PHCP and PVF Technology & Operations

Commercial Market Outlook: Retrofit Projects Lead the Way

baylesk@bnpmedia.com (Kristen R Bayles) — Mon, 25 May 2026 09:55:49 -0400

As commercial building owners continue to navigate economic uncertainty, labor shortages and changing customer demands, retrofit and renovation work is becoming a key opportunity across the plumbing market. In this article, learn where the commercial market is headed and how manufacturers, wholesalers, and contractors can adapt.

Why Day-To-Day Firefighting Douses Distributors’ Profit

Mon, 04 May 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Ask a distributor to describe their day-to-day, and there’s an excellent chance that they’ll use the term “fighting fires.” It makes sense that this term has become so popular – the work sounds urgent and important, even heroic.

AI at work: Hide or thrive?

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

By learning to use AI wisely in our daily work, prioritizing ethical use, and nurturing essential human skills, we’ll not only get more done and spark innovation, but ultimately build a more effective and rewarding future for ourselves and our organizations.

How fast AI has changed since last year

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

One of the clearest ways to understand what has changed since last year’s Applied AI for Distributors event is this: some of the things that were being discussed as next are now showing up as current.

How distributors are winning with business intelligence

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Strong business intelligence (BI) data has become a competitive necessity for distributors operating in increasingly complex and fast-moving markets.

AI Is Moving Faster Than Your Security Policies

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

AI is evolving faster than the policies, security systems, and safeguards designed to manage it. The smartest companies won’t ignore AI, they also won’t hand over the keys to their business until the technology proves it can be trusted with them.

The hidden gaps in your sales cycle

brian.gardner@salesprocess360.com (Brian Gardner) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:00:00 -0400

Someone must own sales excellence. Someone must act as CEO for CRM. That person should be a respected sales leader with the autonomy to make critical decisions for the company. Their role goes beyond platform selection and configuration. They are responsible for driving adoption, setting standards, training, coaching and continuous improvement.

The State of AI in Distribution

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

According to recent research from McKinsey & Company, AI adoption has surged over the past two years, with a growing share of organizations reporting measurable impact on revenue, cost reduction and customer engagement.

Preparing for the Silver Tsunami: A high‑level exit strategy guide for business owners

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Roughly 12 million U.S. businesses are owned by Baby Boomers, and with about 10,000 Americans reaching retirement age every day, the pace of ownership transitions is accelerating quickly.

Canals introduces end-to-end operating AI for distributors

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The expanded capabilities empower teams across Sales, Customer Service, Accounting, Purchasing, and Receiving to save time and get customers what they need sooner, leading to greater customer loyalty and sales at any scale.

AI adoption in distribution starts with action, not perfect data

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from buzzword to boardroom priority across PHCP-PVF distribution, but for many companies, adoption still feels stalled before it even begins. According to Brooks Hamilton, principal at AI Strategy Advisors, that hesitation often comes down to a long-standing misconception: that AI requires perfectly clean data before companies can get started.

February 2026 MDM cohort kicks off at full capacity; May classes now open

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The February 2026 ASA Master of Distribution Management cohort is officially underway, with a class of 13 students kicking off, ready to embark on their leadership growth pathway.

Podcast: Robotics in Distribution

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Robotics has moved from trade show demonstration to boardroom discussion. For many larger distributors, the question is no longer whether automation exists; it is whether it belongs in the next phase of operational strategy.

Daikin Industries selects Outerport to make unstructured engineering design data AI-ready

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:40:26 -0400

Built by a team of former research engineers who led AI development at major US tech giants such as NVIDIA and Meta Platforms, Outerport was selected by Daikin for its leading extraction accuracy and its ability to meet information security standards required for high-security manufacturers.

Cybersecruity starts with awareness, not technology

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

What makes this resource especially effective is that each attack scenario is explicitly tied back to related controls in the Cybersecurity Checklist. The attacks describe what can happen. The checklist outlines the practices organizations use to reduce exposure across increasing maturity levels.

Navigating FMLA: DOL’s opinion letter clarifies travel time

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0400

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recently issued an opinion letter explaining an employee’s available leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may be applied toward time spent traveling to and from a medical appointment.

Experience is the product you are actually selling: What 5,000-plus customer responses reveal

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Analysis of 5,063 customer responses from 10 MEP distributors confirms what many suspected but few have quantified — customer experience has become the primary differentiator in wholesale distribution. Companies prioritizing experience demonstrate higher retention rates, greater wallet share, and reduced cost-to-serve.

The Silent Cash Drain: Why slow-moving inventory is killing your branch

will@thedistributionguy.com (Will Quinn) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

very distributor has it: The pallet of specialized fittings that hasn’t moved since the Biden administration. It’s the high-efficiency boiler ordered for a commercial project that got cancelled three years ago. It’s the "seasonal" SKU that seemed like a genius buy in March until the weather or the building code changed in May.

ASA University’s Year in Review: Most used courses, MDM milestones

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:00:00 -0500

ASA members stayed busy in 2025, taking full advantage of ASA University’s tools and training to boost employee performance and drive profitability across their businesses. This year also marked a return to some familiar training trends, with members gravitating back toward foundational product knowledge.

Women leading the way in AI adoption across the ASA community

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

AI is helping women streamline complex or time-consuming tasks, such as preparing commercial quotations, entering sales orders, managing email and calendars, and organizing large volumes of product information. It is also becoming part of daily life, supporting everything from cooking and budgeting to travel planning and quick problem solving.

The hidden costs squeezing plumbing & PVF distribution margins

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Wholesale distribution has always operated on relatively thin margins. Public benchmarks typically place gross margins anywhere from the high single digits to the low-30% range depending on product mix, with net margins often falling between 3% and 10%. In plumbing and PVF, those margins vary even more dramatically by category — with commodity products leaving far less room for error than engineered or value-added offerings.

AHR Expo 2026: Hydronics innovation focuses on practical execution

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

AHR Expo 2026 made it clear that hybrid systems are no longer an emerging idea; they are the answer to the ongoing balancing act of meeting decarbonization goals while remaining realistic about the grid's capacity for electrification. Manufacturers emphasized systems that combine electric technologies, gas-fired equipment, and advanced controls.

The state of e-commerce in plumbing distribution

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Digital revenue penetration tiers show concentrated distribution patterns and progression across three measurement periods. Firms achieving more than 10% e-commerce revenue increased from 28% in 2023 to 33% in 2024 and 41% in 2025, representing a 13 percentage point gain over two years. The more than 20% tier grew from 13% to 19% and stabilized, while the more than 30% tier progressed from 8% to 10% before declining to 7% in 2025.

Podcast: Real-time answers under jobsite pressure: How AI is shaping distribution

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Lock Supply Co.’s Tim Savage breaks down how practical AI tools are accelerating quoting, closing knowledge gaps, and strengthening contractor trust — without replacing the human side of sales.

2026 AI predictions and trends: The acceleration of AI across PHCP-PVF distribution

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

A recent American Supply Association report finds that nearly 75% of companies are experimenting with AI, with 38% exploring use cases, 34% piloting tools, and 19% implementing AI for operations like data forecasting and process automation, reflecting a shift towards technology to meet rising demands.

Get better faster: 16th annual ASA-Supply House Times distributor roundtable

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Distributors must constantly adjust due to pricing volatility, supply-chain disruptions, labor shortages, inflation, and shifting customer expectations, tightening decision timelines. In November, five distributors met at ASA NETWORK in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for Supply House Times’ 16th annual distributor roundtable to assess the market and discuss future success.

ASA introduces new digitization & customer intelligence resource hub

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The Digitization & Customer Intelligence webpage provides a clear, accessible path for distributors and manufacturers looking to better understand CRM adoption, ERP integration considerations, and emerging technologies that support stronger customer relationships.

New year, new strategies: How to kickstart your marketing goals

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

A strong marketing strategy is the bridge between where your business stands today and where you want it to go. Whether you’re a manufacturer looking to increase brand visibility, a rep firm aiming to secure more partnerships, or a distributor working to grow market share, success starts with clear, actionable goals and a structured roadmap.

The most meaningful progress rarely makes noise

forstern@bnpmedia.com (Natalie Forster) — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In wholesale distribution, progress in 2025 rarely came from one sweeping change. It came from smarter forecasting and more accurate data analysis. From incremental improvements in product data that made online searches less frustrating to onboarding processes that got new hires productive faster than before. None of it flashy, but all of it impactful.