Industrial-PVF distributors who have not yet jumped into electronic commerce are not facing imminent obsolescence, according to Bruce Merrifield.
Industrial-PVF distributors who have not yet jumped into electronic commerce are not facing imminent obsolescence. At least that's the opinion of Bruce Merrifield, who was the featured speaker at two workshops at last month's American Supply Association convention in Chicago. ASA's Industrial Piping Division sponsored the sessions.
Merrifield explained that until a majority of buyers and sellers use electronic commerce, the technology cannot replace existing ways of doing business. He compared EC to the first fax machines: They were useful only if the party at the other end had a fax machine to receive the message.