sysco Corp. Among other lessons the company has learned is the need to keep abundant fuel supplies on hand for employees to use in the event a bad storm strikes. Houston Chronicle
(9/17)
     
- Health care companies rank supply chain issues as top concern
According to a survey commissioned by the United Parcel Service, supply chain issues are making the business of serving an increasingly global market more complex for health care providers. In the survey, health care companies said managing and containing supply chain costs was their top supply-chain specific concern. "Managing supply chain costs will only become more critical as health care supply chains continue to expand and evolve," said Bill Hook, vice president for health care logistics at UPS. Fleet Owner
(9/19)
 | Activant provides technology solutions and services to more than 4,200 wholesale distributors throughout North America. A leading technology provider for the distribution industry, Activant develops comprehensive, user-friendly software that increases sales, improves customer service, and maximizes the return on technology investments. |
- All angles important in handling customer complaints
A company's response to a service failure can be just as important as providing good service in the first place, in many consumers' eyes. This article advises businesses to recognize that there are three stakeholders to consider in the resolution of consumer complaints: the customers themselves, the managers responsible for addressing their concerns and the frontline employees who deal directly with the clients. The Wall Street Journal
(9/22)
- Weigh multiple factors when making hiring decisions
Job candidates' credentials as well as their suitability for a given position should each be considered when it comes to hiring. "The key to attracting outstanding candidates and selecting the right person for your company's next executive hire comes down to several things: your ability to describe the challenge in a detailed way; whether your internal stakeholders truly understand the behaviors that drive success in the role; and all the cultural intangibles that together constitute management style, effective communication, and ability to inspire and lead others," a recruiting expert explains. BusinessWeek
(9/19)
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| | The Five Keys to World-Class Distribution
In a changing marketplace and a tightening economy, distributors must be willing to make changes to their procedures, concepts and customer service in order to stay paced with the competition. Click here for a free white paper and learn what it takes to achieve success in the modern era of distribution. | |
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| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Experts suggest 21 low-cost marketing strategies
Creative marketing techniques do not have to be expensive, says Carson Hager, president of Washington, D.C.-based Cynergy Systems. Hager and other business leaders helped Entrepreneur develop this list of 21 low-cost ways to draw attention to a small business. Blogging, customer loyalty and free content-distribution services are among the suggestions. Entrepreneur
(10/2008)
| Executive Life | | |
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- Hotel residences have comforts of home, with amenities
The trend of hotel-residences allows owners to have all the comforts of home, including kitchens, along with the amenities of a hotel, such as room and maid service. Considerations in buying a hotel residence should include location, the details of the deal and making sure details of ownership are spelled out. USA TODAY
(9/18)
- New Yorkers welcome mozzarella bar opening
Obika, which opened its first mozzarella bar four years ago in Rome, opened a new location in Manhattan on Monday. The unusual focus on a simple cheese has turned into a global trend as Obika branches have opened -- or will open -- in urban centers from London and Milan to Tokyo and Kuwait City. The New York Times
(9/16)
| NAW Insider | | |
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Register for NAW's Billion Dollar Company CEO Roundtable
NAW's Billion Dollar Company CEO Roundtable, Chicago, Oct. 14 to 15, joins CEOs from distribution companies with sales of $1 billion and above to network/benchmark. Topics are based on responses from the CEO community, addressing specific needs of the group, including Associate Engagement -- Customer Loyalty; Action Plan for Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility; and Financial Markets -- The Impact on Our Industry. Register now!
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Payment paradigm has shifted
From NAW and Solveras Inc. comes the first all-in-one invoicing, check imaging, ACH and credit card processing solution with your business in mind. Web-based, bank neutral with faster funding -- ParadigmSM delivers major savings to your bottom line. Get more information.
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Here's your key HR resource for improving employee performance
Every distributor needs a more structured approach to improving employee performance, and the Employee Performance Improvement Tool Kit (book and CD) fits that bill. Use it in today's tough market to find, hire, develop, evaluate, and retain employees. It includes dozens of customizable templates and 21 different distribution job samples. Make it a key component in your human resources program.
| Weekly Poll | | |
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Does your company perform internal control audits of day-to-day processes?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | Yes, we regularly perform them as part of our other business evaluations. |
| We do them from time to time but not regularly. |
| We do not perform such audits. |
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- Friday, September 19, 2008
- Thursday, September 18, 2008
- Wednesday, September 17, 2008
- Monday, September 15, 2008
| | | Lead Editor: Ashley McMaster
Contributing Editor: Nancy Melville | Robert Jones
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