Do you think distribution will become fully-automated with driverless cars and delivery drones?
Distribution is a wide term that encompasses much more than simply the logistics of transporting items from one point to another. Managing inventory levels to meet sales demands, understanding your clients and where they are located, and managing customer relations are all elements of distribution. A distributor's solution might be to free up cash for their clients by maintaining inventory requirements on (JIT) Just-in-time level, and that money can be better utilized for revenue-generating ventures like operational improvements and efficiencies, sales & marketing strategies etc. While automation can support the logistical side of the distribution, we are far from fully automated processes.
Will this positively or negatively affect business and consumers?
I'm a huge believer in innovation and technology to enable us to understand and manage our business. That being said, there is a fine line that must be walked depending on where a firm is in its growth phase. Financial constraints are always around, so it's a balancing act between investing in technologies with the highest return on investment.
We can assist you in determining and implementing these choices because we have previously been charged with making similar judgments while working in business units of major corporations, who are frequently required to justify their expenditures.
Need help creating a strategic plan for your business? Connect with Todd Dyer.