A small group of IT leaders is beginning to change the technology dynamics in the industry. Two years ago, a few of us got together to talk about common pain points that technology could address and the work began. Now, the group is growing larger and solutions are being developed by multiple groups of competitors collaborating to solve industry-wide issues.
Issues this group has addressed or is addressing include:
- Electronic Order Status
- Electronic Product Inventory Requests
- Sending Electronic Purchase Orders to Suppliers
Along the way, small problems are getting solved and relationships are being built that will drive success for those involved or those who choose to take advantage of the work being done once complete. The challenges are great and the solutions require a lot of collaboration and execution to be useful to a broad range of suppliers and distributors. However, the cost of not addressing these issues is significant to our industry as the buyers continue to expect more.
Larger firms with IT staff are the primary participants, but there are several industry service providers involved to ensure these improvements are available to firms of all size. We have to work together as an industry to solve common problems in order for our industry to remain competitive. I’m proud off the work the IT leaders are doing and Geiger is already enjoying the benefits of efficiency from electronic order status and electronic inventory requests. If your company wants to benefit as well, the solutions are available to anyone to implement at no charge other than having an IT partner/leader who knows how to implement them. Message me for details at @GeigerCIO or on LinkedIn.
The PPAI Technology Summit is a great way to learn more about these initiatives along with great networking with other IT leaders. For the first time ever, the Summit will be recognizing technology contributions specifically from IT designed to improve the industry or your business. If you have an IT project that you are proud of, be sure to submit your project for consideration.
Internal Innovator Nomination Form
Industry Collaborator Nomination Form
The PPAI Technology Summit early bird rate ends March 31. Register now to save $100.
Geiger CIO Dale Denham, MAS+ provides practical insights on how you can benefit from technology in no nonsense terms. Follow him on Twitter @GeigerCIO.
