Tomorrow's contractors will dictate wholesalers technology strategies, such as Northeastern Supply and Hill Supplies.
Customer demands will affect wholesalers' technology strategy more than anything else. That's what the most recent Distribution Research and Education Foundation report, "Facing the Forces of Change: Four Trends Reshaping Wholesale Distribution," states. Tomorrow's customers will be more at ease with the Internet and more knowledgable. They'll demand more information and self-service options, such as 24/7/365 online order entry, electronic funds transfer, real-time inventory checking, online order status and account history, as well as shipping and delivery information.
"If the new value proposition largely lies not in products but in information, the race will be won by those who surround the products they sell with valuable information the customer needs about those products and others like them," the DREF report states.