AI enablement
Why am I so adamant about distributors enabling AI without delay and with a sense of urgency? The answer is because AI is already impacting their businesses. According to technology provider Tecmony ( tecmony.com), “58% of companies in the B2B sector actively use chatbots,” a popular AI tool. Distributors need to recognize that the upcoming generation of professionals is looking to be part of tech-savvy companies.
Workforce security
Additionally, a recent Google survey reported that 93% of Gen Z respondents said they were using two or more AI tools per week. Also, this means that if you are not AI-enabled, you are facing a workforce flight risk. Gen-X, Millennial, and Gen-Z employees are interested in companies that utilize AI integration in their daily workflows.
I recently participated in a distribution sector peer-to-peer webcast. After opening comments, it moved me to a chat room with four other individuals. I asked them how many jobs they had had since finishing their education. Moreover, two have been with major software development companies since entering the workforce. The other two were working with distributors. One person reported having had seven jobs since starting his career. The other was in the process of making a change. She is leaving one distributor to go to another, which is a leader in her vertical in digital development. I know the IT officer at her prospective employer to be one of the best in that distributor business sector.
A sense of excitement
AI brings with it a sense of excitement. The chart above illustrates how opportunities are moving fast in getting qualified returns by applying AI across core distribution functions. Whether for order and quoting, SKU onboarding, sales enablement, marketing, supply chain, or processing returns, AI applications yield immediate, measurable results. There is strategic value in enabling AI technology today.
The choice is yours
My message is simple — the integration of AI in your business is an immediate imperative. The convergence of urgency and excitement creates a unique moment for our industry’s continuous evolution. Lastly, with the enablement of AI, distributors gain measurable business advantages and position themselves as employers of choice for the upcoming generation of distribution professionals.
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