News and Trends

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School Specialty announces new COO
School supplies and resources distributor School Specialty Inc. has named Thomas M. Slagle its new president and COO. Chief executive David Vander Zanden is relinquishing the title of president, but he remains CEO. Slagle was previously group president of medical supply chain services at Cardinal Health Inc. American City Business Journals/Milwaukee (3/15) BusinessWeek/Associated Press (3/15)

Grainger names top 2006 suppliers
Grainger issued Partners in Performance Supplier Awards to 27 top performers, at the maintenance, repair and service equipment distributor's yearly supplier conference. Winners included Motorola Incorporated, Spectrum Brands/Rayovac Division and Wells Lamont Industrial. Progressive Distributor (3/20)

ScanSource makes deal with Janam Technologies
ScanSource Inc. has added handheld computers to its line of offerings to reseller customers, via a deal with Janam Technologies, which manufactures barcode-scanning mobile computers. "Janam Technologies' rugged handheld devices allow our resellers to expand their mobile technology offerings by delivering a high-quality product that is also armed with Palm's productivity enhancing software," said ScanSource's VP of merchandising. eChannelLine Canada (3/14)

Best Practices

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Purposeful abandonment moves supply chains forward
Purposeful abandonment of antiquated processes allows supply chain managers to redistribute resources and stop wasting time, money and staff resources. The practice "presents [an] opportunity for someone to lead and drive the effort to abandon the present supply chain management approach and to design, develop, implement and manage the new and improved SCM," says SCM guru Thomas Craig. Supply Chain Management News (3/16)

Strategic planning is key
Developing a long-term strategic plan can be an invaluable process if you take the time to involve all employees. Eliminating the CEO-only seal on your company's planning and development will build leadership, encourage teamwork and define company culture. CEO Strategist (3/1)

Sales

Status of the cold call
Some may say that cold-calling is dead, but the practice can be successful if done correctly, Mike Schultz says in his report "What's Working in Lead Generation." "You have to actively go out and recruit new business if you want to succeed," he told BusinessWeek columnist Karen E. Klein. BusinessWeek (3/6)

Distribution Trends Blog

Be found online
"The Internet now accounts for approximately 5% of total U.S. advertising spending," said Pembroke Consulting President and NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellow Adam J. Fein, Ph.D., in his most recent blog update. Total Internet ad revenues in 2006 were up 34% from 2005. If you're not yet getting new customers via the Internet, now is the time.

Small Business Manager

Meetings tailored to small business
Even the smallest businesses need to take time to set goals and plan for the future. Break away from the office, embrace technology and have fun to make your next business meeting a strategic and problem-solving success. American City Business Journals/San Antonio (3/16)

Executive Life

Using domestic cell phones overseas
Avoid being in a foreign country without a cell phone and paying overly high usage charges. Tips for using a cell phone overseas include buying prepaid SIM cards, renting a local phone in your destination country and bringing a dual voltage charger for your American phone. The New York Times (3/15)

Touting the advantages of fiber
Fiber fills you up, keeps your appetite at bay and may ease symptoms of acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome. Most people only consume about 10 to 15 grams of fiber each day, but the recommended daily amount is between 25 and 35 grams. Fiber is in oranges, other fruits, nuts, avocados and other plant foods. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration) (3/18)

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NAW Insider

NAW's Large Company Human Resources Networking Conference
NAW's Large Company HR Networking Conference, May 16 to 17, in Chicago, convenes top-level HR executives from wholesale distribution companies with sales of $100 million and above to network and benchmark. Agenda topics are based on responses from the HR community and address specific needs of the group, including ROI of HR, succession planning, recruitment and retention. Get details and register here.

NAW and The Hartford

NAW has partnered with The Hartford to offer insurance expertise and comprehensive coverage tailored to the specific needs of wholesaler-distributors. The Hartford also offers expedited claims handling services and a countrywide network of loss control and risk management experts to help wholesaler-distributors protect their businesses and minimize loss costs. More information available here.

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