The question is no longer whether AI has a place in distribution. It's where AI can produce real gains in productivity, service, efficiency and profitability, and how quickly those gains can be put to work.

A different challenge for distribution leaders.

There are more tools, more use cases and more pressure to act, but not every opportunity deserves investment, and adopting AI does not automatically improve the business.

The opportunity is bigger than automating work.

AI can help distributors put the knowledge, information, data and processes already inside the business to work in new ways improving productivity, eliminating wasted effort, strengthening customer service, getting more from people and resources, and giving leadership better information to make smarter strategic decisions.

The challenge is knowing where to focus, what it will take to implement, and whether the business is ready to turn AI into productive gains.

So before deciding where to invest in AI, I believe every distributor should answer two fundamental questions:

Where can AI produce the greatest gains for our business?

Are we ready to capture those gains?

A Practical Path Forward

Every distributor is in a different place with AI. Some are just starting to explore it. Others are already testing tools and looking for ways to put them to work.

You don't need to have all the answers before you start. The right place to begin depends on what you're trying to understand and what you're seeing in your own business.

There are three ways to engage, depending on how far you want to take it.

1. Start the Conversation

Explore the Opportunity

Maybe you have some ideas about where AI could help. Maybe you're hearing a lot about it but aren't sure where it fits your business. Let's talk about it.

We'll look at what's happening in your business, where you see opportunities and where AI might improve productivity, customer service, efficiency or profitability.

The goal is simple: figure out if there is something worth pursuing, and where to start.

Let's Compare Notes

2. Establish Readiness

Understand Where You Stand

If you want to take a deeper look, the Business Readiness Index™ looks at the business from five perspectives:

Business Performance | Operations | Organization | Technology & Data | AI Enablement

It helps identify what's working, where the gaps are and what could get in the way of putting AI to work. The assessment is grounded in evidence and observations, with each area scored for current state, confidence and priority.

And Don't Forget the People

Technology is only part of the equation. Your people have to understand AI, be willing to use it and have confidence in how it's being introduced.

The AI Workforce Readiness Assessment looks at awareness, attitudes, willingness, capability, confidence and trust in leadership.

Together, these assessments answer a bigger question: Are the business and the people ready to move forward?

Explore Your Readiness

3. Build the Plan

Decide Where to Act

Once you understand where you stand, the next question is what to do about it.

We'll identify where AI can produce the biggest gains, what needs to happen first and where your time, people and investment are best spent.

The goal isn't a long list of AI ideas. It's a practical plan focused on the opportunities that can make the business better.

Build Your Roadmap